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Tommy Kirk

Tommy Kirk

Actor · Died September 28, 2021, aged 79 · Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Thomas Lee Kirk (December 10, 1941 − September 28, 2021) was an American actor, best known for his performances in films made by Walt Disney Studios such as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, as well as the beach party films of the mid-1960s. He frequently appeared as a love interest for Annette Funicello or as part of a family with Kevin Corcoran as his younger brother and Fred MacMurray as his father. Kirk's career with Disney ended when news of his homosexuality threatened to become public. He struggled with drug addiction and depression for several years, appearing in a series of low-budget films before leaving the acting business in the mid-1970s. Kirk opened a carpet cleaning business and lived a mostly ordinary life, occasionally appearing at fan conventions. He died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2021, aged 79.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 10, 1941
Died
September 28, 2021 (aged 79)
From
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

What are Tommy Kirk's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
48%
Self
22%
Morality
9%
Survival
9%
Society
6%
Power
5%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 15 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 14 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 11

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 15 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

15 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 10 of 15 analyzed roles.

Hero
10 of 15
Ally
2 of 15
Trickster
1 of 15
Shapeshifter
1 of 15
Shadow
1 of 15
Show the 15 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
11
Absurd
9
Warm
4
Thrilling
4
Romantic
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Fun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Tommy Kirk's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tommy Kirk's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

46 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Education of a Vampire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Albert Kornfield

  • Club Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Private Detective

  • Billy Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Blind Monk

  • Little Miss Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Mr. Kenner

  • Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Passenger

  • Streets of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Frank Phillips

  • Disney's Greatest Dog Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Wilby Daniels (uncredited)

  • The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Roland Claridge

  • Ride the Hot Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Captain Gregory Shank

  • It's Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Wayne Thomas

  • Mars Needs Women(1968)

    as Dop - Martian Fellow #1 / Mr. Fast - Seattle Sun Reporter

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Track of Thunder(1967)

    as Bobby Goodwin

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Blood of Ghastly Horror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Lt. Cross

  • Catalina Caper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Don Pringle

  • It's a Bikini World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Mike / Herbert Samson

  • The Unkissed Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Ted

  • The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini(1966)

    as Chuck Phillips

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Weird World of Dr. Goldfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Malcolm Andrews

  • Village of the Giants(1965)

    as Mike

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Monkey's Uncle(1965)

    as Merlin Jones

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Pajama Party(1964)

    as Go Go

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Misadventures of Merlin Jones(1964)

    as Merlin Jones

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Mr. Novak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Tod Seaton

  • Savage Sam(1963)

    as Travis Coates

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Son of Flubber(1962)

    as Biff Hawk

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Escapade in Florence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Tommy Carpenter

  • Bon Voyage!(1962)

    as Elliott Willard

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Moon Pilot(1962)

    as Walter Talbot

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Babes in Toyland(1961)

    as Grumio

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Horsemasters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Danny Grant

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Absent Minded Professor(1961)

    as Biff Hawk

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Swiss Family Robinson(1960)

    as Ernst

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Escape to Paradise/Water Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • The Shaggy Dog(1959)

    as Wilby Daniels

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Old Yeller(1957)

    as Travis Coates

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Ghost Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Joe Hardy

  • Down Liberty Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Jimmy Rollins

  • The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Joe Hardy

  • The Hardy Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 35 episodes · as Joe Hardy

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Frontier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerry Pitcher

  • The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Morrison

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · as Biff Hawk (archive footage) · as Danny Grant · as Self · as Wilby Daniels

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Alvin Simms · as Mark Seaton

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 46 titles from 1953 to 2001; peak year 1964.

Biggest box office

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

$40M worldwide

Highest rated

Old Yeller (1957)

Midcredits 87th

Most popular right now

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Film career

19532001

Peak 1964 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting46 of 46: 46 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score41st

By decade

1950s12 · acting1960s25 · acting1970s3 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s3 · acting2000s2 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 47% of 15 roles
5762

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Tommy Kirk's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 17 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Village of the Giants (1965)

67th percentile spread · 66% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Old Yeller (1957)

Midcredits 87th · 76% liked

Reviewers score the acting 56/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 37. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Tommy Kirk's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 15 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Tommy Kirk work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tommy Kirk's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Walt Disney shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers