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Don McGuire

Don McGuire

Actor, writer and director · Died April 13, 1999, aged 80 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

American screenwriter and director Don McGuire was was born Don Rose in Chicago on February 28, 1919. He was a former Warner Brothers contract player and Hollywood press agent during the 1940s. He had a background in journalism, having begun his professional life as a reporter for the Hearst press. After four years of military service, he acted on screen in small roles as interns, barmen or drivers. After leaving Warners in 1948, he found good roles hard to come by and ended up being relegated to appearances in second features. Therefore, he decided on becoming a writer of film scripts instead. During the 1950s, he became best known for adapting Howard Breslin's story "Bad Time at Hondo" into the highly regarded drama Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), with Spencer Tracy. McGuire later worked extensively in television and was writer and co-producer, with Jackie Cooper, of Cooper's series Hennesey (1959). He also had one more big success on the big screen with Tootsie (1982), for which he co-wrote the original story with Larry Gelbart. However, he was not entirely happy with several changes made to his original concept.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
February 28, 1919
Died
April 13, 1999 (aged 80)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor, writer and director
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 45 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 20% in 30 days

What are Don McGuire's films like?

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

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
38%
Self
25%
Morality
21%
Society
11%
Survival
5%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 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

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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 3 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 6

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 7 · Even-paced 5 · 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 2 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Tense
6
Romantic
6
Warm
4
Absurd
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet2

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 Don McGuire's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Don McGuire'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

45 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page.

  • Tootsie(1982)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • From Here to Eternity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came(1970)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Mona McCluskey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Don't Call Me Charlie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator · Actor

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

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator

  • The Tall Stranger(1957)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Hear Me Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Delicate Delinquent(1957)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Concho (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Artists and Models(1955)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Allen in Movieland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Writer

  • Bad Day at Black Rock(1955)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • 3 Ring Circus(1954)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Summer Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Walking My Baby Back Home(1953)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Back at the Front(1952)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Meet Danny Wilson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Associate Producer · Screenplay · Story

  • Double Dynamite(1951)

    as R.B. 'Bob' Pulsifer Jr.

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Three Guys Named Mike(1951)

    as MacWade Parker

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Double Deal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Story

  • Dial 1119 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Story

  • The Underworld Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Reporter in Bar (uncredited)

  • Sideshow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Steve Arthur

  • Armored Car Robbery(1950)

    as Detective Danny Ryan

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Mitchell

  • The Threat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Joe Turner

  • Boston Blackie's Chinese Venture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Les, the Bus Guide

  • Whiplash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Markus

  • Congo Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Congo Bill

  • I Surrender Dear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Tommy Tompkins

  • Wallflower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Stevie Wilson

  • The Fuller Brush Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Keenan Wallick

  • My Wild Irish Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Terry O'Rourke

  • Always Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as McIntyre

  • Possessed(1947)

    as Dr. Craig

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Love and Learn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Delaney

  • Nora Prentiss(1947)

    as Truck Driver

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • That Way with Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Slade

  • Humoresque(1946)

    as Eddie

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Man I Love(1946)

    as Johnny O'Connor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Shadow of a Woman(1946)

    as Johnnie, MacKellar's Photographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Too Young to Know (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Lt. Yates

  • Pride of the Marines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Bill aka Irish

  • God Is My Co-Pilot(1945)

    as A.V.G. Groundman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 74th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 45 titles from 1945 to 1982.

Biggest box office

Tootsie (1982)

$177M worldwide

Highest rated

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Tootsie (1982)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting27 of 45: 26 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thDirecting7 of 45: 1 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting16 of 45: 11 only writing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thProducing2 of 45: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew3 of 45: 0 only other crew, 3 with another role

45 titles, 7 with more than one role.

By decade

1940s19 · acting1950s21 · 7 acting · 14 crew1960s2 · 1 acting · 2 crew1970s2 · crew1980s1 · crew

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% 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 Don McGuire's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 18; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

Walking My Baby Back Home (1953)

60th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 43. 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 Don McGuire work with?

People who share at least 2 of Don McGuire's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jerry Lewis shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers