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Cara Williams

Cara Williams

Actor · Died December 9, 2021, aged 96 · Brooklyn, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cara Williams was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Billy's Mother in The Defiant Ones (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and for her role as Gladys Porter on the television series Pete and Gladys, which ran from 1960-1962 and for which she was nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 29, 1925
Died
December 9, 2021 (aged 96)
From
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 36 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 27% in 30 days

What are Cara Williams' films like?

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

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Action 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
34%
Bonds
27%
Self
21%
Power
8%
Ideas
4%
Survival
3%
Society
3%
Justice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 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 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 1

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

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

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 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 6 · 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 7 · Engaged 3 · 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

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Shapeshifter
1 of 3
Ally
1 of 3
Trickster
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
4
Tense
3
Absurd
2
Warm
3
Thrilling
2
Other
11

How their films linger

Feel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • 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 Cara Williams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Cara Williams' 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

36 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Dead on Arrival(1978)

    as Nancy

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The White Buffalo(1977)

    as Cassie Ollinger

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Rhoda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Doctors' Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Maggie Gray

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

    Show 1 episode · as Sheila Ruskin

  • The Cara Williams Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 30 episodes · as Cara Wilton/Bridges

  • The Man from the Diners' Club(1963)

    as Sugar Pye

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Pete and Gladys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 72 episodes · as Gladys Porter

  • Never Steal Anything Small(1959)

    as Winnipeg Simmons

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Midge Rospond

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Lois Heller

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Defiant Ones(1958)

    as Billy's mother

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Helen Morgan Story(1957)

    as Dolly Evans

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Irene West

  • Meet Me in Las Vegas(1956)

    as Kelly Donavan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Irene Rankin · as Marie Jensen · as Mona Cameron · as Mona Carstairs

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Great Diamond Robbery(1954)

    as Maggie Drumman

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Girl Next Door(1953)

    as Rosie Green

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Red Skelton Hour(1951)

    Show 2 episodes · as Clara Appleby · as Raggedy Ann

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Paula

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Knock on Any Door(1949)

    as Nelly Watkins (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Suspense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · as Babe · as Betty Marshall · as Myra Wilson · as Nellie

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Saxon Charm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Dolly Humber

  • Sitting Pretty(1948)

    as Secretary (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Boomerang!(1947)

    as Irene Nelson

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Spider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Wanda Vann

  • Don Juan Quilligan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Fifth Ave. Florist Salesgirl

  • Something for the Boys(1944)

    as Calhoun's Secretary (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Laura(1944)

    as Advertising Agency Employee (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • In the Meantime, Darling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Ruby Mae Sayre

  • Happy Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Gretchen Barry

  • Girls' Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Ethel

  • Wide Open Town(1941)

    as Joan Stuart

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 75th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 36 titles from 1941 to 1978.

Highest rated

Boomerang! (1947)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

The White Buffalo (1977)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting36 of 36: 36 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score51st

By decade

1940s14 · acting1950s14 · acting1960s4 · acting1970s4 · 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 Cara Williams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 18 titles divides audiences: 5 are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed4

Most loved · actor

Laura (1944)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 49. 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 Cara Williams work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cara Williams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Isobel Lennart shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Mixed roles