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George Mathews

George Mathews

Actor · Died November 7, 1984, aged 73 · Brooklyn, New York, USA

Burly, craggy-faced tough guy actor George Mathews was brought up in Manhattan and educated in Brooklyn. He had an extensive career on stage, which began in the early 1930s after he failed to get a job with the US Post Office. Instead, he joined the WPA (Works Progress Administration) Theatre Program, a government agency that provided jobs for the unemployed on public works projects during the Depression. He first appeared on Broadway in the key role of Dynamite Jim in "Processional" (1937). With his broad face, strong eyebrows, gravelly voice and jutting lower lip, Mathews was invariably cast as heavies or hard-as-nails military types. He appeared to great effect on stage in 1942-43 as Sgt. Ruby in "The Eve of St. Mark" on Broadway, and repeated his role in the film version (The Eve of St. Mark (1944)), a perfect showcase for his screen personae. Not just a one-note "plug ugly", he was equally as effective at portraying comic toughs, which he did in Pat and Mike (1952), becoming the recipient of some judo action meted out by Katharine Hepburn; and the Garson Kanin-directed musical comedy 'Do Re Mi' (1960-62), as Fatso O'Rear, starring Phil Silvers. Mathews also acted in classical plays like "Antigone" (1946, as a guard) with Cedric Hardwicke and played Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1949-50), going on tour with fellow cast members Uta Hagen and Anthony Quinn. This performance garnered some critical accolades from Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times. In 1950, he joined Tyrone Power in a sell-out London production of "Mister Roberts" at the Coliseum Theatre, playing the role of the captain. On screen, he was notable as the gambler Williams in the powerhouse drama The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and as the sadistic Sheriff Bull Harper in the colorful western The Last Wagon (1956). Mathews also had a recurring role in the TV comedy series Glynis (1963), playing ex-cop Chick Rogers who aids and abets mystery writer and amateur sleuth Glynis Johns in solving a string of "whodunnits". In private life, Mathews was the antithesis of the ruffians he often portrayed on screen: amicable and intelligent. Outside of his profession, he was an avid chess player and often participated in international tournaments. He retired from the acting profession in 1972 and died in South Carolina in November 1984.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
October 10, 1911
Died
November 7, 1984 (aged 73)
From
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 42 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 23% in 30 days

What are George Mathews' films like?

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

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Action 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
36%
Morality
26%
Survival
14%
Society
13%
Self
6%
Power
5%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 2 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · 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 9 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 13 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 4
Threshold guardian
2 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Joyful
6
Warm
5
Hopeful
5
Romantic
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1

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 George Mathews' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for George Mathews' 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

42 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Going Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Malloy

  • Androcles and the Lion(1967)

    as Centurion

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Glynis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 14 episodes · Actor

  • The Hole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as (voice)

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Willard Ryson

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

    Show 1 episode · as Detective Al Marks

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Heller in Pink Tights(1960)

    as Sam Pierce

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Winterset (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Shadow

  • Adventures in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Holt

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Mike Flint

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • M Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Bricker

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Fabulous Irishman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Liam Mellows

  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral(1957)

    as Griffin Saloonkeeper John Shanssey

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Last Wagon(1956)

    as Sheriff Bull Harper

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Proud Ones(1956)

    as Dillon

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Man with the Golden Arm(1955)

    as Williams

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Mac McGurk · as Sam Dunleavy

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Honeymooners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Great Diamond Robbery(1954)

    as Duke Fargoh

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Act of Love(1953)

    as Henderson

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • City Beneath the Sea(1953)

    as Captain Meade

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Last of the Comanches(1953)

    as Romany O'Rattigan

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Yankee Buccaneer(1952)

    as Chief Petty Officer Link

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Sally and Saint Anne(1952)

    as Father Kennedy

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Pat and Mike(1952)

    as Sylvester 'Spec' Cauley

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Shadow

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Bill Meyers

  • Suspense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · as Police Detective

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as George · as Samuelson · as Sheriff Bolt

  • Seven Keys to Baldpate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Actor

  • The Front Page (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Actor

  • The Great John L. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as John Flood

  • The Corn Is Green(1945)

    as Trap Driver (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Open Door: The Story Of Foreman Jim Baxter And His Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Monte

  • The Eve of St. Mark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Sgt. Ruby

  • X Marks the Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Actor

  • Up in Arms(1944)

    as Blackie

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Stage Door Canteen(1943)

    as Marine Sergeant with Ray Bolger (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th 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 42 titles from 1943 to 1971.

Biggest box office

Pat and Mike (1952)

$12K worldwide

Highest rated

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

Midcredits 89th

Film career

  • 1952Screen debut· Pat and Mike
  • 1962First top-billed film· The Hole
  • 1962Career best· The Hole

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting42 of 42: 42 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1940s11 · acting1950s23 · acting1960s7 · acting1970s1 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 14% of 7 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 George Mathews' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Androcles and the Lion (1967)

94th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

Midcredits 89th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 44. 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 George Mathews work with?

People who share at least 2 of George Mathews' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Cukor shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors