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Lee Tracy

Lee Tracy

Actor · Died October 18, 1968, aged 70 · Atlanta, Georgia, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William Lee Tracy (April 14, 1898 – October 18, 1968) was an American actor. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 1964 film The Best Man. In 1929, Tracy arrived in Hollywood, where he played the role of newspapermen in several films. He, for example, played a Walter Winchell-type gossip columnist in Blessed Event (1932). Tracy also starred as the columnist in Advice to the Lovelorn (1933), very loosely based on the novel Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West; and he played a conscience-stricken editor in the 1943 drama The Power of the Press, based on a story by former newspaperman Samuel Fuller. Tracy played "The Buzzard," the criminal who leads Liliom (Charles Farrell) into a fatal robbery, in the film version of Liliom (1930). He also played Lupe Vélez's frenetic manager in Gregory LaCava's The Half-Naked Truth (1932) and portrayed John Barrymore's agent in Dinner at Eight (1933), directed by George Cukor. Lee Tracy's flourishing film career was temporarily disrupted on 19 November 1933, while he was on location in Mexico filming the Wallace Beery vehicle Viva Villa! According to the actor and producer Desi Arnaz, in his published autobiography The Book (1976), Tracy stood on a balcony in Mexico City and urinated down onto a passing military parade. Elsewhere in his autobiography, Arnaz claims that from then on, if one watched other crowds of spectators, they would visibly disperse any time an American stepped out onto a balcony. However, other crew members there at the time disputed this story, giving a sharply different account of events. In his autobiography, Charles G. Clarke, the cinematographer on the picture, said that he was standing outside the hotel during the parade and the incident never happened. Tracy, he said, was standing on the balcony observing the parade when a Mexican in the street below made an obscene gesture at him. Tracy replied in kind; and the next day a local newspaper printed a story that, in effect, Tracy had insulted Mexico, Mexicans in general, and their national flag in particular. The story caused an uproar in Mexico, and MGM decided to sacrifice Tracy in order to be allowed to continue filming there. The young actor Stuart Erwin replaced Tracy. The film's original director, Howard Hawks, was also fired for his refusal to testify against Tracy. Jack Conway replaced him. During World War II, Tracy returned to military service. Later, he had two television series in the 1950s. One was Martin Kane: Private Eye, in which he was one of four actors to play the title role. The others were William Gargan, Lloyd Nolan, and Mark Stevens. In 1958, he returned to a newspaper reporter role in the syndicated New York Confidential. After World War II, his screen career was largely relegated to television, but he portrayed the former President of the United States, Art Hockstader, a character loosely based on Harry Truman, in both the stage and film versions of The Best Man (1964), written by Gore Vidal. The movie version featured Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson. Tracy received his only Academy Award nomination, as Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in the film. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lee Tracy, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 13, 1898
Died
October 18, 1968 (aged 70)
From
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 49 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 26

What are Lee Tracy's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th 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
Morality
41%
Self
16%
Bonds
14%
Power
9%
Society
8%
Survival
6%
Ideas
5%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 12 · Intense 2

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 2

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 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 6

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 3 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 6

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 8 of 13 analyzed roles.

Hero
8 of 13
Trickster
2 of 13
Mentor
2 of 13
Herald
1 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Manic
4
Melancholic
6
Joyful
3
Absurd
4
Other
9

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous3

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 Lee Tracy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lee Tracy'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

49 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia(2013)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Senator Robert A. Taft

  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as Space in 'Bombshell' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Best Man(1964)

    as President Art Hockstader

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Going My Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • 87th Precinct (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • New York Confidential (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 39 episodes · as Lee Cochran

  • Martin Kane, Private Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ford Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Gallagher

  • High Tide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Hugh Fresney

  • I'll Tell the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Gabriel Patton

  • Betrayal from the East(1945)

    as Eddie Carter

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Power of the Press (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Griff Thompson

  • The Payoff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Brad McKay

  • Millionaires in Prison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Nick Burton

  • The Spellbinder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Jed Marlowe

  • Fixer Dugan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Charlie "Fixer" Dugan

  • Crashing Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Michael Winslow

  • Behind The Headlines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Eddie Haines

  • Criminal Lawyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Brandon

  • Wanted: Jane Turner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Tom Mallory

  • Sutter's Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Pete Perkin

  • Pirate Party on Catalina Isle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Pirate (uncredited)

  • Two-Fisted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Hap Hurley

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

    as Chick Thompson

  • The Lemon Drop Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Wally Brooks aka The Lemon Drop Kid

  • You Belong to Me(1934)

    as Bud Hannigan

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • I'll Tell the World(1934)

    as Stanley Brown

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dinner at Eight(1933)

    as Max Kane

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Advice to the Forlorn(1933)

    as Toby Prentiss

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Bombshell(1933)

    as E.J. 'Space' Hanlon

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Turn Back the Clock(1933)

    as Joe Gimlet

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Nuisance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Joseph Phineas 'Joe' Stevens

  • Private Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Pvt. William 'Bill' Jones

  • Clear All Wires!(1933)

    as Buckley Joyce Thomas

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Half-Naked Truth(1932)

    as Jimmy Bates

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Washington Merry-Go-Round (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Button Gwinett Brown

  • Blessed Event(1932)

    as Alvin Roberts

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Night Mayor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Mayor Bobby Kingston

  • Doctor X(1932)

    as Lee Taylor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Love is a Racket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Stanley Fiske

  • The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Scott 'Scotty' Cornell

  • She Got What She Wanted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer · Actor

  • Liliom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as The Buzzard

  • Born Reckless(1930)

    as Bill O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Big Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Eddie Burns

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

    as Radio Announcer (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 81st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 48 titles from 1929 to 1964.

Biggest box office

Doctor X (1932)

$1.3M worldwide

Highest rated

The Best Man (1964)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting48 of 48: 47 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score51stWriting1 of 48: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1920s2 · acting1930s30 · 30 acting · 1 crew1940s9 · acting1950s1 · acting1960s6 · acting

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 Lee Tracy's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

The Big Parade of Comedy (1964)

74th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Best Man (1964)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 44. 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.

Who does Lee Tracy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lee Tracy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; C. Henry Gordon shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers