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Booth Tarkington

Booth Tarkington

Writer · Died May 19, 1946, aged 76 · Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Newton Booth Tarkington (1869–1946) was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels The Magnificent Ambersons (1918) and Alice Adams (1921). He is one of only four novelists to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once, along with William Faulkner, John Updike, and Colson Whitehead. In the 1910s and 1920s he was considered America's greatest living author. Several of his stories were adapted to film. During the first quarter of the 20th century, Tarkington, along with Meredith Nicholson, George Ade, and James Whitcomb Riley helped to create a Golden Age of literature in Indiana.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 29, 1869
Died
May 19, 1946 (aged 76)
From
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 65 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 14% in 30 days

What are Booth Tarkington's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Bonds
49%
Self
25%
Power
17%
Society
9%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 9 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 9 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

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

Steady 10 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 8 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
6
Joyful
6
Romantic
4
Melancholic
3
Bittersweet
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet3

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 Booth Tarkington's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Booth Tarkington'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

65 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Magnificent Ambersons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Novel

  • By the Light of the Silvery Moon(1953)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • On Moonlight Bay(1951)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Monsieur Beaucaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Novel

  • Presenting Lily Mars(1943)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Ambersons(1942)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Father's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Story

  • Little Orvie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Novel

  • Seventeen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Novel

  • Penrod's Double Trouble(1938)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Penrod and His Twin Brother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Story

  • Penrod and Sam(1937)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Clarence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Theatre Play

  • Gentle Julia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Novel

  • Alice Adams(1935)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Mississippi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Story

  • Business and Pleasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Novel

  • Penrod and Sam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Novel · Story

  • Father's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Novel

  • The Millionaire(1931)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Monte Carlo(1930)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Cameo Kirby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Theatre Play

  • Mister Antonio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Theatre Play

  • The River of Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Original Story

  • Geraldine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Original Story

  • The Man Who Found Himself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Co-Writer

  • Pampered Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Novel

  • The Turmoil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Novel

  • Monsieur Beaucaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Novel

  • The Fighting Coward (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Theatre Play

  • Pied Piper Malone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Story

  • Boy of Mine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Story

  • Gentle Julia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Novel

  • Cameo Kirby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Original Story

  • Penrod and Sam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Novel

  • Alice Adams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Novel

  • The Flirt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Novel

  • Clarence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Theatre Play

  • The Man From Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Writer

  • Penrod(1922)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Conquest of Canaan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Novel

  • You Find it Everywhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Novel

  • Edgar, the Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Writer

  • Edgar's Feast Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Story

  • Edgar's Country Cousin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Writer

  • Get Rich Quick Edgar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • Edgar's Little Saw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • Edgar Camps Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • Edgar Takes the Cake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Story

  • Edgar's Jonah Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Story

  • Edgar's Hamlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Original Story

  • Edgar's Sunday Courtship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Story

  • Edgar and the Teacher's Pet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Novel

  • The Country Cousin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Theatre Play

  • Seventeen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Novel

  • The Conquest of Canaan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Novel

  • The Flirt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Story

  • The Turmoil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Novel

  • The Gentleman from Indiana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Novel

  • Springtime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Original Story

  • Cameo Kirby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Original Story

  • The Man From Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Writer

  • Cherry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Novel

  • Beau Brummel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)

    Novel

  • Monsieur Beaucaire, the Adventures of a Gentleman of France (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1905)

    Novel

Career shape

A full career of 63 titles from 1905 to 2002.

Highest rated

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Midcredits 94th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing63 of 63: 63 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score72nd

By decade

1900s1 · crew1910s11 · crew1920s31 · crew1930s12 · crew1940s6 · crew1950s1 · crew2000s1 · 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 Booth Tarkington's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1

Most divisive · writer

Penrod (1922)

94th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

Midcredits 94th · 81% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 55/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 9 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 Booth Tarkington work with?

People who share at least 2 of Booth Tarkington's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Billy Gray shares the most, 2.

Actors

Composers

Producers