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Dorothy McGuire

Dorothy McGuire

Actor · Died September 13, 2001, aged 85 · Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Dorothy Hackett McGuire was an American actress from the 1940s to 1990. Some of her movies include: Gentleman's Agreement (nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for this film), The Enchanted Cottage, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Old Yeller (as the mother). She passed away in 2001 at the age of 85.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 14, 1916
Died
September 13, 2001 (aged 85)
From
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 7% in 30 days

What are Dorothy McGuire's films like?

Across their 24 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
33%
Morality
19%
Survival
17%
Society
15%
Self
9%
Power
7%
Family bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 24 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 15 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 16 · Intense 2

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

Steady 15 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 14 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 7 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

17 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 7 of 17 analyzed roles.

Ally
7 of 17
Hero
4 of 17
Mentor
4 of 17
Threshold guardian
1 of 17
Herald
1 of 17
Show the 17 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Melancholic
11
Warm
8
Hopeful
10
Dread
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Hopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet16
  • 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 Dorothy McGuire's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dorothy 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

54 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Last Best Year(1990)

    as Anne

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Caroline?(1990)

    as Flora Atkins

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • I Never Sang for My Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Margaret Garrison

  • Summer Heat(1987)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • American Geisha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Ann Suzuki

  • Disney's Greatest Lullabies Volume 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as (archive footage)

  • Between the Darkness and the Dawn(1985)

    as Beryl Foster

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Amos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Hester Farrell

  • Highway to Heaven(1984)

    Show 3 episodes · as Jane Thompson

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Ghost Dancing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Sarah Bowman

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 3 episodes · as Augusta Endicott

  • Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret Garrison

  • The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel(1979)

    as Effie Webb

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Little Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 2 episodes · as Marmee March

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Hanna Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Rich Man, Poor Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 12 episodes · as Mary Jordache

  • The Runaways (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Angela Lakey

  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull(1973)

    as Mother (voice)

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Another Part of the Forest(1972)

    as Lavinia Hubbard

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • She Waits(1972)

    as Sarah Wilson

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Flight of the Doves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Granny O'Flaherty

  • The Greatest Story Ever Told(1965)

    as The Virgin Mary

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Summer Magic(1963)

    as Mrs. Margaret Carey

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Susan Slade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Leah Slade

  • Swiss Family Robinson(1960)

    as Mother

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Escape to Paradise/Water Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • The Dark at the Top of the Stairs(1960)

    as Cora Flood

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • A Summer Place(1959)

    as Sylvia Hunter

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • This Earth Is Mine(1959)

    as Martha Fairon

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker(1958)

    as Mrs. Emily 'Ma' Pennypacker

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Old Yeller(1957)

    as Katie Coates

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Friendly Persuasion(1956)

    as Eliza Birdwell

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Trial(1955)

    as Abbe Nyle

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Janet Spence · as Miranda

  • Three Coins in the Fountain(1954)

    as Miss Frances

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Make Haste to Live(1954)

    as Crystal Benson

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Invitation(1952)

    as Ellen Pierce

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Flora Atkins

  • I Want You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Nancy Greer

  • Callaway Went Thataway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Deborah Patterson

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

    Show 1 episode · as Jody Norris

  • Mister 880(1950)

    as Ann Winslow

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Mother Didn't Tell Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Jane Morgan

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

    Show 1 episode · as Judith Traherne

  • Gentleman's Agreement(1947)

    as Kathy Lacy

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Till the End of Time(1946)

    as Pat Ruscomb

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Claudia and David (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Claudia Naughton

  • The Spiral Staircase(1946)

    as Helen

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

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

    as Laura Pennington

  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn(1945)

    as Katie Nolan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Reward Unlimited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Peggy

  • Claudia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Claudia

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 54 titles from 1943 to 1990; peak year 1960.

Biggest box office

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

$40M worldwide

Highest rated

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19431990

Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1945Screen debut· A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  • 1945First top-billed film· A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  • 1946Breakout· The Spiral Staircase

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting54 of 54: 54 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1940s8 · acting1950s18 · acting1960s6 · acting1970s9 · acting1980s11 · acting1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 23% of 13 roles
4555

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Dorothy McGuire's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 24

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)

75th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 49. 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.

Is Dorothy McGuire's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 11 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 6 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 25 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Dorothy McGuire work with?

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

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers