
Forrest Tucker
Actor · Died October 25, 1986, aged 67 · Plainfield, Indiana, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker described himself as a farm boy. He was born in Plainfield, Indiana, on February 12, 1919, a son of Forrest A. Tucker and his wife, Doris Heringlake. His mother has been described as an alcoholic. Tucker began his performing career at age 14 at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, pushing the big wicker tourist chairs by day and singing "Throw Money" at night. After his family moved to Washington, D.C., Tucker attracted the attention of Jimmy Lake, the owner of the Old Gaiety Burlesque Theater, by winning its Saturday night amateur contest on consecutive weeks. After his second win, Tucker was hired there at full time as Master of Ceremonies, but left when it was soon discovered that he was underage. He graduated from Washington-Lee High School, Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., in 1938, and, joining the United States Cavalry, was stationed at Fort Myer in Arlington County, Virginia, but discharged for, once again, being underage. He returned to work at the Old Gaiety after his 18th birthday. When Lake's theatre closed for the summer in 1939, Tucker was helped by a wealthy mentor to travel to California and try to break into film acting. He made a successful screen test, and began auditioning for movie roles. In his own estimation, Tucker was in the mold of large "ugly guys" such as Wallace Beery, Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen, rather than a matinee idol. His debut was as a powerfully built farmer who clashes with the hero in The Westerner (1940), which starred Gary Cooper. Like many other movie actors at the time, Tucker enlisted in the United States Army during World War II; he earned a commission as a second lieutenant. Tucker married four times: Sandra Jolley (1919–1986) in 1940, divorced in 1950, daughter of the character actor I. Stanford Jolley (who also died of emphysema) and the sister of the Academy Award-winning art director Stan Jolley. They had a daughter, Pamela "Brooke" Tucker. Marilyn Johnson on March 28, 1950 (died on July 19, 1960). Marilyn Fisk on October 23, 1961. They had a daughter, Cindy Tucker, and son, Forrest Sean Tucker. Sheila Forbes on April 15, 1986. Tucker, who had battled lung cancer for more than a year, as well as having a series of minor illnesses, collapsed and was hospitalized, for the second time in a week, on his way to the ceremony for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 21, 1986. He died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on October 25, 1986, a few months after the theatrical release of Thunder Run and Outtakes. He was interred in Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. CLR
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 12, 1919
- October 25, 1986 (aged 67)
- Plainfield, Indiana, USA
- Actor
- 61 on MovieCove · 133 credits in all
What are Forrest Tucker's films like?
Across their 47 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
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 1 · Earnest 43
Light 16 · Serious 21 · Dark 8
Grounded 29 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 0
Gentle 8 · Charged 31 · Intense 6
A split, not a type: Steady 22 · Shifting 23 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 22 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 5
Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 23 · Relentless 3
Casual 28 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 21 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 4
Resolved 37 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 13 of 33 analyzed roles.
Show the 33 rolesHide the roles
- Shadowas Anton Schugg in Counter-Espionage (1942)
- Shapeshifteras Bart Manners in Talk About a Lady (1946)
- Shadowas Tex Bennett in Two Guys from Texas (1948)
- Shadowas Whit Lacey in The Plunderers (1948)
- Shadowas Gil Hawks in The Big Cat (1949)
- Allyas Marshal Bucky McLean in Hellfire (1949)
- Shadowas Pfc. Al Thomas in Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
- Shadowas Tom Tanner in The Nevadan (1950)
- Heroas Reed Loomis in Rock Island Trail (1950)
- Mentoras Maj. Tom West in The Wild Blue Yonder (1951)
- Shadowas Sgt. O'Hara in Warpath (1951)
- Shadowas Gerald 'Jumbo' Johnson in Crosswinds (1951)
- Shapeshifteras Sam Danfelser in Ride the Man Down (1952)
- Allyas Donavan in Bugles in the Afternoon (1952)
- Allyas Lt. Tom Blaine in Flaming Feather (1952)
- Allyas Dan McGuire in Hurricane Smith (1952)
- Shadowas Jem Farrell in Laughing Anne (1953)
- Allyas Wild Bill Hickok in Pony Express (1953)
- Shadowas Frank Reno in Rage at Dawn (1955)
- Heroas Capt. Skip Morgan in Break in the Circle (1955)
- Shadowas Tom Friend in The Abominable Snowman (1957)
- Heroas Gil Graham in The Strange World of Planet X (1958)
- Shadowas McGurney in Fort Massacre (1958)
- Heroas Brock Miller in Counterplot (1959)
- Tricksteras Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke in F Troop (1965)
- Tricksteras Mountain Phil in Barquero (1970)
- Shadowas Lawrence Murphy in Chisum (1970)
- Allyas Mr. Callahan in Dusty's Trail (1973)
- Heroas Wagonmaster Callahan in The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976)
- Mentoras Carl in Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977)
- Allyas Carl Pusser in A Real American Hero (1978)
- Tricksteras Duke in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1981)
- Threshold guardianas Texas John Cody in Timestalkers (1987)
Moods and endings
- Happy22
- Bittersweet17
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous4
- Cyclical1
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 Forrest Tucker's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 61 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).
- The Westerner (1940) · actor · free
- Bonanza (1959) · actor · free
- Barquero (1970) · actor · free
- Rage at Dawn (1955) · actor · free
- S.W.A.T. (1975) · actor · free
- The Plunderers (1948) · actor · free
- Fantasy Island (1977) · actor · free
- Timestalkers (1987) · actor · free
- The Wild Blue Yonder (1951) · actor · free
- The Big Cat (1949) · actor · free
- Counterplot (1959) · actor · free
- Flo (1980) · actor · free
- +3 more
- ScreenPix, show their 5 titles on ScreenPix
- Best Westerns Ever, show their 4 titles on Best Westerns Ever
- Best TV Ever, show their title on Best TV Ever
- Cineverse, show their title on Cineverse
- Full Moon, show their title on Full Moon
- Great American Pure Flix, show their title on Great American Pure Flix
- Howdy, show their title on Howdy
- IndieFlix, show their title on IndieFlix
- Shout! TV, show their title on Shout! TV
Subscription and free streaming for Forrest Tucker'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
133 credits, 61 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

La classe américaine(1993)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Timestalkers(1987)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Thunder Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

A Rare Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

Murder, She Wrote(1984)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all showsRingstealer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

Blood Feud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Matt Houston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Filthy Rich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Flo(1980)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows
The Rebels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

A Real American Hero(1978)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Fantasy Island(1977)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows
The Incredible Rocky Mountain Race (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

The Love Boat(1977)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Grizzly Adams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

Once an Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

Alice(1976)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
The Bionic Woman(1976)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows
Ellery Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Ghost Busters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Wild McCullochs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

S.W.A.T.(1975)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
Police Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
Kojak(1973)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Dusty's Trail(1973)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows
Jarrett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

Footsteps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

Cancel My Reservation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Columbo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Cat Ballou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Night Gallery(1969)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Barquero(1970)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Chisum(1970)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

Medical Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

Doc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
A Boy Called Nuthin’ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

Hondo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
F Troop(1965)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

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

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

The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

Counterplot(1959)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Bonanza(1959)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

Gunsmoke in Tucson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Auntie Mame(1958)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The Crawling Eye(1958)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Girl in the Woods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Fort Massacre(1958)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Wagon Train(1957)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
The Deerslayer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

The Abominable Snowman(1957)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Quiet Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Stagecoach To Fury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Three Violent People(1956)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Paris Follies of 1956 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Vanishing American (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

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

Night Freight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Finger Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Rage at Dawn(1955)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Break in the Circle(1955)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Trouble in the Glen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Jubilee Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

The Big Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Flight Nurse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Laughing Anne(1953)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Pony Express(1953)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
San Antone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Ride the Man Down(1952)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Montana Belle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Hurricane Smith(1952)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Hoodlum Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Bugles in the Afternoon(1952)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Flaming Feather(1952)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Wild Blue Yonder(1951)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Warpath(1951)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Crosswinds(1951)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Fighting Coast Guard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Oh! Susanna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

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

Rock Island Trail(1950)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

The Nevadan(1950)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Sands of Iwo Jima(1949)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Brimstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Hellfire(1949)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Big Cat(1949)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
The Last Bandit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

The Plunderers(1948)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Two Guys from Texas(1948)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Coroner Creek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

Adventures in Silverado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

Gunfighters(1947)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Yearling(1946)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Never Say Goodbye(1946)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Dangerous Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Renegades (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Man Who Dared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Talk About a Lady(1946)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Keeper of the Flame(1942)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

The Spirit of Stanford(1942)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
My Sister Eileen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Counter-Espionage(1942)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Parachute Nurse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Submarine Raider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Tramp, Tramp, Tramp! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Canal Zone(1942)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Shut My Big Mouth(1942)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Honolulu Lu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

New Wine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

Emergency Landing(1941)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
The Westerner(1940)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 133 titles from 1940 to 1993; peak year 1969.

Biggest box office
Keeper of the Flame (1942)

Highest rated
Auntie Mame (1958)

Most popular right now
F Troop (1965)
Film career
Peak 1969 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 10 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.
- 1940Screen debut· The Westerner
- 1957First top-billed film· The Abominable Snowman
- 1957Breakout· The Abominable Snowman
- 1957Career best· The Abominable Snowman
- 1965Career best· F Troop
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 Forrest Tucker's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 47; across their 45 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 44th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th14
- 25th to 49th25
- Below 25th13
Shape of the crowd
24 of their 61 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved2
- Universally Panned1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser20
- Broadly Agreed13
- Mixed24
Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 42 reviewed titles; fans 73, 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 Forrest Tucker work with?
People who share at least 2 of Forrest Tucker's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Paul Sawtell shares the most, 7.
Directors
- Joseph KaneShared titles: Ride the Man Down (1952), Rock Island Trail (1950), The Plunderers (1948)See all 3 shared titles with Joseph Kane

- Bruce BilsonShared titles: The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976), Dusty's Trail (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Bruce Bilson

- Earl BellamyShared titles: The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976), Dusty's Trail (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Earl Bellamy

- Jack ArnoldShared titles: The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976), Dusty's Trail (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Arnold

Writers
- Frank GruberShared titles: Rage at Dawn (1955), Pony Express (1953), Flaming Feather (1952), Hurricane Smith (1952), Warpath (1951)See all 5 shared titles with Frank Gruber
- James Edward GrantShared titles: Three Violent People (1956), Rock Island Trail (1950), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), The Plunderers (1948)See all 4 shared titles with James Edward Grant

- Samuel A. PeeplesShared titles: A Real American Hero (1978), Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Samuel A. Peeples
- Brad RadnitzShared titles: The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976), Dusty's Trail (1973)See all 2 shared titles with Brad Radnitz
Actors
- Chill WillsShared titles: Ride the Man Down (1952), Rock Island Trail (1950), The Yearling (1946), The Westerner (1940)See all 4 shared titles with Chill Wills

- Grant WithersShared titles: Rock Island Trail (1950), Hellfire (1949), The Plunderers (1948), Gunfighters (1947)See all 4 shared titles with Grant Withers

- Bruce CabotShared titles: Chisum (1970), Rock Island Trail (1950), Gunfighters (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Bruce Cabot

- Randolph ScottShared titles: Rage at Dawn (1955), The Nevadan (1950), Gunfighters (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Randolph Scott

Composers and cinematographers
- Paul SawtellShared titles: Counterplot (1959), Rage at Dawn (1955), Pony Express (1953), Flaming Feather (1952), Hurricane Smith (1952), Warpath (1951), The Big Cat (1949)See all 7 shared titles with Paul Sawtell
- Ray RennahanShared titles: Rage at Dawn (1955), Pony Express (1953), Flaming Feather (1952), Hurricane Smith (1952), Warpath (1951)See all 5 shared titles with Ray Rennahan
- Jack A. MartaShared titles: Ride the Man Down (1952), Rock Island Trail (1950), Hellfire (1949), The Plunderers (1948)See all 4 shared titles with Jack A. Marta
- Walter ScharfShared titles: A Real American Hero (1978), Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977), Three Violent People (1956)See all 3 shared titles with Walter Scharf

Producers
- Nat HoltShared titles: Rage at Dawn (1955), Pony Express (1953), Flaming Feather (1952), Hurricane Smith (1952), Warpath (1951)See all 5 shared titles with Nat Holt
- Bing CrosbyShared titles: A Real American Hero (1978), Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Bing Crosby

- Charles A. PrattShared titles: A Real American Hero (1978), Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Charles A. Pratt
- Michael CarrerasShared titles: The Abominable Snowman (1957), Break in the Circle (1955)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Carreras




