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May Robson

May Robson

Actor · Died October 20, 1942, aged 84 · Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia May Robson (19 April 1858 - 20 October 1942) was an actress and playwright. A major stage actress of the late 19th and early 20th century, Robson is best known today for the dozens of 1930s motion pictures she appeared in when she was well into her seventies, usually playing cross old ladies with hearts of gold.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 17, 1858
Died
October 20, 1942 (aged 84)
From
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 63 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

What are May Robson's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
Bonds
46%
Morality
23%
Self
13%
Power
8%
Survival
6%
Society
5%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 5 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 16 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 9 · Charged 10 · Intense 4

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 1

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 9 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 6

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 12 · 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 17 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

14 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 5 of 14 analyzed roles.

Mentor
5 of 14
Ally
4 of 14
Shapeshifter
2 of 14
Hero
2 of 14
Herald
1 of 14
Show the 14 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
10
Tense
9
Melancholic
10
Romantic
9
Warm
6
Other
19

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic2
  • 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 May Robson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for May Robson'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

63 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Joan of Paris(1942)

    as Mlle. Rosay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Playmates(1941)

    as Grandma Kyser

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Million Dollar Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Cornelia Wheelwright

  • Four Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Aunt Etta

  • Texas Rangers Ride Again(1940)

    as Cecilia Dangerfield

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Irene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Granny O'Dare

  • Granny Get Your Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Minerva Hildegard Hatton

  • Four Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Aunt Etta

  • That's Right – You're Wrong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Grandma

  • Nurse Edith Cavell(1939)

    as Mme. Rappard

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Daughters Courageous(1939)

    as Penny, the Housekeeper

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Kid from Kokomo(1939)

    as Margaret 'Maggie' / 'Ma' Manell

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Yes, My Darling Daughter(1939)

    as 'Granny' Whitman

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • They Made Me a Criminal(1938)

    as Grandma Rafferty

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Texans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Granna

  • Four Daughters(1938)

    as Aunt Etta

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Bringing Up Baby(1938)

    as Aunt Elizabeth

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1938)

    as Aunt Polly

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Perfect Specimen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mrs. Leona Wicks

  • A Star Is Born(1937)

    as Lettie Blodgett

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Woman in Distress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Phoebe Tuttle

  • Rainbow on the River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mrs. Harriet Ainsworth

  • The Captain's Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Aunt Marcia Prentiss

  • Wife vs. Secretary(1936)

    as Mimi Stanhope

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • 3 Kids and a Queen(1935)

    as Mary Jane 'Queenie' Baxter

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

  • Anna Karenina(1935)

    as Countess Vronsky

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Age of Indiscretion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Emma Shaw

  • Reckless(1935)

    as Mrs. Granny Leslie

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Strangers All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Anna Carter

  • Vanessa, Her Love Story(1935)

    as Judith Paris

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Grand Old Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Laura Bayles

  • Mills of the Gods(1934)

    as Mary Hastings

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Lady by Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Patricia 'Patsy' Patterson

  • Straight Is the Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mrs. Horowitz

  • You Can't Buy Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mrs. Hannah Bell

  • Dinner at Eight(1933)

    as Mrs. Wendel

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Alice in Wonderland(1933)

    as Queen Of Hearts

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dancing Lady(1933)

    as Dolly Todhunter

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Solitaire Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mrs. Vail

  • Broadway to Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Veteran Actress

  • Lady for a Day(1933)

    as Apple Annie

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Beauty for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mrs. Merrick

  • One Man's Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Sarah

  • Reunion in Vienna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Frau Lucher

  • The White Sister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mother Superior

  • Men Must Fight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Maman Seward

  • Strange Interlude(1932)

    as Mrs. Evans

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • If I Had a Million(1932)

    as Mrs. Mary Walker

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Little Orphan Annie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mrs. Stewart

  • Red-Headed Woman(1932)

    as Aunt Jane

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Letty Lynton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mrs. Lynton, Letty's Mother

  • The She-Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Actor

  • Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Mrs. Morton - Matron

  • Turkish Delight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Tsakran

  • A Harp in Hock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Mrs. Banks

  • The Angel of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Big Bertha

  • The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Aunt Mary Watkins

  • The King of Kings(1927)

    as Mother of Gestas

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Rubber Tires(1927)

    as Mrs. Stack

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Pals in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    as Esther Lezinsky

  • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(1920)

    as Prostitute at Clinic (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • A Night Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Theatre Play · as Granmum

  • When Knights Were Bold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1908)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles from 1908 to 1942.

Biggest box office

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

$14K worldwide

Highest rated

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting63 of 63: 62 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndWriting1 of 63: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1900s1 · acting1910s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew1920s9 · acting1930s45 · acting1940s7 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
2035

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.

How do May Robson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 28; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

3 Kids and a Queen (1935)

76th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Midcredits 96th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 47. 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 May Robson work with?

People who share at least 2 of May Robson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David O. Selznick shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers