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Guy Madison

Guy Madison

Actor, also producer · Died February 6, 1996, aged 74 · Pumpkin Center, California, USA

Handsome American leading man Guy Madison stumbled into a film career and became a television star and hero to the Baby Boom generation. As a young man he worked as a telephone lineman, but entered the Coast Guard at the beginning of the Second World War. While on liberty one weekend in Hollywood, he attended a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast and was spotted in the audience by an assistant to Henry Willson, an executive for David O. Selznick. Selznick wanted an unknown sailor to play a small but prominent part in Since You Went Away (1944), and promptly signed Robert Moseley to a contract. Selznick and Willson concocted the screen name Guy Madison (the "guy" girls would like to meet, and Madison from a passing Dolly Madison cake wagon). Madison filmed his one scene on a weekend pass and returned to duty. The film's release brought thousands of fan letters for Madison's lonely, strikingly handsome young sailor, and at war's end he returned to find himself a star-in-the-making. Despite an initial amateurishness to his acting, Madison grew as a performer, studying and working in theatre. He played leads in a series of programmers before being cast as legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok in the TV series Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951). He played Hickok on TV and radio for much of the 1950s, and many of the TV episodes were strung together and released as feature films. Madison managed to squeeze in some more adult-oriented roles during his off-time from the series, but much of this work was also in westerns. After the Hickok series ended Madison found work scarce in the U.S. and traveled to Europe, where he became a popular star of Italian westerns and German adventure films. In the 1970s he returned to the U.S., but appeared mainly in cameo roles. Physical ailments limited his work in later years, and he died from emphysema in 1996. His first wife was actress Gail Russell. Date of Birth 19 January 1922, Pumpkin Center, California Date of Death 6 February 1996, Palm Springs, California  (emphysema)

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 19, 1922
Died
February 6, 1996 (aged 74)
From
Pumpkin Center, California, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 76 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 31% in 30 days

What are Guy Madison's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 18th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 19th percentile
: browse their Crime 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
43%
Bonds
26%
Survival
14%
Self
8%
Society
6%
Power
3%
Ideas
1%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 15 · Intense 7

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 12 · Engaged 15 · 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 14 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

24 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 19 of 24 analyzed roles.

Hero
19 of 24
Shadow
3 of 24
Threshold guardian
1 of 24
Mentor
1 of 24
Show the 24 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Thrilling
10
Romantic
8
Melancholic
7
Warm
6
Other
16

How their films linger

Bittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet11
  • Ambiguous3

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 Guy Madison's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Guy Madison'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

76 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Crossbow: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Gerrish

  • Red River(1988)

    as Bill Meeker, Rancher

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Crossbow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Where's Willie? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Tony Flore

  • Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood(1976)

    as Star at Screening

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Pacific Connection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as The Old Man

  • The Silk Worm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Robert, Smeralda's ex-husband

  • Reverend's Colt(1970)

    as Miller Colt

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The War Devils(1969)

    as Capt. George Vincent

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Hell Commandos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Major Carter

  • The Battle of the Last Panzer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Lofty

  • A Place In Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Major Mac Graves

  • Hell in Normandy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Capt. Jack Murphy

  • Long Days of Hate(1968)

    as Martin Benson

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Superargo and the Faceless Giants(1968)

    as Prof. Wendland Wond

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Bang Bang Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Bear Bullock

  • The Devil's Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Mike Harway

  • Return of Django(1967)

    as Father Fleming

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Payment in Blood(1967)

    as Colonel Thomas Blake

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • LSD Flesh of Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Rex Miller

  • Five for Revenge(1966)

    as Tex

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Legacy of the Incas(1965)

    as Jaguar / Karl Hansen

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Adventurer of Tortuga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Alfonso di Montélimar

  • The Mystery of Thug Island(1964)

    as Souyadhana

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Gunmen of the Rio Grande(1964)

    as Wyatt Earp / Laramie

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Return of Sandokan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Yanez

  • Sandokan Fights Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Yanez

  • Gentlemen of the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Massimo

  • Old Shatterhand(1964)

    as Capt. Bradley

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Blood of the Executioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Rodrigo Zeno

  • Women of Devil's Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Henri Vallière

  • Sword of the Conqueror(1961)

    as Amalchi

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Slave of Rome(1961)

    as Marco Valerio

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Jet Over The Atlantic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Brett Murphy

  • Bullwhip(1958)

    as Steve Daley

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Hard Man(1957)

    as Steve Burden

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Not One Shall Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Stefan Gross

  • The 27th Day(1957)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Reprisal! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Frank Madden

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Jericho - Federal Agent

  • The Beast of Hollow Mountain(1956)

    as Jimmy Ryan

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Hilda Crane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Russell Burns

  • On the Threshold of Space(1956)

    as Capt. Jim Hollenbeck

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Last Frontier(1955)

    as Captain Glenn Riordan

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • 5 Against the House(1955)

    as Al Mercer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Phantom Trails (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • The Matchmaking Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • The Tilted Tenderfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Timber Country Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Marshals in Disguise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Outlaw's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • The Two Gun Teacher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Trouble on the Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Command(1954)

    as Capt. Robert MacClaw

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Border City Rustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Secret of Outlaw Flats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Marshal James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok

  • Six Gun Decision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Marshal James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok

  • Two Gun Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • The Charge at Feather River(1953)

    as Miles Archer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Adam Tenney

  • Behind Southern Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • The Yellow Haired Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Trail of the Arrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Wild Bill Hickok

  • The Ghost of Crossbone Canyon(1952)

    as Marshal James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as John Harpurhey

  • Red Snow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Lt. Phil Johnson

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Drums in the Deep South(1951)

    as Maj. Will Denning

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 113 episodes · as Wild Bill Hickok

  • Massacre River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Larry Knight

  • Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven(1948)

    as Eddie Tayloe

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Honeymoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Corporal Phil Vaughn

  • Till the End of Time(1946)

    as Cliff W. Harper

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Since You Went Away(1944)

    as Harold E. Smith

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 86th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 75 titles from 1944 to 1989.

Highest rated

Till the End of Time (1946)

Midcredits 70th

Most popular right now

Old Shatterhand (1964)

Film career

  • 1944Screen debut· Since You Went Away
  • 1955First top-billed film· 5 Against the House

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting75 of 75: 75 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score23rd

By decade

1940s5 · acting1950s36 · acting1960s25 · acting1970s6 · acting1980s3 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 40% 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 Guy Madison's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 25th percentile, the median of the 28 of 29 with a score; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 28th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

21stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th14

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 28 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Superargo and the Faceless Giants (1968)

64th percentile spread · 50% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Since You Went Away (1944)

Midcredits 89th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 55/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles; fans 66, 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.

Who does Guy Madison work with?

People who share at least 2 of Guy Madison's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Helen Ainsworth shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles