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John M. Nickolaus Jr.

Cinematographer · Died February 10, 1985, aged 71

Born
May 18, 1913
Died
February 10, 1985 (aged 71)
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 32 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 45% in 30 days

What are John M. Nickolaus Jr.'s films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 2nd percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th 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
33%
Survival
30%
Bonds
17%
Self
8%
Power
6%
Society
5%
Ideas
2%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 10 · Intense 4

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

A split, not a type: Steady 8 · 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 15 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 8 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
7
Dread
5
Thrilling
4
Contemplative
4
Other
8

How their films linger

Haunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic6
  • 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 John M. Nickolaus Jr.'s films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John M. Nickolaus Jr.'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

32 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Cave-In! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Cinematographer

  • The Night the Bridge Fell Down(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Memory of Eva Ryker(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Detour to Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Hanging by a Thread (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Crisis in Mid-air(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The New Adventures of Heidi(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Courage and the Passion(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Smash-Up on Interstate 5(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Foster & Laurie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Cinematographer

  • The Waltons(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Challenge(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Guns of Diablo(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Outer Limits(1963)

    Show 9 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Thunder Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Cinematographer

  • Harbor Lights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Cinematographer

  • The Terror(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Day Mars Invaded Earth(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Air Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • Four Fast Guns(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • High School Big Shot(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Attack of the Giant Leeches(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Tank Commandos(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

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

    Show 3 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Hot Car Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Night of the Blood Beast(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Desert Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Showdown at Boot Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Ambush at Cimarron Pass(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Naked Gun(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • You Can't Fool a Camera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Technical Supervisor

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles from 1941 to 1983.

Highest rated

Naked Gun (1956)

Midcredits 66th

Most popular right now

The Terror (1963)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography31 of 32: 31 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score34thOther crew1 of 32: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s1 · crew1950s11 · crew1960s8 · crew1970s8 · crew1980s4 · 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 John M. Nickolaus Jr.'s films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 23rd percentile, the median of all 17; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 28th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

23rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 20 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · cinematographer

The New Adventures of Heidi (1978)

86th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Perry Mason (1957)

Midcredits 95th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 45/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 56, detractors 31. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

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 John M. Nickolaus Jr. work with?

People who share at least 2 of John M. Nickolaus Jr.'s MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Roger Corman shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers