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Sue Lyon

Sue Lyon

Actor · Died December 26, 2019, aged 73 · Davenport, Iowa, USA

Sue Lyon was an American screen and television actress. She joined the entertainment industry as a model at the age of 13, and later rose to prominence and won a Golden Globe for playing the title role in the film Lolita (1962). Her other notable film appearances included The Night of the Iguana (1964), 7 Women (1966), Tony Rome (1967), and Evel Knievel (1971).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 10, 1946
Died
December 26, 2019 (aged 73)
From
Davenport, Iowa, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 26 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 37% in 30 days

What are Sue Lyon's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 7th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
39%
Survival
27%
Self
20%
Power
7%
Society
6%
Bonds
2%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 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 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 4

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 3

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 6 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 9 · 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 7 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 8 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 8
Shadow
2 of 8
Trickster
1 of 8
Herald
1 of 8
Hero
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Dread
5
Absurd
5
Melancholic
5
Joyful
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

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 Sue Lyon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sue Lyon'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

26 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Bert Stern: Original Madman(2011)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Alligator(1980)

    as ABC Newswoman

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Towing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Lynn

  • The Astral Factor(1978)

    as Darlene DeLong

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Jill Nolan

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Don't Push, I'll Charge When I'm Ready (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Wendy Sutherland

  • End of the World(1977)

    as Sylvia Boran

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Crash!(1976)

    as Kim Denne

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Smash-Up on Interstate 5(1976)

    as Burnsey

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Murder in a Blue World(1973)

    as Ana Vernia

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Tarot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Angela

  • The Flim Flam Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Bonnie Lee Packard

  • Evel Knievel(1971)

    as Linda

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Betsy (segment "Miss Lovecraft Sent Me")

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • But I Don't Want to Get Married! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Laura

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Barbara

  • Arsenic and Old Lace(1969)

    as Elaine Harper

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Four Rode Out(1969)

    as Myra Polsen

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • Tony Rome(1967)

    as Diana Pines

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Flim-Flam Man(1967)

    as Bonnie Lee Packard

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • 7 Women(1965)

    as Emma Clark

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Night of the Iguana(1964)

    as Charlotte Goodall

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Lolita(1962)

    as Dolores "Lolita" Haze

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Dennis the Menace(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Blonde with Valentine Card (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Laurie

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 26 titles from 1953 to 2011; peak year 1963.

Biggest box office

Lolita (1962)

$8.3K worldwide

Highest rated

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Midcredits 92nd

Most popular right now

Lolita (1962)

Film career

19532011

Peak 1963 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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.

  • 1962Screen debut· Lolita
  • 1973First top-billed film· Murder in a Blue World

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting26 of 26: 26 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47th

By decade

1950s2 · acting1960s8 · acting1970s14 · acting1980s1 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 11% of 9 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 Sue Lyon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Arsenic and Old Lace (1969)

66th percentile spread · 14% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Midcredits 92nd · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 62/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 42. 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 Sue Lyon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sue Lyon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Leslie Parrish shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers

Producers