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Howard St. John

Howard St. John

Actor · Died March 13, 1974, aged 68 · Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Howard St. John (October 9, 1905 – March 13, 1974) was a Chicago-born character actor who specialized in unsympathetic roles. His work spanned Broadway, film and television. He is probably best remembered for his bombastic General Bullmoose, which he played in the stage and screen versions of the 1956 musical Li'l Abner. Description above from the Wikipedia article Howard St. John, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 9, 1905
Died
March 13, 1974 (aged 68)
From
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 53 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 24% in 30 days

What are Howard St. John's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
27%
Self
26%
Morality
25%
Power
14%
Survival
5%
Society
2%
Ideas
1%
Ambition7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 16 · Serious 3 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 12 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 14 · Intense 5

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

Steady 16 · Shifting 9 · 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 14 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 8

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 15 · 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 14 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

9 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 3 of 9 analyzed roles.

Mentor
3 of 9
Shadow
2 of 9
Threshold guardian
2 of 9
Ally
1 of 9
Herald
1 of 9
Show the 9 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Warm
7
Joyful
8
Romantic
8
Melancholic
8
Other
26

How their films linger

Feel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

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 Howard St. John's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Howard St. John'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

53 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Don't Drink the Water(1969)

    as Ambassador Magee

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Managing Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • Banning(1967)

    as J. Pallister Young

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Matchless(1967)

    as General Shapiro

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Hank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 26 episodes · as Dr. Lewis Royal

  • Strange Bedfellows(1965)

    as Julius L. Stevens

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Quick, Before It Melts(1964)

    as Harvey T. Sweigert

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Sex and the Single Girl(1964)

    as George Randall

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Profiles in Courage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Hinrichsen

  • Fate Is the Hunter(1964)

    as Mark Hutchins

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Strait-Jacket(1964)

    as Raymond Fields

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Patriots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as George Washington

  • Lafayette(1962)

    as George Washington

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Lover Come Back(1961)

    as Mr. John Brackett

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • One, Two, Three(1961)

    as Wendell P. Hazeltine

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Defenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as James Stanhope

  • Sanctuary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Governor Drake

  • Madison Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as J.D. Jocelyn

  • Cry for Happy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Vice Adm. Junius B. Bennett

  • The Islanders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as John Marston

  • Li'l Abner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as General Bullmoose

  • Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as James Blake

  • The Gift of the Magi(1958)

    as Mr. Spiegel

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • World in My Corner(1956)

    as Harry Cram

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • I Died a Thousand Times(1955)

    as Doc Banton

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Tender Trap(1955)

    as Mr. Sayers

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Illegal(1955)

    as E.A. Smith

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Summer Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Three Coins in the Fountain(1954)

    as Burgoyne

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Stop, You're Killing Me(1952)

    as Commissioner Mahoney

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Benjamin Franklin

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as George Washington · as Mr. Spiegel

  • Starlift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Steve Rogers

  • The Big Night(1951)

    as Al Judge

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Goodyear Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Close to My Heart(1951)

    as E. O. "Frosty" Frost

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Strangers on a Train(1951)

    as Captain Turley

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Goodbye, My Fancy(1951)

    as Claude Griswold

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Saturday's Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Belfrage

  • Born Yesterday(1950)

    as Jim Devery

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as David Harding

  • The Sun Sets at Dawn(1950)

    as The Warden

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Ogden

  • Mister 880(1950)

    as Chief

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Men(1950)

    as Ellen's Father

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • David Harding, Counterspy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as David Harding

  • 711 Ocean Drive(1950)

    as Lieutenant Pete Wright

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Customs Agent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Charles Johnson

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Undercover Man(1949)

    as Joseph S. Horan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

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

    as Sam Brooks

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Herbert · as Mr. Steen

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Abbot

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 53 titles from 1948 to 1969.

Biggest box office

Born Yesterday (1950)

$12M worldwide

Highest rated

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting53 of 53: 53 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56th

By decade

1940s4 · acting1950s29 · acting1960s20 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 16 roles
4954

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 Howard St. John's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The Gift of the Magi (1958)

90th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 25 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 48. 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 Howard St. John's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 18 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Howard St. John work with?

People who share at least 2 of Howard St. John's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ted D. McCord shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors