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Fred Kohler

Fred Kohler

Actor · Died October 28, 1938, aged 50 · Dubuque, Iowa, USA

From Wikipedia Fred Kohler (April 20, 1888 – October 28, 1938) was an American actor known for his playing heavies. Fred Kohler was born in Kansas City, Missouri. As a teen, he began to pursue a career in vaudeville, but worked other jobs to support himself. He lost part of his right hand in a mining accident during this time. Eventually he was able to join a touring company, and worked steadily in show business for several years. America's budding film industry drew a 20-something Kohler to Hollywood, where he made his start in silent films. His first role was in the 1911 short The Code of Honor, and he had an uncredited role in Cecil B. DeMille's feature film Joan the Woman (1917), but a steady stream of parts did not begin until The Tiger's Trail (1919). Kohler's stern features earned him a niche playing villains. His role as Bauman in The Iron Horse (1924) is a notable example. With the advent of the talkies, Kohler reprised many of his silent roles in remakes with sound, particularly in Westerns based on novels by Zane Grey. At the beginning of the sound era, he appeared in the Allan Dwan film Tide of Empire (1929) alongside Renée Adorée and Tom Keene. Kohler died of a heart attack on October 28, 1938 at age 50. He was buried in an unmarked grave at Inglewood Park Cemetery in South Los Angeles community of Inglewood, California. His son Fred Kohler, Jr. (1911–1993) was also an actor in many western films.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 18, 1888
Died
October 28, 1938 (aged 50)
From
Dubuque, Iowa, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 124 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 36% in 30 days

What are Fred Kohler's films like?

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

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action 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
Morality
37%
Bonds
23%
Survival
14%
Society
14%
Power
8%
Self
4%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

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

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 6 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 13 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 11 · Intense 3

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 10 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 2

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 10 of 12 analyzed roles.

Shadow
10 of 12
Threshold guardian
2 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Thrilling
9
Melancholic
6
Hopeful
5
Romantic
4
Other
10

How their films linger

Rousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous2

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 Fred Kohler's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Fred Kohler'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

124 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Lawless Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Tom Marsh

  • Billy the Kid Returns(1938)

    as Matson

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Painted Desert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Hugh Fawcett

  • Blockade(1938)

    as Pietro

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Gangs of New York (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Kruger

  • Forbidden Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Matt Rogan

  • The Buccaneer(1938)

    as Gramby (as Fred Hohler Sr.)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Daughter of Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Captain Gulner

  • The Accusing Finger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Curly-haired Convict

  • The Plainsman(1936)

    as Jake - A Teamster

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Texas Rangers(1936)

    as Jess Higgins

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Vigilantes Are Coming(1936)

    as General Jason Burr

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • For the Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bruce Howard

  • Heart of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Barton

  • Dangerous Intrigue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Brant

  • Frisco Kid(1935)

    as Shanghai Duck

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Stormy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Deem Dorn

  • Wilderness Mail(1935)

    as Lobo McBain / Landau

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Men of Action (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Thorenson

  • Hard Rock Harrigan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Black Jack Riley

  • Lightning Triggers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Bull Thompson

  • Border Brigands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Captain Conyda

  • Goin' to Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Buck Gonzales

  • Mississippi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Captain Blackie

  • Times Square Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as "Dutch" Meyers

  • Horses' Collars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Double Deal Decker

  • West of the Pecos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sawtelle

  • The Man from Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mayor Anse McCloud

  • Little Man, What Now? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Karl Goebbler

  • Half a Sinner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Brick

  • The Last Round-up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sam Gulden

  • Honor of the Range (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Rawhide

  • Queen Christina(1933)

    as Member of the Court at Abdication (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Wolf Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Joe Stevens

  • Ship of Wanted Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Chuck Young

  • Deluge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Jepson

  • The Fiddlin' Buckaroo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Wolf Morgan

  • Under the Tonto Rim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Munther

  • The Constant Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Speakeasy Bouncer

  • Wild Horse Mesa(1932)

    as Rand

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Call Her Savage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Silas Jennings

  • The Fourth Horseman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Honest Ben Jones

  • The Texas Bad Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Gore Hampton

  • The Rider of Death Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Lew Grant

  • Carnival Boat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Hack Logan

  • X Marks the Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Edward P. Riggs

