Jim McMullan

Actor · Born October 13, 1936 (90) · Long Beach, Long Island, New York, USA

McMullan grew up in Long Beach, Long Island during the 1950s, where he was always creating something, inventing something, building something. That explains why he went off to college to learn more about art, design and architecture. He studied Industrial Design at New York University and Parsons School of Design for a year before enrolling in Kansas University's School of Architecture. For five years he involved himself in the arts: design, sculpture, art history and even theatre. After a girlfriend coaxed him into playing the lead in a college production of "Desire Under the Elms" by Eugene O'Neill, he spent much of his free time learning the craft of acting. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1961 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. On a whim he went to Hollywood in 1961 to visit a friend and, through a chance meeting with playwright William Inge, he was given a screen test for Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country (1962) (Peckinpah also directed the screen test). The test was sent to Universal Pictures, which put him under a seven-year contract, the start of a successful 30-year film career. During his four-year stay at Universal he made many TV pilots and starred opposite James Stewart as his son in the classic Shenandoah (1965). After leaving Universal he was given the co-lead for eight weeks opposite Vince Edwards in the series Ben Casey (1961). Jim has had the lead in a few series, such as Chopper One (1974), Beyond Westworld (1980), The Young and the Restless (1973) and most notably had a recurring role on the popular nighttime soap Dallas (1978) as Senator Dowling (a part that lasted for 18 weeks). In 1970, he co-starred with Robert Redford and Gene Hackman in Downhill Racer (1969). For more than 40 years, he appeared in hundreds of TV series, movies and commercials. His many feature film credits include The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) and Extreme Close-Up (1973). He guest-starred in over 150 TV shows including MacGyver (1985), Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989), The Six Million Dollar Man (1974), The F.B.I. (1965), The Rockford Files (1974), Hart to Hart (1979), The A-Team (1983), Nine to Five (1982), Stowaway to the Moon (1975), Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (1977), Centennial (1978), and The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story (1988). His career expanded into book writing with his highly acclaimed coffee-table book (co-written with Dick Gautier) "Actors As Artists", a tribute to 77 stars of stage and screen who are gifted visual artists. In France, he played the role of Buffalo Bill from 1998 to 2002 in the "Buffalo Bill Wild West Show", a 1000-seat dinner theater production, just outside of Disneyland Paris. McMullan retired to a small town on the New Jersey shore with his wife, Helene, until the onset of his illness, which claimed his life in California in 2019.

Biography from IMDb.

Born: October 13, 1936 (90)
From: Long Beach, Long Island, New York, USA
Works as: Actor
Titles: 27 on MovieCove · 53 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 17% in 30 days

What are Jim McMullan's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight

Morality

26%

Power

15%

Bonds

15%

Survival

14%

Society

13%

Self

11%

Ideas

Justice3 Family bonds2 Survival2

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 9

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 4 · Dark 4

Grounded

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

Steady

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Ally

2 of 4

Hero

2 of 4

Allyas Creech in Downhill Racer (1969)
Allyas Arkansaw in The Desperate Mission (1969)
Heroas Bobby Joe in The Windsplitter (1971)
Heroas John Moore in Beyond Westworld (1980)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

Hopeful

Thrilling

Bittersweet

Cold

Other

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 Thought-provoking4 Hopeful2 Feel-good2 Unsettling2

How their films end

Happy3
Bittersweet6
Ambiguous1

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 Jim McMullan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (7).

Also on these channels

Best Westerns Ever1 title, show their title on Best Westerns Ever
Cinemax1 title, show their title on Cinemax
Cineverse1 title, show their title on Cineverse
Howdy1 title, show their title on Howdy
Midnight Pulp1 title, show their title on Midnight Pulp
ScreenPix1 title, show their title on ScreenPix

Subscription and free streaming for Jim McMullan'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

53 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page.

Shadow of Doubt(1998)
as Moderator Pundit
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Batman & Robin(1997)
as Party Guest
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery(1997)
as American UN Representative
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Strategic Command(1997)
as The President
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
The Eighteenth Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
as Priest
Virus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
as Reporter #1
Judicial Consent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
as Trenton Clarkson
Red Shoe Diaries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Show 1 episode · as Paul
Doogie Howser, M.D.(1989)
Show 1 episode · as Jerry
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
Baywatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Aaron's Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Probe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Show 1 episode · as Ted Strawn
The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story(1988)
as Russell
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Assassination(1987)
as The Zipper
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Life Flight: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
as C.J. Reynolds
Masquerade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Hardcastle and McCormick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Show 1 episode · Actor
The A-Team(1983)
Show 1 episode · as Robert Corson
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Scruples (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
as Greg Dunne
The Incredible Shrinking Woman(1981)
as Lyle Parks
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Beyond Westworld(1980)
Show 5 episodes · as John Moore
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows
She's Dressed to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
as Sheriff Halsey / Michael Barton
Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Show 1 episode · as Larry Fields
Dallas(1978)
Show 14 episodes · as Senator Andrew Dowling
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows
Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
as Frank
The Father Knows Best Reunion(1977)
as Frank
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident(1976)
as Robert F. Kennedy
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Law of the Land(1976)
as Lieutenant Dwayne Hollinger
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
S.W.A.T.(1975)
Show 2 episodes · Actor
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
Stowaway to the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
as Astronaut Ben Pelham
The Rockford Files(1974)
Show 1 episode · as Barry Brauder
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
The Six Million Dollar Man(1974)
Show 1 episode · as Paul Miller
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
Chopper One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Show 13 episodes · as Officer Don Burdick
Extreme Close-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
as John Norman
Barnaby Jones(1973)
Show 2 episodes · as Cliff Baxter · as Major Scott
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows
Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
as Lewis
The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Show 1 episode · as James Reed
The Windsplitter(1971)
as Bobby Joe
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
The Desperate Mission(1969)
as Arkansaw
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Downhill Racer(1969)
as Johnny Creech
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The New People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Show 2 episodes · Actor
The Happiest Millionaire(1967)
as Lieutenant Powell
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Time Tunnel(1966)
Show 1 episode · as King Arthur Pendragon
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Shenandoah(1965)
as John Anderson
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Show 1 episode · as Mason Pruitt
12 O'Clock High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Show 1 episode · as Lt. Pete Morton
The Raiders(1963)
as Buffalo Bill
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Channing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Show 1 episode · as Peter Walker
Arrest and Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Show 1 episode · as Pfc. Don Williams
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)
Show 1 episode · as George Cory
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Show 1 episode · as Dr. Terry McDaniel
Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Show 1 episode · as Dr. Louis McLeod
Wagon Train(1957)
Show 1 episode · as Arnie Swenson
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 80^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 53 titles from 1957 to 1998; peak year 1966.

Highest rated

Shenandoah (1965)

Midcredits 88^th

Film career

19571998

Peak 1966 · 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.

1965Screen debut· Shenandoah

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting53 of 53 · 54^th

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s14 · acting1970s17 · acting1980s13 · acting1990s8 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 6 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 Jim McMullan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 34^th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58^th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

51^stpercentile

Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

22^ndpercentile

Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

75^th and up6
50^th to 74^th9
25^th to 49^th5
Below 25^th7

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved2
Universally Panned2
Cult Classic1
Crowd Pleaser12
Broadly Agreed1
Mixed9

Most divisive · actor

Law of the Land (1976)

79^th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Shenandoah (1965)

Midcredits 88^th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 40. 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 Jim McMullan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jim McMullan's MovieCove titles; Glenn Corbett shares the most, 2.

Glenn Corbett2 titles See all 2 shared titles with Glenn Corbett