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David L. Wolper

David L. Wolper

Producer, also actor · Died August 10, 2010, aged 82 · New York, New York, USA

Oscar winner · 3 Primetime Emmys · 1 other major award body

David L. Wolper was born on January 11, 1928 in New York City, New York, USA as David Lloyd Wolper. He was a producer, known for L.A. Confidential (1997), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Imagine: John Lennon (1988). He was married to Gloria Hill, Dawn Richard and Toni Carroll. He died on August 10, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 11, 1928
Died
August 10, 2010 (aged 82)
From
New York, New York, USA
Works as
Producer, also actor
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 60 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

What are David L. Wolper's films like?

Across their 35 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Genres

Documentary8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure 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
Self
21%
Society
17%
Bonds
16%
Morality
16%
Survival
13%
Ideas
11%
Power
6%
Romantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 9 · Dark 11

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

Grounded 27 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 11 · Charged 15 · Intense 8

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

Steady 22 · Shifting 11 · 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 20 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 6

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

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 15 · 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 17 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 14 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 11

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

Resolved 28 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
15
Contemplative
11
Warm
9
Joyful
8
Other
30

How their films linger

Bittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet20
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2

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 L. Wolper's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David L. Wolper'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

60 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Roots 30th Anniversary Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show Creator

  • The Mists of Avalon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

  • To Serve and Protect (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Executive Producer

  • A Will of their Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Terror in the Mall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Executive Producer

  • L.A. Confidential(1997)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Surviving Picasso(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Prince for a Day(1995)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Murder in the First(1995)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Without Warning(1994)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Producer

  • The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children?(1993)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Queen(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Bed of Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Executive Producer

  • Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros.(1993)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Dillinger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Executive Producer

  • When You Remember Me(1990)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Plot to Kill Hitler(1990)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Roots: The Gift(1988)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Imagine: John Lennon(1988)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 3 episodes · Producer

  • The Betty Ford Story(1987)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • North & South: Book 1, North & South(1985)

    Show 15 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • His Mistress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Executive Producer

  • The Mystic Warrior (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

  • The Thorn Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Murder Is Easy(1982)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • This Is Elvis(1981)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Saw Tomorrow(1981)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Silent Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Executive Producer

  • The Scarlett O'Hara War(1980)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • This Year's Blonde(1980)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Roots: The Next Generations(1979)

    Show 7 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Victory at Entebbe(1976)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Executive Producer

  • I Will Fight No More Forever(1975)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond(1975)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

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

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer

  • Get Christie Love! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 23 episodes · Producer

  • Visions of Eight(1973)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Wattstax(1973)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The 500 Pound Jerk(1973)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • One Is a Lonely Number(1972)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • King, Queen, Knave(1972)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory(1971)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Hellstrom Chronicle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Producer

  • I Love My Wife(1970)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Bridge at Remagen(1969)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium(1969)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Brigade(1968)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Executive Producer

  • China: The Roots of Madness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Producer

  • The Making of the President: 1964 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Producer

  • The Incredible World of James Bond(1965)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Teen-Age Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Producer

  • Four Days In November (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Executive Producer

  • Hollywood: The Golden Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • The Race for Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 57 titles from 1959 to 2007.

Biggest box office

Murder in the First (1995)

$17M worldwide

Highest rated

Imagine: John Lennon (1988)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 57: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting2 of 57: 1 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 57: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing53 of 57: 52 only producing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thOther crew2 of 57: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · crew1960s10 · crew1970s14 · crew1980s14 · 1 acting · 13 crew1990s16 · crew2000s2 · crew

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.

Awards

an Oscar, 3 Primetime Emmys and 1 other major award from 14 major nominations, 1960–1993.

WinNomination
  1. 1993
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Miniseries
  2. 1990
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Producers Guild Award, won
  3. 1987
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program
  4. 1985
    • Oscar, won
  5. 1983
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited Series
  6. 1982
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Informational Special
  7. 1980
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Limited Series
  8. 1979
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Limited Series
Show 4 earlier years
  1. 1977
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Limited Series
  2. 1972
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Achievement in Any Area of Creative Technical Crafts
  3. 1964
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Documentary Programs
  4. 1960
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Features

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do David L. Wolper's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 32; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · producer

The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975)

86th percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 42. 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 L. Wolper's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 2 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles15–51 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does David L. Wolper work with?

People who share at least 2 of David L. Wolper's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mark Wolper shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles