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Horace McCoy

Writer · Died December 15, 1955, aged 58 · Pegram, Tennessee, USA

Horace Stanley McCoy (1897–1955) was an American novelist whose gritty, hardboiled novels documented the hardships Americans faced during the Depression and post-war periods. McCoy grew up in Tennessee and Texas; after serving in the air force during World War I, he worked as a journalist, film actor, and screenplay writer, and is author of five novels including They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1935) and the noir classic Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1948). Though underappreciated in his own time, McCoy is now recognized as a peer of Dashiell Hammett and James Cain. He died in Beverly Hills, California, in 1955.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 14, 1897
Died
December 15, 1955 (aged 58)
From
Pegram, Tennessee, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 44 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 27Up 1% in 30 days

What are Horace McCoy's films like?

Across their 22 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Morality
32%
Bonds
21%
Power
18%
Self
15%
Survival
7%
Society
5%
Ideas
1%
Justice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 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 9 · Serious 8 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 12 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 16 · Intense 4

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 14 · 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 12 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 9 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 3

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

Resolved 19 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Thrilling
9
Melancholic
7
Romantic
9
Warm
6
Other
11

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic5

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 Horace McCoy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Horace McCoy'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

44 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page.

  • No Pockets in a Shroud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Novel

  • They Shoot Horses, Don't They?(1969)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Story

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Texas Lady(1955)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Road to Denver(1955)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Rage at Dawn(1955)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Mission(1954)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Daughters of Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Writer

  • Bad for Each Other(1953)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • El Alaméin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Writer

  • Montana Belle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Screenplay

  • The Lusty Men(1952)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The World in His Arms(1952)

    Additional Dialogue · Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Turning Point(1952)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Bronco Buster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Screenplay

  • The Fireball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Writer

  • Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye(1950)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Fabulous Texan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Screenplay

  • There's Something About a Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Writer

  • Appointment in Berlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Writer

  • Flight for Freedom(1943)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Gentleman Jim(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Valley of the Sun(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Texas(1941)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Wild Geese Calling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Writer

  • Western Union(1941)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Texas Rangers Ride Again(1940)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Queen of the Mob(1940)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Women Without Names (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Screenplay

  • Parole Fixer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Screenplay

  • Television Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Writer

  • Island of Lost Men(1939)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Undercover Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Writer

  • Persons in Hiding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Screenplay

  • Hunted Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Writer

  • Dangerous to Know(1938)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Postal Inspector(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Parole! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Screenplay

  • Fatal Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • The Trail of the Lonesome Pine(1936)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Speed Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Fury of the Jungle(1933)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dangerous Crossroads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Story

  • Soldiers of the Storm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 43 titles from 1933 to 1974.

Biggest box office

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

$822 worldwide

Highest rated

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

Midcredits 97th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing42 of 43: 42 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score48thOther crew1 of 43: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s13 · crew1940s13 · crew1950s15 · crew1960s1 · crew1970s1 · 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 Horace McCoy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 22; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

Fury of the Jungle (1933)

71st percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 52/100 in their films, across 21 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.

Who does Horace McCoy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Horace McCoy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William R. Lipman shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers