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John Russell

John Russell

Actor · Died January 19, 1991, aged 70 · Los Angeles, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962, and his lead role as international adventurer Tim Kelly in the syndicated TV series Soldiers of Fortune from 1955 to 1957. Russell signed a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1945 and made his first film appearance as a guard in A Royal Scandal. He played several supporting parts while at Fox, acting the role of a junior law partner in the Clifton Webb comedy Sitting Pretty, as well as a navy pilot in Slattery's Hurricane. Later, however, he signed with Republic Pictures where he was cast in a starring role. In 1955, Russell landed the lead role in a television drama series called Soldiers of Fortune. In 1958, Russell was cast in his best-known role: the stolid, taciturn Marshal Dan Troop, the lead character in Lawman, an ABC/Warners hit western series that ran for four years. Co-starring alongside Peter Brown, who played Deputy Johnny McKay, and Peggie Castle as Birdcage Saloon owner Lily Merrill, Russell portrayed a US frontier peace officer mentoring his younger compatriot. At the same time that Lawman premiered, Russell played an outlaw, along with Edd Byrnes and Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., in the 1958 season premiere episode of Sugarfoot, another ABC/WB hit western, with Will Hutchins in the title role. Russell also appeared in other motion pictures for Warner Bros., notably as a Sioux chieftain in Yellowstone Kelly, as well as a rich corrupt cattle-rancher, Nathan Burdette, in the highly successful Howard Hawks western Rio Bravo, starring John Wayne. Throughout the remainder of his movie career, he played secondary roles in more than 20 films, including several A.C. Lyles westerns and three films directed by his friend Clint Eastwood, most notably as Marshal Stockburn, the chief villain in Eastwood's 1985 film, Pale Rider. Russell also appeared in the second season of the Filmation children's science-fiction series Jason of Star Command. He played Commander Stone, a blue-skinned alien from Alpha Centauri. He replaced James Doohan, who had played the commander in the previous season, but left to start working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture Description above from the Wikipedia article John Russell (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 3, 1921
Died
January 19, 1991 (aged 70)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 68 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 28% in 30 days

What are John Russell's films like?

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

Genres

Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 27th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Western2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Western 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
32%
Bonds
20%
Society
16%
Survival
12%
Self
11%
Power
10%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 11 · Intense 6

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 12 · 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 13 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 16 · 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 14 · Engaged 9 · 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

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 6 of 12 analyzed roles.

Shadow
6 of 12
Mentor
2 of 12
Shapeshifter
2 of 12
Ally
1 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Thrilling
8
Melancholic
9
Warm
6
Hopeful
8
Other
14

How their films linger

Fun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic1
  • 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 John Russell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Russell'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

68 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • American Nightmare(2002)

    as Police Officer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Under the Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Simon Stone

  • Pale Rider(1985)

    as Stockburn

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Honkytonk Man(1982)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Simon & Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · as Oldtimer #2 - in Saloon

  • Six Tickets to Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Jason of Star Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 16 episodes · as The Commander

  • Mission to Glory: A True Story(1976)

    as Solis

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Outlaw Josey Wales(1976)

    as Bloody Bill Anderson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Fugitive Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Harris Alexander

  • Smoke In The Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Cagle Mondier

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Emergency!(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam Jeffers

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Blood Legacy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Frank Mantee

  • Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 3 episodes · as Marshall

  • Cannon for Cordoba(1970)

    as General Pershing

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Hague

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Noon Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Darmody

  • If He Hollers, Let Him Go!(1968)

    as Sheriff

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Fireball Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Nero Solitarius

  • Buckskin(1968)

    as Patch

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • It Takes a Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter Vale · as William Dover

  • Fort Utah(1967)

    as Eli Jonas

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Hostile Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Aaron Pleasant

  • Apache Uprising(1965)

    as Vance Buckner

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Amos McAleer

  • Yellowstone Kelly(1959)

    as Gall, Sioux Chief

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Rio Bravo(1959)

    as Nathan Burdette

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Mechanical Cowboy (voice) (uncredited)

  • Lawman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 156 episodes · as Marshal Dan Troop

  • Fort Massacre(1958)

    as Travis

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Dalton Girls(1957)

    as W.T. "Illinois" Grey

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Hell Bound(1957)

    as Jordan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Edgar Maxwell · as John Grimes · as Marshal Dan Troop

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Sugarfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Jeff Seward

  • Untamed Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Russ Tropp

  • Cheyenne(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Ryker

  • The Last Command(1955)

    as Lt. Dickinson

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Soldiers of Fortune (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 52 episodes · as Tim Kelly

  • Hell's Outpost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Ben Hodes

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Jubilee Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Oliver Hale

  • The Sun Shines Bright(1953)

    as Ashby Corwin

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Fair Wind to Java(1953)

    as Flint

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Hoodlum Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Joe Gray

  • Oklahoma Annie(1952)

    as Dan Fraser

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Barefoot Mailman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Theron

  • Man in the Saddle(1951)

    as Hugh Clagg

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Fighting Coast Guard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Barney Walker

  • The Fat Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gene Gordon

  • Frenchie(1950)

    as Lance Cole

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Saddle Tramp(1950)

    as Rocky

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Undertow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Danny Morgan

  • The Story of Molly X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Cash Brady

  • The Gal Who Took the West(1949)

    as Grant O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Slattery's Hurricane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Lt. F.A. 'Hobbie' Hobson

  • Yellow Sky(1948)

    as Lengthy

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Sitting Pretty(1948)

    as Bill Philby

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Forever Amber(1947)

    as Black Jack Mallard

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Somewhere in the Night(1946)

    as Marine Captain (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Dark Corner(1946)

    as Policeman at Tony's Apartment (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Within These Walls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Rogers

  • A Bell for Adano(1945)

    as Anderson (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • A Royal Scandal(1945)

    as Guard (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

    as Hopper Boy

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Side Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Adaptation

  • Dangerous Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Screenplay

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 68 titles from 1924 to 2002; peak year 1976.

Biggest box office

Pale Rider (1985)

$41M worldwide

Highest rated

Rio Bravo (1959)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

19242002

Peak 1976 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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.

  • 1939Screen debut· Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
  • 1959Career best· Rio Bravo

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting66 of 68: 66 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thWriting2 of 68: 2 only writing, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s2 · crew1930s1 · acting1940s12 · acting1950s27 · acting1960s8 · acting1970s12 · acting1980s5 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 15 roles
3949

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 John Russell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 31; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · actor

American Nightmare (2002)

81st percentile spread · 58% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Rio Bravo (1959)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 44. 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 John Russell work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Russell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Carl E. Guthrie shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers