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Dick Shawn

Dick Shawn

Actor · Died April 17, 1987, aged 63 · Buffalo, New York, USA

Dick Shawn (December 1, 1923 – April 17, 1987) was an American actor. Way ahead of his time most say, it was extremely difficult indeed to know how to properly tap into this man's eclectic talents. Shawn began inching toward the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with his odd penchant for playing cool cats. During his mild bid for film stardom, he was top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly dismal satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960), but seemed to have better luck when taken in smaller doses. He fared quite well opposite another "way-out-there" comedian, Ernie Kovacs, in Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as a hustling soldier out to make a buck in the Far East. Also on the plus side, he replaced Zero Mostel in the bawdy musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" on Broadway and stole a small scene in the all-star epic comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). By far, the one role that completely overshadows all of his other hard work is his mock portrayal of a singing Adolf Hitler in the show-within-a-movie The Producers (1968). In the film, which starred Mostel and Gene Wilder as two con artists deliberately producing a stage "bomb" called "Springtime for Hitler," Shawn sang the hammy, absurdly narcissistic song "Love Power." The movie finally captured Shawn in his element, but this stroke of genius of matching actor to role would never happen again for him. For the most part his roles came off slick and smarmy, and were stuck in mediocre material. Shawn won a huge fan base, however, touring in one-man stage shows which contained a weird mix of songs, sketches, satire, philosophy and even pantomime. A bright, innovative wit, one of his best touring shows was called "The Second Greatest Entertainer in the World." During the show's intermission, Shawn would lie visibly on the stage floor absolutely still during the entire time. By freakish coincidence, Shawn was performing at the University of California at San Diego in 1987 when he suddenly fell forward on the stage during one of his spiels about the Holocaust. The audience, of course, laughed, thinking it was just a part of his odd shtick. In actuality, the 63-year-old married actor with four children had suffered a fatal heart attack. A not-surprising end for this thoroughly offbeat and intriguing personality.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 1, 1923
Died
April 17, 1987 (aged 63)
From
Buffalo, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 45 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 11% in 30 days

What are Dick Shawn's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
Self
27%
Bonds
24%
Society
15%
Power
11%
Ideas
11%
Survival
6%
Morality
6%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 5 · Wry 1 · Earnest 12

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 16 · Serious 1 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 5

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 11 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

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

Steady 12 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 3

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 9

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 10 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 3

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

Casual 15 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 2 of 8 analyzed roles.

Hero
2 of 8
Mentor
2 of 8
Trickster
2 of 8
Shadow
1 of 8
Ally
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
11
Absurd
9
Warm
8
Melancholic
3
Tense
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Feel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet4
  • 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 Dick Shawn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dick Shawn'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

45 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Batman & Robin(1997)

    as Snow Miser (archive sound) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Rented Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Charlie Slater

  • Maid to Order(1987)

    as Stan Starkey

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Captain EO (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Commander Bog

  • The Perils of P.K.(1986)

    as The Psychiatrist

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Check Is in the Mail...(1986)

    as Donald

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Tommy Chong Roast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • The Emperor's New Clothes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Emperor

  • Amazing Stories(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe Willoughby

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Twilight Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as (segment "Cold Reading")

  • Hail to the Chief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 7 episodes · as Ivan Zolotov

  • Water(1985)

    as Deke Halliday

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Bo Gumbs

  • The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as The Ultimate Patient

  • Angel(1984)

    as Mae

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Young Warriors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Professor Hoover

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Edgar Eisenberg

  • Good-bye Cruel World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Screenplay · as Rodney Pointsetter / Ainsley Pointsetter

  • Faerie Tale Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Emperor · as Guest Interviewee

  • Magnum, P.I.(1980)

    Show 1 episode · as Buzz Benoit

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Love at First Bite(1979)

    as Lieutenant Ferguson NYPD

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Fast Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Deke Edwards

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as David Jackson · as Harvey Blanchard

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Looking Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Manny Lander

  • Laverne & Shirley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Year Without a Santa Claus(1974)

    as Snow Miser (voice)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Evil Roy Slade(1972)

    as Marshal Bing Bell

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Dames at Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Lucky

  • The Happy Ending(1969)

    as Harry Bricker

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Medical Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Producers(1967)

    as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Penelope(1966)

    as Dr. Gregory Mannix

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Way... Way Out(1966)

    as Igor Valkleinokov

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • ABC Stage 67 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Benderhof

  • That Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?(1966)

    as Captain Lionel Cash

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • A Very Special Favor(1965)

    as Arnold Plum

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World(1963)

    as Sylvester Marcus

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Lucy Show(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Ace Winthrop

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Wizard of Baghdad(1960)

    as Genii-Ali Mahmud

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Wake Me When It's Over(1960)

    as Gus Brubaker

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Wilson

  • The Opposite Sex(1956)

    as Singer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Felix Franklin

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 45 titles from 1953 to 1997; peak year 1967.

Biggest box office

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

$46M worldwide

Highest rated

The Producers (1967)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

Film career

19531997

Peak 1967 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting45 of 45: 44 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thWriting1 of 45: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s3 · acting1960s14 · acting1970s8 · acting1980s19 · 19 acting · 1 crew1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 10 roles
6378

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 Dick Shawn's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

The Perils of P.K. (1986)

85th percentile spread · 78% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Producers (1967)

Midcredits 93rd · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 43. 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 Dick Shawn's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 23 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles8–46 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 9 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Dick Shawn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dick Shawn's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mickey Rooney shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors