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Rosalind Russell

Rosalind Russell

Actor · Died November 28, 1976, aged 69 · Waterbury, Connecticut, USA

Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame. She won all 5 Golden Globes for which she was nominated, and was tied with Meryl Streep for wins until 2007 when Streep was awarded a sixth. Russell won a Tony Award in 1953 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Ruth in the Broadway show Wonderful Town (a musical based the film My Sister Eileen, in which she also starred). Russell was known for playing character roles, exceptionally wealthy, dignified ladylike women. She had a wide career span from the 1930s to the 1970s and attributed her long career to the fact that, although usually playing classy and glamorous roles, she never became a sex symbol, not being famous for her looks.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 4, 1907
Died
November 28, 1976 (aged 69)
From
Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 35% in 30 days

What are Rosalind Russell's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: 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
39%
Self
25%
Morality
21%
Society
6%
Power
5%
Survival
3%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 16 · Serious 8 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 11 · Charged 14 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 12 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 4

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 7 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 12

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

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 16 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 11 of 20 analyzed roles.

Hero
11 of 20
Ally
5 of 20
Trickster
2 of 20
Shadow
1 of 20
Mentor
1 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
10
Romantic
13
Tense
8
Warm
9
Melancholic
7
Other
24

How their films linger

Feel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic1

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 Rosalind Russell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rosalind 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

59 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 25 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics(1994)

    as Hildy Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Crooked Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Laurita Dorsey

  • Mrs. Pollifax — Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Screenplay · as Mrs. Pollifax

  • Where Angels Go Trouble Follows!(1968)

    as Mother Simplicia

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Rosie! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Rosie Lord

  • Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Madame Rosepettle

  • The Trouble with Angels(1966)

    as Mother Superior

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Gypsy(1962)

    as Rose Hovick

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Five Finger Exercise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Louise Harington

  • A Majority of One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Bertha Jacoby

  • Auntie Mame(1958)

    as Mame Dennis

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Wonderful Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Ruth Sherwood

  • The Unguarded Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Story

  • Picnic(1955)

    as Rosemary - The School Teacher

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Girl Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Kim Halliday

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

    Show 1 episode · as Cynthia

  • Never Wave at a WAC(1953)

    as Josephine McBain

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Woman of Distinction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Susan Manning Middlecott

  • Tell It to the Judge(1949)

    as Marsha Meredith

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Velvet Touch(1948)

    as Valerie Stanton

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Mourning Becomes Electra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Lavinia Mannon

  • The Guilt of Janet Ames(1947)

    as Janet Ames

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Sister Kenny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Elizabeth Kenny

  • She Wouldn't Say Yes(1945)

    as Dr. Susan A. Lane

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Roughly Speaking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Louise Randall Pierson

  • What a Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Carol Ainsley

  • Flight for Freedom(1943)

    as Tonie Carter

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • My Sister Eileen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Ruth Sherwood

  • Take a Letter, Darling(1942)

    as A.M. MacGregor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Design for Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Judge Cornelia C. Porter

  • The Feminine Touch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Julie Hathaway

  • They Met in Bombay(1941)

    as Anya Von Duren

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • This Thing Called Love(1940)

    as Ann Winters

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • No Time for Comedy(1940)

    as Linda Paige Esterbrook

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Hired Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Kendal Browning

  • His Girl Friday(1940)

    as Hildy Johnson

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Women(1939)

    as Sylvia Fowler

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fast and Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Garda Sloane

  • Breakdowns of 1938 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Rosalind (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • The Citadel(1938)

    as Christine Manson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Four's a Crowd(1938)

    as Jean Christy

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

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

    as Elizabeth Kent

  • Live, Love and Learn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Julie Stoddard

  • Night Must Fall(1937)

    as Olivia Grayne

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Craig's Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Harriet Craig

  • Trouble for Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Miss Vandeleur

  • Under Two Flags (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Lady Venetia Cunningham

  • It Had to Happen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Beatrice Newnes

  • Rendezvous(1935)

    as Joel Carter

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • China Seas(1935)

    as Sybil Barclay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Reckless(1935)

    as Josephine 'Jo' Mercer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • West Point of the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Dare Marshall

  • The Casino Murder Case(1935)

    as Doris Reed

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Night Is Young(1935)

    as Countess Zarika Rafay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Forsaking All Others(1934)

    as Eleanor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The President Vanishes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sally Voorman

  • Evelyn Prentice(1934)

    as Mrs. Nancy Harrison

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 59 titles from 1934 to 1994; peak year 1962.

Biggest box office

The Women (1939)

$16K worldwide

Highest rated

His Girl Friday (1940)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

19341994

Peak 1962 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 5 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting58 of 59: 57 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndWriting2 of 59: 1 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1930s21 · acting1940s18 · acting1950s9 · 8 acting · 1 crew1960s7 · acting1970s2 · 2 acting · 1 crew1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 27% of 11 roles
3444

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 Rosalind Russell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 29; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Forsaking All Others (1934)

54th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

His Girl Friday (1940)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 54. 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 Rosalind Russell's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

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

Who does Rosalind Russell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rosalind Russell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joseph Walker shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers