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Donald S. Sanford

Writer · Died February 8, 2011, aged 92

Born
March 17, 1918
Died
February 8, 2011 (aged 92)
Works as
Writer
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 18 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 27Up 46% in 30 days

What are Donald S. Sanford's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th 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
Morality
46%
Survival
28%
Bonds
10%
Ideas
10%
Power
5%
War3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 4 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 3

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
2
Contemplative
2
Thrilling
2
Hopeful
1

How their films linger

Rousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4

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 Donald S. Sanford's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Donald S. Sanford'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

18 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page.

  • Ravagers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Writer

  • Crash(1978)

    Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Midway(1976)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Mosquito Squadron(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Thousand Plane Raid(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Submarine X-1(1968)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Long, Hot Summer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • 12 O'Clock High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • The Outer Limits(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Incredible Doktor Markesan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Adaptation

  • Thriller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 9 episodes · Writer

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Telephone Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

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

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 18 titles from 1955 to 1979.

Highest rated

Midway (1976)

Midcredits 70th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing18 of 18: 18 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47th

By decade

1950s4 · crew1960s11 · crew1970s3 · 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 Donald S. Sanford's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 30th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

21stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

34thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 8 titles divides audiences: 2 are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most loved · writer

Perry Mason (1957)

Midcredits 95th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 31/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 5 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 Donald S. Sanford work with?

People who share at least 2 of Donald S. Sanford's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Boris Sagal shares the most, 2.

Directors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers