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Russ Tamblyn

Russ Tamblyn

Actor · Born December 30, 1934 (91) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Russell Irving "Russ" Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934) is an American film and television actor, who is arguably best known for his performance in the 1961 movie musical West Side Story as Riff, the leader of the Jets gang. Description above from the Wikipedia article Russ Tamblyn, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 30, 1934 (91)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
58 on MovieCove · 94 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 64 days to Oct 27Down 16% in 30 days

What are Russ Tamblyn's films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 6th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
28%
Survival
20%
Self
20%
Society
12%
Morality
11%
Power
9%
Family bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence5 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 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 15 · Serious 11 · Dark 7

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 17 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 8

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

Gentle 11 · Charged 16 · Intense 6

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

Steady 14 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 5

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 12 · Funny 7

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 21 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 23 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 29 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 8 of 20 analyzed roles.

Trickster
8 of 20
Ally
6 of 20
Hero
5 of 20
Shapeshifter
1 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
21
Joyful
10
Absurd
9
Melancholic
9
Thrilling
9
Other
29

How their films linger

Fun17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous4

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 Russ Tamblyn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 58 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Russ Tamblyn'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

94 credits, 58 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Actor

  • The Haunting of Hill House(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Montague

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Paint It Black(2016)

    as Meredith's Friend

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Chatty Catties(2015)

    as Bruce

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby

  • Hits(2014)

    as Dale

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Tom Thumb (archive footage)

  • Django Unchained(2012)

    as Son of a Gunfighter

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Drive(2011)

    as Doc

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret(2009)

    Show as Chuck Margaret

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Joan of Arcadia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dog Walker God

  • Inherit the Wind(1999)

    as Ed Morse

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • My Ghost Dog(1997)

    as Vito

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard(1997)

    as Blackmoor

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Who's the Caboose?(1997)

    Co-Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Little Miss Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Brenden Moran

  • Invisible Mom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Dr. Woorter

  • Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Gas Attendant

  • Rebellious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Old Guy

  • Starstruck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Wheeler / Homeless Man

  • Desert Steel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Tate

  • Babylon 5(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Jack Maynard

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Cabin Boy(1994)

    as Chocki

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Little Devils: The Birth(1993)

    as Doc Clapton

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Running Mates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Frank Usher

  • Wizards of the Demon Sword (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Ulric

  • Aftershock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Hank Franklin

  • Twin Peaks(1990)

    Show 22 episodes · as Dr. Jacoby

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Twin Peaks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby

  • B.O.R.N.(1989)

    as Hugh

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Blood Screams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Frank

  • Quantum Leap(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Bert Glasserman

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Necromancer(1988)

    as Charles DeLonge

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Phantom Empire(1988)

    as Bill

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Cyclone(1987)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Commando Squad(1987)

    as Anchor

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Human Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Screenplay · as Fred Kelly

  • Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Grizzly Adams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Milton Wright

  • The Captive: The Longest Drive 2(1976)

    as Kelly

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Black Heat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Ziggy

  • The Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Win, Place or Steal(1974)

    as Raymond

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Tight as a Drum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Tink Wilson

  • Dracula vs. Frankenstein(1971)

    as Rico

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Last Movie(1971)

    as Member of Billy's gang

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Female Bunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Bill

  • Scream Free! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Link

  • Satan's Sadists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Anchor

  • Rio Reel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as John Earl

  • Tarzan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Bell

  • The War of the Gargantuas(1966)

    as Dr. Paul Stewart

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Son of a Gunfighter(1965)

    as Johnny Ketchum

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • First Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • The Long Ships(1964)

    as Orm

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Maximillian

  • Channing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Hal Langley

  • The Greatest Show on Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Haunting(1963)

    as Luke Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Follow the Boys(1963)

    as Smitty

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    as Confederate Deserter

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm(1962)

    as The Woodsman (segment "The Dancing Princess") / Tom Thumb

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • West Side Story(1961)

    as Riff

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Cimarron(1960)

    as William Hardy, The Cherokee Kid

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Tom Thumb(1958)

    as Tom Thumb

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • High School Confidential!(1958)

    as Tony Baker / Mike Wilson

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Peyton Place(1957)

    as Norman Page

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Don't Go Near the Water(1957)

    as Ens. Tyson

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Young Guns(1956)

    as Tully Rice

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Fastest Gun Alive(1956)

    as Eric Doolittle

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Last Hunt(1956)

    as Jimmy O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Billy Waters

  • Hit the Deck(1955)

    as Danny Xavier Smith

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Many Rivers to Cross(1955)

    as Shields

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Deep in My Heart(1954)

    as Lazar Berrison Jr. (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers(1954)

    as Brother Gideon Pontipee

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Take the High Ground!(1953)

    as Paul Jamison

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Winning Team(1952)

    as Willie Alexander

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Retreat, Hell! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Jimmy W. McDermid

  • Cave of Outlaws(1951)

    as Young Peter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • As Young as You Feel(1951)

    as Willie McKinley (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Father's Little Dividend(1951)

    as Tommy Banks

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Father of the Bride(1950)

    as Tommy Banks

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Vicious Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Tino

  • Captain Carey, U.S.A.(1949)

    as Pietro

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Gun Crazy(1950)

    as Bart Tare (Age 14)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Samson and Delilah(1949)

    as Saul

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Reign of Terror(1949)

    as Pierre's Oldest Son (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Kid from Cleveland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Johnny Barrows

  • The Boy with Green Hair(1948)

    as Classmate (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Mamie Exposed! The Life and Loves of the Last Blonde Bombshell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 93 titles, 92 of them dated from 1948 to 2019; peak year 2011.

Biggest box office

West Side Story (1961)

$44M worldwide

Highest rated

Gun Crazy (1950)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

West Side Story (1961)

Film career

19482019

Peak 2011 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 6 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
Acting90 of 93: 89 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thDirecting2 of 93: 2 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting1 of 93: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 93: 1 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s4 · acting1950s22 · acting1960s18 · 16 acting · 2 crew1970s10 · acting1980s11 · 11 acting · 1 crew1990s17 · 16 acting · 1 crew2000s1 · acting2010s9 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 6% of 33 roles
4853637898

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 Russ Tamblyn's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 53; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 58 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th12

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 58 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Universally Panned1
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Chatty Catties (2015)

96th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Django Unchained (2012)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 57/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 38. 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 Russ Tamblyn's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 32 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles5–45 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 22 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles25–62 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian 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 Russ Tamblyn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Russ Tamblyn's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Glenn Ford shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers