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Joseph H. Lewis

Joseph H. Lewis

Director and editor, also writer · Died August 30, 2000, aged 93 · New York City, New York, USA

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Joseph H. Lewis  (April 6, 1907–August 30, 2000), was an American B-movie film director. Although he worked with both Béla Lugosi (The Invisible Ghost) and Lionel Atwill in early 1940s horror, he is best known for his work in film noir from the late 40s and the 1950s. His most acclaimed feature, Gun Crazy (1949), is a dark romance about gun-obsession, and notable for its use of location photography. At the dawn of his career (1937–1940), when Lewis was directing inexpensive westerns, he earned the derogatory nickname "Wagon-Wheel Joe" from the studio editors, because of his tendency to use wagon-wheels for constructing interesting visual compositions within the frame. Lewis's offbeat and eye-catching compositions added style and value to inexpensive productions. His 1944 musical Minstrel Man, starring singer Benny Fields, is quite possibly the finest film ever made by low-budget PRC Pictures. Industry insiders noticed, prompting Columbia Pictures to hire Lewis to film the musical sequences for its blockbuster musical The Jolson Story. Toward the end of Lewis's career, he worked in television, directing mostly westerns: The Rifleman, Bonanza, The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, and the pilot for Branded. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joseph H. Lewis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 6, 1907
Died
August 30, 2000 (aged 93)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Director and editor, also writer
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 66 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 17% in 30 days

What are Joseph H. Lewis' films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 11th percentile
: 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
Morality
40%
Bonds
19%
Self
15%
Power
9%
Society
9%
Survival
8%
Justice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 31 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 13 · Serious 10 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 20 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 9 · Charged 14 · Intense 8

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

Steady 20 · Shifting 10 · 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 16 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 18 · 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 19 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 28 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
23
Thrilling
8
Absurd
7
Joyful
6
Hopeful
7
Other
26

How their films linger

Fun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy22
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic4

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 Joseph H. Lewis' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joseph H. Lewis' 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

66 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Bat Men of Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Supervising Editor

  • The Big Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Branded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · Director

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

    Show 11 episodes · Director

  • The Detectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 52 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Terror in a Texas Town(1958)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Halliday Brand(1957)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • 7th Cavalry(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Lawless Street(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

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

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Man on a Bus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • The Big Combo(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cry of the Hunted(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Desperate Search(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Retreat, Hell! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director

  • A Lady Without Passport(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Gun Crazy(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Undercover Man(1949)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Return of October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Director

  • The Swordsman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Director

  • So Dark the Night(1946)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • My Name Is Julia Ross(1945)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Falcon in San Francisco(1945)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Minstrel Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Secrets of a Co-Ed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Boss of Hangtown Mesa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The Silver Bullet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Bombs Over Burma(1942)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Mad Doctor of Market Street(1942)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Arizona Cyclone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Criminals Within(1941)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Invisible Ghost(1941)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Pride of the Bowery(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • That Gang of Mine(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Boys of the City(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Return of Wild Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Texas Stagecoach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • The Man from Tumbleweeds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Blazing Six Shooters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Two-Fisted Rangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Director

  • The Last Stand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • Border Wolves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • The Spy Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Director

  • The Singing Outlaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Courage of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • The Gold Racket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Navy Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Undersea Kingdom(1936)

    Supervising Editor

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • King of the Pecos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Supervising Film Editor

  • The Leathernecks Have Landed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Supervising Film Editor

  • Darkest Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Editor

  • Hearts in Bondage(1936)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Red River Valley(1936)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Devil on Horseback(1936)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Return of Jimmy Valentine(1936)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Singing Cowboy(1936)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Hitch Hike Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Editor

  • Waterfront Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Supervising Film Editor

  • Streamline Express(1935)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Editor

  • Melody Trail(1935)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Sagebrush Troubadour(1935)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Miracle Rider(1935)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Tumbling Tumbleweeds(1935)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 57 titles from 1935 to 1966.

Biggest box office

Gun Crazy (1950)

$17K worldwide

Highest rated

Gun Crazy (1950)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

The Big Combo (1955)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing48 of 57: 47 only directing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thWriting1 of 57: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleEditing9 of 57: 9 only editing, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s16 · crew1940s22 · crew1950s14 · crew1960s5 · crew

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 Joseph H. Lewis' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 41st percentile, the median of all 31; across their 31 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 44th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Reach · how many have seen their films

25thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 31

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 32 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · editor

The Return of Jimmy Valentine (1936)

83rd percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Gun Crazy (1950)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 60/100 and the pacing 55/100 in their films, across 29 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.

Who does Joseph H. Lewis work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joseph H. Lewis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Smiley Burnette shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles