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John McLiam

John McLiam

Actor · Died April 16, 1994, aged 76 · Alberta, Canada

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John McLiam (born John Williams; January 24, 1918 – April 16, 1994) was a Canadian actor noted for his skill at different accents. His film appearances include My Fair Lady (1964), In Cold Blood (1967), John Frankenheimer's movie of The Iceman Cometh (1973), The Missouri Breaks (1976), and First Blood (1982). He was a guest star in numerous television series and wrote a Broadway play, The Sin of Pat Muldoon. Early life He attended St. Mary's College of California (Moraga, California). During World War II he served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer, having received a Bronze Star. After the war he worked briefly as a journalist for the San Francisco Examiner. He took McLiam, the Gaelic form of his real surname Williams, as a stage name. Acting career His acting career began in Maxwell Anderson's Winterset in San Francisco in 1946. After a few roles in plays in California he moved to New York. His first Broadway role was as a guard in Maxwell Anderson's Barefoot in Athens in 1951. His other stage roles include Shaw's Saint Joan, and Tiger at the Gates, Christopher Fry's version of a Jean Giraudoux play, which ran 1959–60 on Broadway. He appeared in the original Broadway cast of One More River (1960). He moved to California in 1960 to work in film and television. His film roles included a cockney ne'er-do-well in My Fair Lady (1964), Boss Kean in Cool Hand Luke (1967), In Cold Blood (1967) as murder victim Herbert Clutter, John acted as the pilot/flight instructor for Aunt Bee in Season 8 of The Andy Griffith Show, "Aunt Bee's Big Moment" Halls of Anger (1970), Woody Allen's Sleeper (1973), rancher David Braxton in The Missouri Breaks (1976), and Orval in First Blood (1982). He played Jimmy Tomorrow in John Frankenheimer's American Film Theater movie of The Iceman Cometh (1973), alongside Fredric March, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan and Jeff Bridges. Personal life McLiam and his wife Roberta had a daughter, Claire. He died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California in 1994 from melanoma and Parkinson's disease. McLiam was interred at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at Santa Barbara, California. CLR

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 24, 1918
Died
April 16, 1994 (aged 76)
From
Alberta, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
59 on MovieCove · 102 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 38% in 30 days

What are John McLiam's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
26%
Self
19%
Bonds
19%
Power
16%
Survival
12%
Society
4%
Ideas
3%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 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 7 · Serious 6 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 13 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 8 · Intense 7

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 2

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 12 · 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 8 · Even-paced 12 · 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 10 · 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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles
Threshold guardian
1 of 4
Herald
1 of 4
Shadow
1 of 4
Ally
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Absurd
5
Melancholic
8
Warm
6
Contemplative
4
Other
15

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

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 John McLiam's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 35 of their 59 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John McLiam'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

102 credits, 59 with a MovieCove page.

  • Northern Exposure(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Soapy Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Fall from Grace(1990)

    as Rev. Aubrey Sara

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Split Decisions(1988)

    as Pop McGuinn

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Fento

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Beauty and the Beast(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam Denton

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Walk Like a Man(1987)

    as H.P. Truman

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • J. Edgar Hoover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as A. Mitchell Palmer

  • Hell Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Fast Louie

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Stevens

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Highway to Heaven(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Fred Simms · as Ted Simpson

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Hunter(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Harry Montclair

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Voyager from the Unknown(1982)

    as Dr. Bernard

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Dempsey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Hyrum Dempsey

  • The A-Team(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as George Nemchek

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Streblov

  • First Blood(1982)

    as Orval the Dog Man

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Richard II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as John of Gaunt

  • T.J. Hooker(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Father DeMarco · as John P. Hooker

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • The Ambush Murders(1982)

    as Judge Collier

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Falcon Crest(1981)

    Show 2 episodes · as Carl Beck · as Commissioner Harold Witken

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • Bret Maverick(1981)

    Show 2 episodes · as Doc Holliday

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The End of August (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Colonel

  • Mistress of Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Nathan MacKay

  • The Five of Me(1981)

    as Father

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Magnum, P.I.(1980)

    Show 1 episode · as Johnnie Wells

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Farewell to the Planet of the Apes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Gahto

  • Freedom Road(1979)

    as President Ulysses S. Grant

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Archie Bunker's Place(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Vinnie Mulvaney

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • The Legend of the Golden Gun(1979)

    as Jake Powell

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Shadow of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Actor

  • Dallas(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Wally Kessel

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • The Return of the Incredible Hulk(1977)

    as Michael

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Incredible Hulk(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Michael

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Delta County, U.S.A.(1977)

    as Cap McCain

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Kingston: Confidential (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Douglas White

  • The Food of the Gods(1976)

    as Mr. Skinner

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Call of the Wild(1976)

    as Prospector

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Missouri Breaks(1976)

    as David Braxton

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Lucky Lady(1975)

    as Rass Huggins

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Secret of the Pond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Uncle Ben

  • Bite the Bullet(1975)

    as Gebhardt

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Matt Helm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Wendell

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Lionel 'Gramps' Fitzgerald Sr

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Three for the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Thurman Parsons

  • The Invisible Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Blind Man

  • Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 2 episodes · as Jailer Sutton

  • Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins(1975)

    as John Beechwood

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Harry O (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as The Old Salt

  • The Dove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Lyle Graham

  • Sleeper(1973)

    as Dr. Agon

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Legend in Granite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Dom Olejnickzak

  • The Iceman Cometh(1973)

    as Jimmy Tomorrow

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Runaway! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Conductor

  • Showdown(1973)

    as F.J. Wilson

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • A Chant of Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Father Richards

  • Hitched (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Pete Hunter

  • Barnaby Jones(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Dwight Hopkins · as Sheriff Coyle

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • M*A*S*H(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Col. Woody Cooke

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Titus Paul

  • The Culpepper Cattle Co.(1972)

    as Thorton Pierce

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • If Tomorrow Comes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Father Miller

  • Big Jake(1971)

    as Army Officer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Monte Walsh(1970)

    as Fightin' Joe Hooker

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • R.P.M.(1970)

    as Rev. Blauvelt

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Halls of Anger(1970)

    as Boyd Wilkerson

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Reivers(1969)

    as Van Tosch

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Ralph Hastings

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Riverrun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Jeffries

  • The Mod Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam

  • Gallegher: The Mystery of Edward Sims (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Ephrem Killigrew

  • Madigan(1968)

    as Dunne (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • In Cold Blood(1967)

    as Herbert Clutter

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cool Hand Luke(1967)

    as Boss Keen

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Blaney · as Harry Forrest · as Tim Fogarty

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Holt · as Trash

  • The Invaders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Hotel Clerk

  • Mission: Impossible(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Anton Usakos · as Dr. Wilson Cardel

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Daktari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Sean Murphy

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as David Callander

  • Get Smart(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Seidlitz

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Honey West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Gordon

  • The Wild Wild West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Tucker

  • My Fair Lady(1964)

    as Harry (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • 12 O'Clock High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Doker Drew · as Fisherman

  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Andrews

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Deputy Kelton · as Jeff · as Sheriff Grover

  • The Outer Limits(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Arjay Beasley

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Carl O'Neill · as Eb Smalley · as Parker

  • Bus Stop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl

  • 87th Precinct (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Reynolds · as Menlo

  • Dead to the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Goody

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. MacDonald

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • My Three Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · as Douglas · as Postman Brophy

  • The Untouchables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Driver · as Father Donovan · as Rick Landy · as Trucker

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 2 episodes · as Cop (uncredited) · as Guard · as Man

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Carlis

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Decoy(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Mike Foley

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Councilman William Daniels

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Latch

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dougherty · as O'Quillian

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Ephrem Killigrew

  • The Big Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 102 titles from 1949 to 1990; peak year 1976.

Biggest box office

First Blood (1982)

$125M worldwide

Highest rated

First Blood (1982)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

19491990

Peak 1976 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting102 of 102: 102 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score65th

By decade

1940s1 · acting1950s8 · acting1960s28 · acting1970s39 · acting1980s24 · acting1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
6474

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 John McLiam's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 30; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 59 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th23
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 59 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Freedom Road (1979)

81st percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 38. 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 John McLiam'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 70 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 32

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

Who does John McLiam work with?

People who share at least 2 of John McLiam's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alan J. Levi shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers