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Harve Presnell

Harve Presnell

Actor · Died June 30, 2009, aged 75 · Modesto, California, USA

Golden Globe winner

Harve Presnell (September 14, 1933 – June 30, 2009) was an American actor and singer. He began his career in the mid 1950s as a classical baritone, singing with orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States. His career reoriented away from classical music to musical theatre in 1960 after Meredith Willson cast him in the lead role of his new Broadway musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown. His portrayal of "Leadville Johnny" was a resounding success and he reprised the role in the 1964 film version of the musical, winning a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal. Presnell went on to star in a few more films during the 1960s, but by the early 1970s that aspect of his career came to a standstill. From 1970 to 1995 he mostly worked as a musical theatre performer on Broadway, the West End, and in touring productions out of New York. In his early 60s, Presnell saw a resurgence in his movie career which lasted until his death. He portrayed character roles in films like Fargo (1996), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Flags of Our Fathers (2006). He also appeared on television as Mr. Parker in The Pretender and Lew Staziak in Andy Barker, P.I.. He had recurring roles on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Dawson's Creek. Description above from the Wikipedia article Harve Presnell, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 14, 1933
Died
June 30, 2009 (aged 75)
From
Modesto, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
41 on MovieCove · 59 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 19% in 30 days

What are Harve Presnell's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Drama 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
Self
36%
Bonds
20%
Morality
15%
Power
12%
Society
7%
Ideas
5%
Survival
5%
Ambition5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 6 · Intense 3

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

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · 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 10 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Shadow
3 of 7
Ally
2 of 7
Hero
1 of 7
Trickster
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Joyful
7
Warm
5
Absurd
4
Thrilling
2
Other
11

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • 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 Harve Presnell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 41 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Harve Presnell'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

59 credits, 41 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Love Ranch(2010)

    as Dr. Smathers

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Bait Shop(2008)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Evan Almighty(2007)

    as Congressman Burrows

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Andy Barker, P.I.(2007)

    Show 6 episodes · as Lew Staziak

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Flags of Our Fathers(2006)

    as Dave Severance

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Frank, the Judge (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Kemp Jr. (2009)

  • The Lyon's Den (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Old School(2003)

    as Mr. Springbrook

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Legally Blonde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Henry Whitehouse

  • Monk(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Zach Ellinghouse

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Mr. Deeds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Preston Blake

  • Super Sucker(2002)

    as Winslow Schnaebelt

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Pretender: Island of the Haunted(2001)

    as Mr. Parker

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.

  • Escanaba in da Moonlight(2001)

    as Albert Soady

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Pretender 2001 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Mr. Parker

  • The Family Man(2000)

    as Big Ed

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Bagger Vance(2000)

    as John Invergordon

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Strong Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Andrew 'Andy' March

  • Walking Across Egypt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Finner

  • Patch Adams(1998)

    as Dean Anderson

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Charmed(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Black Jack Cutting

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Lionhearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 8 episodes · as (voice)

  • Saving Private Ryan(1998)

    as General Marshall

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Everything That Rises (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Garth

  • A Bright Shining Lie(1998)

    as MACV General

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • From the Earth to the Moon(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Harve

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Two Guys and a Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Edgar J. Hagerty

  • Dawson's Creek(1998)

    Show 9 episodes · as Arthur Brooks

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • George & Leo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Julian Po (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Mayor Henry Leech

  • Face/Off(1997)

    as Victor Lazarro

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Tidal Wave: No Escape(1997)

    as Stanley Schiff

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Dickem

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • EZ Streets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Chamber(1996)

    as Attorney General Roxburgh

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Pretender(1996)

    Show 5 episodes · as Mr. Parker

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • The Whole Wide World(1996)

    as Dr. Howard

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Doug (voice)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Larger Than Life(1996)

    as Trowbridge Bowers

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Nash Bridges(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Corick McMillan

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • Fargo(1996)

    as Wade Gustafson

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Client (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Buddy Hutchinson

  • The Outer Limits(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Greg Matheson

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Star Trek: Voyager(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Q

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Venema

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Duckman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir Declan McManus (voice)

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Mike Shaw

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman(1993)

    Show 5 episodes · as Dr. Sam Lane

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    as From 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Blood Bath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Peter Brown

  • The Great Man's Whiskers(1972)

    as Ballad Singer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Paint Your Wagon(1969)

    as "Rotten Luck Willie"

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • When the Boys Meet the Girls(1965)

    as Danny Churchill

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Glory Guys(1965)

    as Sol Rogers

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown(1964)

    as Johnny Brown

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Mitch (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dismas

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 59 titles from 1953 to 2010; peak year 1997.

Biggest box office

Face/Off (1997)

$246M worldwide

Highest rated

Fargo (1996)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Pretender (1996)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19532010

Peak 1997 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 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.

  • 1964Screen debut· The Unsinkable Molly Brown
  • 1996Breakout· Fargo
  • 1996Career best· The Pretender

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting59 of 59: 59 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1950s2 · acting1960s4 · acting1970s2 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s30 · acting2000s19 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 20 roles
6499

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.

Awards

Won a Golden Globe in 1965, Most Promising Newcomer - Male.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Harve Presnell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 25; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 41 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 41 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Bait Shop (2008)

79th percentile spread · 50% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 37. 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 Harve Presnell's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 59 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 65 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 47 · 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 Harve Presnell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Harve Presnell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jeff Daniels shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors