From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia George Sidney (October 4, 1916 – May 5, 2002) was an American film director and film producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Sidney was assigned to direct the Our Gang comedies in 1938. After a year of working on these shorts, he moved on to the Crime Does Not Pay series and popular Pete Smith specialties. He graduated to directing features in 1941. He then worked his way into directing large scale musicals such as The Harvey Girls (1946), The Three Musketeers (1948), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), and Kiss Me Kate (1953). Sidney left MGM to make The Eddy Duchin Story (1956) at Columbia Pictures, where he made his base for the next decade for such films as Jeanne Eagels (1957), Pal Joey (1957), Who Was That Lady? (1960), Pepe (1960), and Bye Bye Birdie (1963). He would return to MGM to film A Ticklish Affair (1963) and Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas (1964). His last film was Half a Sixpence (1967). Sidney was nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award four times, starting with the lush Technicolor remake of Show Boat. In 1958 he was presented with a Golden Globe Award for Best World Entertainment through Musical Films. For his work in the art of cinema, George Sidney was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- October 4, 1916
- May 5, 2002 (aged 85)
- Long Island City, New York, USA
- Director and producer, also composer and writer
- 26 on MovieCove · 55 credits in all
What are George Sidney's films like?
Across their 24 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 2 · Earnest 20
Light 18 · Serious 3 · Dark 3
Grounded 3 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 7
Gentle 8 · Charged 16 · Intense 0
Steady 14 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 8
Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 0
Casual 22 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 17 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 2
Resolved 22 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy19
- Bittersweet4
- 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 George Sidney's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for George Sidney'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
55 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
E! True Hollywood Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Half a Sixpence(1967)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Swinger(1966)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Viva Las Vegas(1964)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
A Ticklish Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Bye Bye Birdie(1963)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Pepe(1960)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Who Was That Lady?(1960)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Donna Reed Show(1958)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Pal Joey(1957)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Jeanne Eagels(1957)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Eddy Duchin Story(1956)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Jupiter's Darling(1955)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Kiss Me Kate(1953)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Young Bess(1953)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
The Oscars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Scaramouche(1952)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Show Boat(1951)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Annie Get Your Gun(1950)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Key to the City(1950)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Red Danube(1949)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Three Musketeers(1948)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Cass Timberlane(1947)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Holiday in Mexico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
The Harvey Girls(1946)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Ziegfeld Follies(1945)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Anchors Aweigh(1945)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Bathing Beauty(1944)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Thousands Cheer(1943)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Pilot #5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Pacific Rendezvous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Flicker Memories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Of Pups and Puzzles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Willie and the Mouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Third Dimensional Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Free and Easy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Quicker'n a Wink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
'What's Your 'I.Q.'?': Number Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Dog Daze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Hollywood Hobbies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Cousin Wilbur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Clown Princes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Love on Tap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Duel Personalities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Tiny Troubles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Loews Christmas Greeting (The Hardy Family) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Alfalfa's Aunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Practical Jokers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Football Romeo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Men in Fright (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Party Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Billy Rose's Casa Mañana Revue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Sunday Night at the Trocadero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Pacific Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Career shape
A full career of 55 titles from 1937 to 1996.
Biggest box office
Pal Joey (1957)
Highest rated
Scaramouche (1952)
Most popular right now
Viva Las Vegas (1964)
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 George Sidney's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 25; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 50th to 74th15
- 25th to 49th5
Shape of the crowd
21 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser21
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the atmosphere 66/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
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 George Sidney's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does George Sidney work with?
People who share at least 2 of George Sidney's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Charles Rosher shares the most, 8.
Writers
- Dorothy KingsleyShared titles: Pepe (1960), Pal Joey (1957), Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Bathing Beauty (1944)See all 5 shared titles with Dorothy Kingsley
- Sonya LevienShared titles: Pepe (1960), Jeanne Eagels (1957), Cass Timberlane (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Sonya Levien
- Arthur WimperisShared titles: Young Bess (1953), The Red Danube (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Wimperis
- Carey WilsonShared titles: Scaramouche (1952), The Red Danube (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Carey Wilson
Actors
- Kathryn GraysonShared titles: Kiss Me Kate (1953), Show Boat (1951), Anchors Aweigh (1945), Ziegfeld Follies (1945), Thousands Cheer (1943)See all 5 shared titles with Kathryn Grayson
- Robert CooteShared titles: The Swinger (1966), Scaramouche (1952), The Red Danube (1949), The Three Musketeers (1948)See all 4 shared titles with Robert Coote
- Janet LeighShared titles: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Who Was That Lady? (1960), Scaramouche (1952), The Red Danube (1949)See all 4 shared titles with Janet Leigh
- Howard KeelShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950)See all 4 shared titles with Howard Keel
Cinematographers and editors
- Charles RosherShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Young Bess (1953), Scaramouche (1952), Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), The Red Danube (1949), Ziegfeld Follies (1945)See all 8 shared titles with Charles Rosher
- Viola LawrenceShared titles: Who Was That Lady? (1960), Jeanne Eagels (1957), Pal Joey (1957), The Eddy Duchin Story (1956)See all 4 shared titles with Viola Lawrence
- Robert H. PlanckShared titles: Jeanne Eagels (1957), The Three Musketeers (1948), Cass Timberlane (1947), Anchors Aweigh (1945)See all 4 shared titles with Robert H. Planck
- Joseph F. BirocShared titles: The Swinger (1966), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Bye Bye Birdie (1963)See all 3 shared titles with Joseph F. Biroc
Producers
- Arthur FreedShared titles: Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), The Harvey Girls (1946), Ziegfeld Follies (1945)See all 4 shared titles with Arthur Freed
- Jack CummingsShared titles: Viva Las Vegas (1964), Kiss Me Kate (1953)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Cummings
- Fred KohlmarShared titles: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Pal Joey (1957)See all 2 shared titles with Fred Kohlmar
- Roger EdensShared titles: Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950)See all 2 shared titles with Roger Edens