  • Corsair(1931)

    as Big John

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Woman Hungry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Kampen

  • Fighting Caravans(1931)

    as Lee Murdock

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Other Men's Women(1930)

    as Haley

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Lash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Peter Harkness

  • The Right of Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Joseph Portugais

  • Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Fred Kohler

  • A Soldier's Plaything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Hank

  • The Light of Western Stars(1930)

    as H.W. Stack

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Under a Texas Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Bad Man

  • Roadhouse Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Sam Horner

  • Hell's Heroes(1929)

    as 'Wild Bill' Kearney

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Say It with Songs(1929)

    as Fred, Joe's Cellmate

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Broadway Babies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Perc Gessant

  • The River of Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Captain Blackie

  • Thunderbolt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as 'Bad Al' Friedberg

  • Stairs of Sand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Boss Stone

  • The Quitter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Duffy Thompson

  • Tide of Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Cannon

  • The Dummy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Joe Cooper

  • The Leatherneck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Heckla

  • The Case of Lena Smith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Stefan

  • The Spieler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Red Moon

  • Sal of Singapore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Captain Sunday

  • Forgotten Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Actor

  • The Vanishing Pioneer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Sheriff Murdock

  • The Drag Net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as 'Gabby' Steve

  • Chinatown Charlie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Monk

  • The Showdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Winter

  • The Gay Defender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Jake Hamby

  • The City Gone Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Gunner Gallagher

  • Open Range (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Sam Hardman

  • Shootin' Irons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Dick Hardman

  • The Way of All Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as The Tough

  • The Rough Riders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Sergeant Stanton

  • The Loves of Carmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Gypsy Chief

  • Underworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Buck Mulligan

  • The Blood Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as First Mate Fitz

  • Old Ironsides (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Second Mate (uncredited)

  • The Country Beyond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Joe Leseur

  • The Ice Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Actor

  • The Bar-C Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Actor

  • Danger Quest(1926)

    as Otto Shugars

  • The Prairie Pirate(1925)

    as Aguilar - the Bandit

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Iron Horse(1924)

    as Bauman

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Winds of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Joe McCaskey

  • Riders of the Purple Sage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Henchman Tom Metzger (uncredited)

  • The Thundering Herd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Follansbee

  • Dick Turpin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Ring Announcer (uncredited)

  • Fighting Fury(1924)

    as 'Two-finger' Larkin

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Auctioneer at New Orleans slave market

  • The Red Warning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Tom Jeffries

  • North of Hudson Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Armand LeMoir

  • The Clean Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Jack Wolff

  • Hell's Hole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Prisoner

  • Shadows of the North (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Ray Brent

  • The Eleventh Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Barbara's Uncle

  • Thru the Flames (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as 'Red' Burke

  • The Flame of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Spring

  • Three Who Paid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Jim Quade

  • Without Compromise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Cass Blake

  • Perils of the Yukon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Capt. Whipple

  • Trimmed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Young Bill Young

  • The Son of the Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Malemute Kid

  • His Back Against the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Arizona Pete

  • Yellow Men and Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Craven

  • The Scrapper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Oleson

  • With Stanley in Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Actor

  • A Daughter of the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as George Stacey

  • Conflict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Jevons' foreman (uncredited)

  • The Stampede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Steve Norton

  • Partners of the Tide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as First Mate

  • Cyclone Bliss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Jack Hall

  • The Kentucky Colonel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Jim Britsides

  • Polly of the Storm Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Actor

  • Behind the Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Actor

  • Soldiers of Fortune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as McWilliams

  • The Tiger's Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as 'Bull' Shotwell

Career shape

Star power in the 77th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 124 titles, 123 of them dated from 1919 to 1938.

Highest rated

The Iron Horse (1924)

Midcredits 85th

Most popular right now

Fighting Fury (1924)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting124 of 124: 124 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score54th

By decade

1910s3 · acting1920s63 · acting1930s57 · acting

Billing

usually 10th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

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.

How do Fred Kohler's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of the 19 of 20 with a score; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

16thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Wild Horse Mesa (1932)

82nd percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Queen Christina (1933)

Midcredits 92nd · 81% liked

Reviewers score the acting 56/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 38. 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.

Who does Fred Kohler work with?

People who share at least 2 of Fred Kohler's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Zane Grey shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers