Skip to content
MovieCove
John Lee Mahin

John Lee Mahin

Writer, also producer and director · Died April 18, 1984, aged 81 · Evanston, Illinois, USA

Born
August 23, 1902
Died
April 18, 1984 (aged 81)
From
Evanston, Illinois, USA
Works as
Writer, also producer and director
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 54 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 19% in 30 days

What are John Lee Mahin's films like?

Across their 39 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th 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
Bonds
41%
Morality
20%
Self
18%
Society
10%
Power
6%
Survival
6%
Ideas
0%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 39 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 17 · Serious 12 · Dark 10

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 20 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 26 · Intense 5

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

A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 2

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 19 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 6

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

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 25 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2

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 17 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 9

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

Resolved 35 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
20
Romantic
18
Joyful
11
Thrilling
9
Melancholic
14
Other
33

How their films linger

Feel-good15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy17
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous3
  • 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 John Lee Mahin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Lee Mahin'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

54 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Bad Seed(2018)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Moment to Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Screenplay

  • The Spiral Road(1962)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • North to Alaska(1960)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Barbarians (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer · Writer

  • The Horse Soldiers(1959)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • No Time for Sergeants(1958)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison(1957)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Bad Seed(1956)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Lucy Gallant(1955)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Elephant Walk(1954)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Mogambo(1953)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • My Son John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Adaptation

  • Quo Vadis(1951)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Show Boat(1951)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Panic in the Streets(1950)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Love That Brute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Writer

  • Down to the Sea in Ships(1949)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • That Wonderful Urge(1948)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Yearling(1946)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Adventure(1945)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Tartu(1943)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Combat America(1945)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Tortilla Flat(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Woman of the Year(1942)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Johnny Eager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Screenplay

  • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(1941)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Boom Town(1940)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Too Hot to Handle(1938)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Test Pilot(1938)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Last Gangster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Screenplay

  • Captains Courageous(1937)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Star Is Born(1937)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Love on the Run(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Devil Is a Sissy(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Small Town Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Screenplay

  • Wife vs. Secretary(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • China Seas(1935)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Naughty Marietta(1935)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Chained (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • Treasure Island(1934)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Laughing Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

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

    Writer

  • The Prizefighter and the Lady(1933)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Bombshell(1933)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Hell Below (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Lieut. (JG) 'Speed' Nelson

  • Red Dust(1932)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Tiger Shark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Scarface(1932)

    Continuity · Dialogue · as MacArthur from the Journal (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Wet Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Adaptation · Writer

  • Rasputin and the Empress(1932)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Beast of the City(1932)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Unholy Garden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles from 1931 to 2018.

Biggest box office

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

$5.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Captains Courageous (1937)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Quo Vadis (1951)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 46: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 46: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting43 of 46: 39 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thProducing3 of 46: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew2 of 46: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

46 titles, 4 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1930s21 · 2 acting · 20 crew1940s7 · crew1950s12 · crew1960s4 · crew1970s1 · crew2010s1 · 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 John Lee Mahin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 40; across their 39 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 40 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · writer

Love on the Run (1936)

54th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Captains Courageous (1937)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 62/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 39 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 John Lee Mahin's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films and sex & nudity and profanity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles36–63 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles4–25 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles2–45 · median 14 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles26–43 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles13–61 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

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 John Lee Mahin work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Lee Mahin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Clark Gable shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers