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David Wayne

David Wayne

Actor · Died February 9, 1995, aged 81 · Traverse City - Michigan - USA

David Wayne (January 30, 1914 – February 9, 1995) was an American actor with a career spanning nearly 50 years. Wayne was born Wayne James McMeekan in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of Helen Matilda (née Mason) and John David McMeekan. He grew up in Bloomingdale, Michigan. Wayne's first major Broadway role was Og the leprechaun in Finian's Rainbow, for which he won the Theatre World Award and the first ever Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. While appearing in the play, he and co-star Albert Sharpe were recruited by producer David O. Selznick to play Irish characters in the film Portrait of Jennie (1948). It was in 1948 as well that Wayne became one of those fortunate 50 applicants (out of approximately 700) granted membership in New York's newly formed Actors Studio. He was awarded a second Tony for Best Actor in a Play for The Teahouse of the August Moon and was nominated as Best Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time. He originated the role of Ensign Pulver in the classic stage comedy Mister Roberts and also appeared in Say, Darling, After the Fall, and Incident at Vichy.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 30, 1914
Died
February 9, 1995 (aged 81)
From
Traverse City - Michigan - USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
51 on MovieCove · 110 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 17% in 30 days

What are David Wayne's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th 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
34%
Morality
24%
Self
24%
Survival
9%
Power
5%
Society
2%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 19 · Serious 7 · Dark 4

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 3

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 14 · Charged 13 · Intense 3

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

Steady 22 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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 10 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 11

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

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 10 · 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 24 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 27 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

22 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 8 of 22 analyzed roles.

Ally
8 of 22
Trickster
5 of 22
Mentor
3 of 22
Hero
2 of 22
Shadow
2 of 22
Shapeshifter
1 of 22
Herald
1 of 22
Show the 22 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
13
Joyful
9
Melancholic
10
Tense
8
Absurd
8
Other
23

How their films linger

Feel-good16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet10
  • Ambiguous1

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 David Wayne's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Wayne'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

110 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Grandpère Bonnard (segment "The Happy Time") (archive footage)

  • Poker Alice(1987)

    as Amos

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Survivalist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Dub Daniels

  • Masters of Photography - Edward Steichen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Golden Girls(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Big Daddy

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Crazy like a Fox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Jennings Hyde

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Cyrus Leffingwell

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Finder of Lost Loves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor Wheeler

  • Finders Keepers(1984)

    as Stapleton

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 3 episodes · as George Wyler

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

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Pittman

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

    Show 3 episodes · as Bill Houston

  • House Calls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 59 episodes · as Amos Weatherby

  • An American Christmas Carol(1979)

    as Merrivale

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Prize Fighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Pop Morgan

  • The Girls in the Office(1979)

    as Ben Nayfack

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Gift of Love(1978)

    as O'Henry and Narrator

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Lassie: A New Beginning(1978)

    as Amos

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Murder at the Mardi Gras (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Mickey Mills

  • Dallas(1978)

    Show 3 episodes · as Digger Barnes · as Willard 'Digger' Barnes

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Big Hawaii (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Eight Is Enough(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • In the Glitter Palace(1977)

    as Nate Redstone

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show Actor

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

    Show 7 episodes · as Col. Terwilliger

  • Delvecchio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Henderson

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Ellery Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 22 episodes · as Inspector Richard Queen

  • Switch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Dancer

  • The Apple Dumpling Gang(1975)

    as T.R. Clydesdale

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Tubby the Tuba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Pee-Wee the Piccolo (voice)

  • Ellery Queen: Too Many Suspects (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Insp. Richard Queen

  • It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman!(1975)

    as Dr. Abner Sedgwick

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Barney Miller(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as E.J. Heiss

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The F.B.I. Story: The FBI Versus Alvin Karpis, Public Enemy Number One(1974)

    as Maynard Richards

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Front Page(1974)

    as Roy Bensinger

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Return of the Big Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Grandpa Jubal

  • Huckleberry Finn(1974)

    as The Duke

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Faraday and Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Branigan

  • Barnaby Jones(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Raymond Lennox / 'Steele'

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The Streets of San Francisco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Wally Sensibaugh

  • The Brian Keith Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Banacek(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Walter Tyson

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Catcher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Armand Faber

  • Mooch(1974)

    as David Wayne (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The African Elephant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Narrator

  • The Good Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 15 episodes · as Charles Dutton

  • The Andromeda Strain(1971)

    as Dr. Charles Dutton

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Mill

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • The Boy Who Stole the Elephant(1970)

    as Colonel Rufus Ryder

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • With These Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Narrator

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Monsieur Bordeaux

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Arsenic and Old Lace(1969)

    as Teddy Brewster

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Emory Ward

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Ian Rice

  • CBS Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as George Spears

  • Batman(1966)

    Show 4 episodes · as The Mad Hatter

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as George Holloway

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

    Show 1 episode · as Al 'The Bomber' Devlin

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

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. James Crown

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

    as archive footage

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Andrew Anderson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Martin Reese

  • Sam Benedict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Big Gamble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Samuel Brennan

  • Anatomy of an Accident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as John Avery

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Outlaws (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Last Angry Man(1959)

    as Woodrow Thrasher

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Walter Bedeker

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • NBC Sunday Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as The Devil

  • Sunday Showcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Actor

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Herbert Konish

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Three Faces of Eve(1957)

    as Ralph White

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Sad Sack(1957)

    as Corporal Larry Dolan

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Jet-Propelled Couch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Dr. Kirk Allen

  • Suspicion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as James Mennick

  • DuPont Show of the Month (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Willis Reynolds

  • The Naked Hills(1956)

    as Tracy Powell

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Tender Trap(1955)

    as Joe McCall

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Alcoa Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Homer Bolton

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam Jacoby

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Warfield · as Rev. Arthur Byrne

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

    Show 13 episodes · as Preston Norby

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 2 episodes · as Colonel Rufus Ryder · as Grandpa Jubal

  • Hell and High Water(1954)

    as Tugboat Walker

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • How to Marry a Millionaire(1953)

    as Freddie Denmark

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Down Among the Sheltering Palms(1952)

    as Lt. Carl G. Schmidt

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur Martin · as David Vincent

  • Tonight We Sing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Sol Hurok

  • The I Don't Care Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Ed McCoy

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • O. Henry's Full House(1952)

    as Horace (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • We're Not Married!(1952)

    as Jeff Norris

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie(1952)

    as Ben Halper

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • With a Song in My Heart(1952)

    as Don Ross

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Firenzuola · as Sakini

  • As Young as You Feel(1951)

    as Joe Elliott

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Up Front (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Joe

  • M (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Martin W. Harrow

  • My Blue Heaven(1950)

    as Walter Pringle

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Stella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Carl Granger

  • The Reformer and the Redhead(1950)

    as Arthur Maxwell

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Adam's Rib(1949)

    as Kip Lurie

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Portrait of Jennie(1948)

    as Gus O'Toole

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Jasper Hornby

  • Ditch and Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Pilot of Ditching B-17

  • Stranger on the Third Floor(1940)

    as Cab Driver (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 72nd 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 110 titles from 1940 to 2005; peak year 1971.

Biggest box office

The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)

$37M worldwide

Highest rated

Portrait of Jennie (1948)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Film career

19402005

Peak 1971 · 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.

  • 1948Screen debut· Portrait of Jennie
  • 1951First top-billed film· M
  • 1971Career best· The Andromeda Strain

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting110 of 110: 110 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1940s5 · acting1950s35 · acting1960s18 · acting1970s40 · acting1980s11 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 7% of 15 roles
485368

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 David Wayne's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 51 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

The Girls in the Office (1979)

87th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Portrait of Jennie (1948)

Midcredits 93rd · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 27 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.

Is David Wayne's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 20 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does David Wayne work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Wayne's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alfred Newman shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles