Fats Waller
Actor · Died December 15, 1943, aged 39 · New York, New York, U.S
Thomas Waller was born in 1904. He was one of the most important pianist in the history of jazz. He studied piano with James P. Johnson, one of the masters of the stride piano in the 1920s. Fats began recording his first piano solos in 1923. He worked in the revue "Hot Chocolates" in the late 1920s as a composer. Along with Duke Ellington, he is one of the most prolific composers in jazz. His best songs are, "Ain't Misbehavin' ", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Black and Blue", "Blue Turned Grey Over You" and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now". He formed his own group in 1934, Fats Waller and his Rhythm, and recorded many records for RCA Victor. Two of his most notable film appearances were in Stormy Weather (1943) and King of Burlesque (1936). He died in 1943 on a train during a trip to California. He was just 39 years old.
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Biography from IMDb.
- May 21, 1904
- December 15, 1943 (aged 39)
- New York, New York, U.S
- Actor
- 2 on MovieCove · 9 credits in all
What are Fats Waller's films like?
Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 0 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
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 Fats Waller's films?
As of October 24, 2026, none of Fats Waller's 2 MovieCove titles is streaming on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Fats Waller's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted.
Filmography
9 credits, 2 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Harlem Nocturne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Your Feet's Too Big (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Ain't Misbehavin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Take It or Leave It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Stormy Weather(1943)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Your Feet's Too Big (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Honeysuckle Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
King of Burlesque(1936)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
BOXSTUFFING (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 34th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 9 titles, 8 of them dated from 1936 to 2018.
Film career
- 1943Screen debut· Stormy Weather
How do Fats Waller's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 2; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 25th to 49th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 2 titles divides audiences: 1 is Crowd Pleaser.
- Crowd Pleaser1
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the acting 53/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 60, 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.
Who does Fats Waller work with?
People who share at least 2 of Fats Waller's MovieCove titles; Bill Robinson shares the most, 2.
- Bill RobinsonShared titles: Stormy Weather (1943), Hooray for Love (1935)See all 2 shared titles with Bill Robinson
