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Gertrude Purcell

Gertrude Purcell

Writer · Died May 1, 1963, aged 67 · New York City, New York, USA

Purcell (who was described by a friend as a "masculine, funny, and hard-drinking woman") worked as a freelancer for much of her career, penning scripts for most of the major studios. During the McCarthy era she became an important informer due to her communist past, but before the process she attempted suicide. She then retired from her cinema career, but lived a decade more.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 14, 1895
Died
May 1, 1963 (aged 67)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 41 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 35% in 30 days

What are Gertrude Purcell's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Morality
26%
Self
21%
Society
7%
Power
3%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

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 2 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 5

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 2 · 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 8 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
4
Warm
6
Absurd
4
Melancholic
2
Hopeful
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet2

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 Gertrude Purcell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Gertrude Purcell'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

41 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page.

  • Three Husbands(1950)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Winter Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Screenplay

  • Paris Underground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Screenplay

  • Reckless Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Screenplay

  • Follow the Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Screenplay

  • Ice Capades Revue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Screenplay

  • In Old California(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • A Close Call for Ellery Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Additional Dialogue

  • Ellery Queen and the Murder Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Screenplay

  • Arkansas Judge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Adaptation

  • The Invisible Woman(1940)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • One Night in the Tropics(1940)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • A Little Bit of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Screenplay

  • Destry Rides Again(1939)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • First Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Story

  • The Lady and the Mob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Screenplay

  • Service de Luxe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Writer

  • Mother Carey's Chickens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay

  • Hitting a New High(1937)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Music for Madame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Screenplay

  • Stella Dallas(1937)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Super-Sleuth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Screenplay

  • Make Way for a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • The Witness Chair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Screenplay

  • Love Before Breakfast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • If You Could Only Cook(1935)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Girl Friend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Screenplay

  • Redheads on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Story

  • The Human Side (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Additional Writing

  • She Was a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • Palooka(1934)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Another Language (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Adaptation

  • Cocktail Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

  • Child of Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

  • No More Orchids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Screenplay

  • Vanity Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Screenplay

  • The Night Mayor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Screenplay

  • The Girl Habit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

  • The Royal Family of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

  • Follow the Leader (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Screenplay

  • The Sap from Syracuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles from 1930 to 1946.

Highest rated

Destry Rides Again (1939)

Midcredits 94th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing38 of 40: 38 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thOther crew2 of 40: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s28 · crew1940s12 · 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 Gertrude Purcell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 9 titles divides audiences: 3 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most loved · writer

Destry Rides Again (1939)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Gertrude Purcell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gertrude Purcell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Skinner shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors