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George O'Brien

George O'Brien

Actor · Died September 4, 1985, aged 86 · San Francisco, California, USA

George O'Brien (April 19, 1899 – September 4, 1985) was an American actor, popular during the silent film era and into the talkie era of the 1930s, best known today as the lead actor in F. W. Murnau's 1927 film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. He also starred in East Side, West Side (1927), The Johnstown Floor (1926), and John Ford's The Iron Horse (1924). The day before his seventh birthday the Great Earthquake of 1906 hit San Francisco. He and his family nearly died and were homeless for months. He served in World War I and World War II.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 18, 1899
Died
September 4, 1985 (aged 86)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 89 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 156 days to Oct 27Up 24% in 30 days

What are George O'Brien's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th 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
Morality
39%
Bonds
22%
Society
17%
Survival
10%
Self
7%
Power
4%
Justice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 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 9 · Serious 7 · Dark 3

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 9 · Charged 8 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 13 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 10 · 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 13 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 15 of 16 analyzed roles.

Hero
15 of 16
Shapeshifter
1 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Thrilling
9
Romantic
6
Hopeful
4
Contemplative
3
Other
17

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet4
  • 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 George O'Brien's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for George O'Brien'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

89 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as (archive footage)

  • Cheyenne Autumn(1964)

    as Major Braden

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The 10 from Texas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as (archive footage)

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

    as Narrator

  • Studio 57 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Gold Raiders(1951)

    as George O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon(1949)

    as Maj. Mac Allshard

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Fort Apache(1948)

    as Capt. Sam Collingwood

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

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

    as 'Duke' Muldoon

  • December 7th(1943)

    as Single Voice of the Dead Servicemen (voice)

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Triple Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Brad Henderson

  • Stage to Chino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Dan Clark

  • Prairie Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Brill Austin

  • Bullet Code (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Steve Holden

  • Legion of the Lawless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jeff Toland

  • The Marshal Of Mesa City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Cliff Mason

  • The Fighting Gringo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Wade Barton

  • Timber Stampede (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Scott Baylor

  • Racketeers of the Range (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Barney O'Dell

  • Trouble in Sundown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Clint Bradford

  • Arizona Legion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Boone Yeager

  • Lawless Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Larry Rhodes

  • The Renegade Ranger(1938)

    as Captain Jack Steele

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Painted Desert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Bob McVey

  • Border G-Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Jim Galloway

  • Gun Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Tom O'Malley

  • Windjammer(1937)

    as Bruce Lane

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Cowboy(1937)

    as Jeffery Carson

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Park Avenue Logger(1937)

    as Grant Curran

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Daniel Boone(1936)

    as Daniel Boone

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Border Patrolman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bob Wallace

  • O'Malley of the Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Constable O'Malley aka Duke Kinnard

  • Thunder Mountain(1935)

    as Kal Emerson

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Hard Rock Harrigan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Tim 'Hard Rock' Harrigan

  • Whispering Smith Speaks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Gordon Harrington, Jr. aka John 'Whispering' Smith

  • The Cowboy Millionaire(1935)

    as Bob Walker

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • When a Man's a Man(1935)

    as Larry Knight

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Dude Ranger(1934)

    as Ernest 'Dude' Selby

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Ever Since Eve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Neil Rogers

  • Frontier Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Michael Wyatt

  • The Last Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Tom Daley

  • Life in the Raw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Jim Barry

  • Smoke Lightning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Smoke Mason

  • Robbers' Roost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Jim Wall

  • The Golden West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as David Lynch / Motano

  • Mystery Ranch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Bob Sanborn

  • The Gay Caballero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Ted Radcliffe

  • The Rainbow Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as John Shefford

  • Riders of the Purple Sage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Jim Lassiter

  • A Holy Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Tony Bard aka Woodbury

  • Fair Warning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Whistlin' Dan Barry

  • The Seas Beneath(1931)

    as Cmdr. Robert 'Bob' Kingsley

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Last of the Duanes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Buck Duane

  • Rough Romance(1930)

    as Billy West

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Star Ranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Buck Duane

  • Hollywood Studios (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Actor

  • Salute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Cadet John Randall

  • Masked Emotions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Bramdlet Dickery

  • True Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Lieutenant Philip Gresson

  • Blindfold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Robert Kelly

  • Noah's Ark(1928)

    as Travis / Japheth

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Honor Bound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as John Oglegree

  • Sharp Shooters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as George

  • Sunrise(1927)

    as The Man (Anses)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • East Side, West Side (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as John Breen

  • Paid to Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Crown Prince Michae

  • Is Zat So? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Ed 'Chick' Cowan

  • The Blue Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as George Darcy

  • 3 Bad Men(1926)

    as Dan O'Malley

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Fig Leaves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Adam Smith

  • The Silver Treasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Nostromo

  • Rustlin' for Cupid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Bradley Blatchford

  • The Johnstown Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Tom O'Day

  • The Fighting Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Denny Bolton

  • Thank You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Kenneth Jamieson

  • The Iron Horse(1924)

    as Davy Brandon

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Havoc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Dick Chappel

  • The Dancers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Tony

  • The Roughneck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Jerry Delaney

  • The Painted Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Luther Smith

  • The Man Who Came Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Henry Potter

  • The Sea Hawk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Galley Slave (uncredited)

  • Shadows of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    as Louis

  • Woman-Proof (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Bill Burleigh

  • The Ne'er-Do-Well (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Clifford

  • Ebb Tide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Islander (uncredited)

  • The Ghost Breaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as One of the Ghosts (uncredited)

  • Moran of the Lady Letty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Deck Hand

  • White Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    as Sailor

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 89 titles from 1922 to 1976.

Biggest box office

Sunrise (1927)

$123K worldwide

Highest rated

Sunrise (1927)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Fort Apache (1948)

Film career

Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting89 of 89: 89 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score43rd

By decade

1920s33 · acting1930s41 · acting1940s9 · acting1950s3 · acting1960s2 · acting1970s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 44% of 9 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 George O'Brien's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 43rd percentile, the median of all 20; across their 19 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 19

Approval · how many liked their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

17thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 20 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Rough Romance (1930)

52nd percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Sunrise (1927)

Midcredits 97th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 50. 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 George O'Brien'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 30 · mildMedian of all films: 44

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

Who does George O'Brien work with?

People who share at least 2 of George O'Brien's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank B. Good shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles