Skip to content
MovieCove
Herman J. Mankiewicz

Herman J. Mankiewicz

Writer, also actor and producer · Died March 5, 1953, aged 55 · New York City, New York, USA

Herman Jacob Mankiewicz (November 7, 1897 – March 5, 1953; New York City) was an American screenwriter, who, with Orson Welles, wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane (1941). Earlier, he was the Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the drama critic for The New York Times and The New Yorker. Alexander Woollcott said that Herman Mankiewicz was the "funniest man in New York". Both Mankiewicz and Welles received Academy Awards for their screenplay. Mankiewicz's younger brother was Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993), an Oscar-winning Hollywood director, screenwriter, and producer. His nephew Tom Mankiewicz (1942 – 2010) was also a screenwriter and director. He was often asked to fix the screenplays of other writers, with much of his work uncredited. Occasional flashes of what came to be called the "Mankiewicz humor" and satire distinguished his films, and became valued in the films of the 1930s. The style of writing included a slick, satirical, and witty humor, which depended almost totally on dialogue to carry the film. It was a style that would become associated with the "typical American film" of that period. Among the screenplays he wrote or worked on, besides "Citizen Kane", were "The Wizard of Oz", "Man of the World", "Dinner at Eight", "Pride of the Yankees", and "The Pride of St. Louis". Film critic Pauline Kael credits Mankiewicz with having written, alone or with others, "about forty of the films I remember best from the twenties and thirties. ... he was a key linking figure in just the kind of movies my friends and I loved best.". Mankiewicz was an alcoholic. Ten years before his death, he wrote: “I seem to become more and more of a rat in a trap of my own construction, a trap that I regularly repair whenever there seems to be danger of some opening that will enable me to escape. I haven’t decided yet about making it bomb proof. It would seem to involve a lot of unnecessary labor and expense". A future Hollywood biographer went so far as to suggest that Mankiewicz’s behavior “made him seem erratic even by the standards of Hollywood drunks.” Herman Mankiewicz died March 5, 1953, of uremic poisoning, at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 7, 1897
Died
March 5, 1953 (aged 55)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer, also actor and producer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 103 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 3% in 30 days

What are Herman J. Mankiewicz's films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography 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
31%
Morality
25%
Self
22%
Power
13%
Society
8%
Ideas
1%
Deception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 9 · Dark 3

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 4

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 12 · Charged 11 · Intense 2

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

Steady 16 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 8

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 5

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

Casual 15 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Warm
9
Melancholic
8
Joyful
8
Absurd
6
Other
21

How their films linger

Feel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Herman J. Mankiewicz's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Herman J. Mankiewicz'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

103 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Battle Over Citizen Kane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • The Complete 'Citizen Kane' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • Dinner at Eight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Original Film Writer

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Pride of St. Louis(1952)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Screenplay

  • A Woman's Secret(1949)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Spanish Main(1945)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Enchanted Cottage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Screenplay · Writer

  • Christmas Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Screenplay

  • See Here, Private Hargrove(1944)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Good Fellows(1943)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Human Comedy(1943)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Stand by for Action(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Pride of the Yankees(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • This Time for Keeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Characters

  • Rise and Shine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Screenplay

  • Citizen Kane(1941)

    Screenplay · as Newspaperman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Man of Borneo(1941)

    Theatre Play

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Keeping Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Story

  • Comrade X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Writer

  • The Ghost Comes Home(1940)

    Staff Writer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • It's a Wonderful World(1939)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Live, Love and Learn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • My Dear Miss Aldrich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Original Story · Screenplay

  • The Emperor's Candlesticks(1937)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Street of Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • John Meade's Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • Love in Exile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • Suzy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • San Francisco(1936)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Three Maxims (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Adaptation

  • The Perfect Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Writer

  • It's in the Air(1935)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Murder Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Writer

  • Escapade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Screenplay

  • After Office Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Screenplay

  • Rendezvous(1935)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Stamboul Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • Operator 13 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Writer

  • Come On, Marines! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Writer

  • The Show-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • Dinner at Eight(1933)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Duck Soup(1933)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Meet the Baron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Story

  • Another Language (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • Fast Workers(1933)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Horse Feathers(1932)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Million Dollar Legs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Producer

  • Girl Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Adaptation

  • The Lost Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Dialogue

  • Dancers in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Monkey Business(1931)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Dude Ranch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Additional Dialogue

  • Ladies' Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

  • The Front Page(1931)

    as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Man of the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Every Woman Has Something (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Adaptation

  • Leave The Kitchen! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Adaptation

  • The Royal Family of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Adaptation

  • Laughter(1930)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Love Among the Millionaires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Dialogue

  • True to the Navy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Dialogue

  • Ladies Love Brutes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Screenplay

  • Honey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Dialogue · Writer

  • Men Are Like That (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Adaptation

  • The Vagabond King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Screenplay

  • The Mighty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Dialogue

  • Fast Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Writer

  • Thunderbolt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Writer

  • The Man I Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Screenplay · Story

  • The Dummy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Writer

  • The Canary Murder Case(1929)

    Additional Writing · Writer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Love Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Dialogue

  • What a Night! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • Three Week Ends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • Avalanche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue · Screenplay

  • Moran of the Marines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • Take Me Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • The Barker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • The Water Hole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • The Mating Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue · as Newspaperman

  • The Big Killing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Writer

  • His Tiger Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • The Magnificent Flirt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • The Drag Net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • Abie's Irish Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • A Night of Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • Something Always Happens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • The Last Command(1928)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Love and Learn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Dialogue

  • Serenade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Dialogue

  • Two Flaming Youths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Dialogue

  • The Gay Defender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Dialogue

  • Honeymoon Hate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Dialogue

  • The Spotlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Dialogue

  • The City Gone Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Dialogue

  • Figures Don't Lie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer

  • A Gentleman of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer

  • Fashions for Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Writer

  • Stranded in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Adaptation

  • The Road to Mandalay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Story

Career shape

A full career of 102 titles from 1926 to 1996.

Biggest box office

Citizen Kane (1941)

$2M worldwide

Highest rated

Citizen Kane (1941)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 102: 3 only acting, 2 with another roleWriting92 of 102: 89 only writing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndProducing5 of 102: 4 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 102: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

102 titles, 3 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1920s36 · 1 acting · 36 crew1930s44 · 1 acting · 43 crew1940s16 · 1 acting · 16 crew1950s2 · crew1970s1 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s2 · acting

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 Herman J. Mankiewicz's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

The Good Fellows (1943)

84th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer

Citizen Kane (1941)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 65/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 23 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 Herman J. Mankiewicz's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 15 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Herman J. Mankiewicz work with?

People who share at least 2 of Herman J. Mankiewicz's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Morgan shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Mixed roles