Henry Koster (May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988), born Hermann Kosterlitz, was a German-born film director, who worked in Europe as well as in Hollywood. Although he never won an Oscar, Koster directed six different actors in Oscar-nominated performances. In 1932, Koster directed his first film in Berlin, the comedy Thea Roland. In the midst of directing his second film Das häßliche Mädchen, Jewish Koster had been the subject of antisemitism, and knew he had to leave the country. He left Germany for France, where he was rehired by director Curtis Bernhardt, who had also fled. Eventually Koster went to Budapest, where he met and married Kató Király in 1934. There he also met Joe Pasternak, who represented Universal in Europe, and directed three films for him. Through his friend Gabriel Levy he ended up directing Dutch sound film De Kribbebijter, released internationally as The Cross-Patch, which proved a success both in the Netherlands - where it played in cinemas for no less than seven years - and in the UK. Soon after, Koster signed a deal with Universal Pictures in Hollywood and moved to the United States. Although Koster did not speak English, he convinced the studio to let him make Three Smart Girls, for which he personally coached to-be star Deanna Durbin. This picture, a big success, pulled Universal out of bankruptcy. Koster's second Universal film, One Hundred Men and a Girl, also was successful. After this, Koster discovered Abbott and Costello at a nightclub in New York. He returned to Hollywood and convinced Universal to hire them. Their first picture was One Night in the Tropics; the female lead, Peggy Moran, became Koster's second wife in 1942. Ironically, despite Koster's escape from Nazi Germany, when the United States entered World War II Koster was considered an enemy alien and had to stay in his house in the evening. Actor Charles Laughton would visit Koster and play chess with him. Nonetheless, Koster's postwar career proved equally successful. He was nominated for an Academy Award for The Bishop's Wife (1947). In 1950, he directed his biggest success: the James Stewart comedy Harvey. He directed Richard Burton's first U.S. film, My Cousin Rachel, and then in 1953, he was given The Robe, the first CinemaScope film. His last picture was The Singing Nun in 1965. Koster retired to Leisure Village in Camarillo, California, where he painted a series of portraits of the movie stars with whom he worked.
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 1, 1905
- September 21, 1988 (aged 83)
- Berlin, Germany
- Director, writer and producer, also actor
- 38 on MovieCove · 82 credits in all
What are Henry Koster's films like?
Across their 38 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 37
Light 26 · Serious 7 · Dark 5
A split, not a type: Grounded 24 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 2
A split, not a type: Gentle 20 · Charged 16 · Intense 2
Steady 27 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 9
Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 0
Casual 26 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 22 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 5
Resolved 36 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy26
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic2
- 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 Henry Koster's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Henry Koster'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
82 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page.
Unerwünschtes Kino(2005)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Eine Handvoll Helden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
The Singing Nun(1966)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Dear Brigitte(1965)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Take Her, She's Mine(1963)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Marilyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Flower Drum Song(1961)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Story of Ruth(1960)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Naked Maja(1958)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Fräulein(1958)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
My Man Godfrey(1957)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Power and the Prize(1956)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
D-Day the Sixth of June(1956)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Good Morning, Miss Dove(1955)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
The Virgin Queen(1955)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
A Man Called Peter(1955)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Désirée(1954)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Robe(1953)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
My Cousin Rachel(1952)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
O. Henry's Full House(1952)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Elopement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
No Highway in the Sky(1951)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Harvey(1950)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
My Blue Heaven(1950)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Wabash Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
The Inspector General(1949)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Come to the Stable(1949)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Luck of the Irish(1948)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
The Bishop's Wife(1947)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
The Unfinished Dance(1947)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Two Sisters from Boston(1946)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Music for Millions(1944)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Jane Eyre(1943)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Between Us Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
It Started with Eve(1941)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Spring Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
First Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Rage of Paris(1938)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Farewell Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Three Smart Girls(1936)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Catherine the Last (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Affairs of Maupassant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
The Ugly Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
The Crosspatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Little Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Ball at the Savoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Peter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
The Switched Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Der Doppelgänger(1934)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Der Tunnel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Toto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Private Secretary Gets Married (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Weaker Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Rebel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Married by the Stork (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Happy Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
There Goes the Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Five from the Jazzband (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Stamboul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Who Takes Love Seriously? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Frivolous youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
His girlfriend Annette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
The Indictment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
The Man Who Committed the Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
The Man Who Killed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Woman in the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Une femme a menti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
The Last Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Das letzte Fort (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Sündig und süß (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Liebfraumilch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Sündenfall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Eins + Eins = Drei (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Children's Souls Accuse You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Prinz Louis Ferdinand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Orphan of Lowood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
Il diario di una donna amata (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 81 titles, 80 of them dated from 1926 to 2005.
Biggest box office
The Robe (1953)
Highest rated
Harvey (1950)
Most popular right now
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
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.
How do Henry Koster's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 38; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up14
- 50th to 74th16
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
27 of their 38 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved4
- Crowd Pleaser27
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the atmosphere 66/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
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 Henry Koster's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Henry Koster work with?
People who share at least 2 of Henry Koster's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Pasternak shares the most, 8.
Writers
- Nunnally JohnsonShared titles: Dear Brigitte (1965), Take Her, She's Mine (1963), Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962), My Cousin Rachel (1952), O. Henry's Full House (1952)See all 5 shared titles with Nunnally Johnson
- Myles ConnollyShared titles: Harvey (1950), The Unfinished Dance (1947), Two Sisters from Boston (1946), Music for Millions (1944)See all 4 shared titles with Myles Connolly
- Philip DunneShared titles: The Robe (1953), O. Henry's Full House (1952), The Luck of the Irish (1948)See all 3 shared titles with Philip Dunne
- Lamar TrottiShared titles: O. Henry's Full House (1952), Stars and Stripes Forever (1952), My Blue Heaven (1950)See all 3 shared titles with Lamar Trotti
Actors
- James StewartShared titles: Dear Brigitte (1965), Take Her, She's Mine (1963), Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962), No Highway in the Sky (1951), Harvey (1950)See all 5 shared titles with James Stewart
- Nella WalkerShared titles: Two Sisters from Boston (1946), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), The Rage of Paris (1938), Three Smart Girls (1936)See all 4 shared titles with Nella Walker
- Deanna DurbinShared titles: It Started with Eve (1941), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), Three Smart Girls (1936)See all 4 shared titles with Deanna Durbin
- Jay RobinsonShared titles: My Man Godfrey (1957), The Virgin Queen (1955), The Robe (1953)See all 3 shared titles with Jay Robinson
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Frank SkinnerShared titles: My Man Godfrey (1957), Harvey (1950), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), The Rage of Paris (1938), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937)See all 5 shared titles with Frank Skinner
- Marjorie FowlerShared titles: Dear Brigitte (1965), Take Her, She's Mine (1963), Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962), Fräulein (1958)See all 4 shared titles with Marjorie Fowler
- Alfred NewmanShared titles: Flower Drum Song (1961), A Man Called Peter (1955), The Robe (1953), O. Henry's Full House (1952)See all 4 shared titles with Alfred Newman
- Joseph LaShelleShared titles: My Cousin Rachel (1952), Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951), Come to the Stable (1949), The Luck of the Irish (1948)See all 4 shared titles with Joseph LaShelle
Producers
- Joe PasternakShared titles: Unerwünschtes Kino (2005), The Unfinished Dance (1947), Two Sisters from Boston (1946), Music for Millions (1944), It Started with Eve (1941), Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), Three Smart Girls (1936)See all 8 shared titles with Joe Pasternak
- Samuel G. EngelShared titles: The Story of Ruth (1960), A Man Called Peter (1955), Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955), Come to the Stable (1949)See all 4 shared titles with Samuel G. Engel
- Charles BrackettShared titles: D-Day the Sixth of June (1956), The Virgin Queen (1955), The Bishop's Wife (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Charles Brackett
- John BeckShared titles: The Singing Nun (1966), Harvey (1950)See all 2 shared titles with John Beck
