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Jeff York

Jeff York

Actor · Died October 11, 1995, aged 83 · Los Angeles, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jeff York (March 23, 1912 - October 11, 1995) was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield. He was also sometimes credited as Jeff Yorke. During his early career, the tall, dark haired actor was a natural to play characters such as Pat Ryan in the 1940 serial Terry and the Pirates and was given the lead in the 1940 film Li'l Abner. However, he is perhaps most remembered for his role as Bud Searcy in Disney's classic Old Yeller and its 1963 sequel Savage Sam. Beverly Washburn played Lisbeth Searcy, Bud's daughter. York also appeared in The Great Locomotive Chase, Westward Ho, the Wagons!, and Johnny Tremain which were all part of Walt Disney's productions. York attracted considerable attention in the mid-1950s with his television portrayal of Mike Fink, the flamboyant keelboat operator in two episodes of Disney's hugely popular Davy Crockett miniseries in the episodes "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates." York was cast opposite Fess Parker in the role. The first episode featured a memorable boasting contest and a keelboat race, with Fink's boat named The Gullywumper; in the second, Crockett and Fink join forces to fight a band of river pirates who blame their depredations on local Native Americans. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jeff York,licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 23, 1912
Died
October 11, 1995 (aged 83)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 58 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What are Jeff York's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
33%
Morality
21%
Self
17%
Society
11%
Power
9%
Survival
9%
Community4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 4 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 7 · 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 9 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

5 analyzed roles
Hero
1 of 5
Threshold guardian
1 of 5
Ally
1 of 5
Mentor
1 of 5
Trickster
1 of 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Warm
5
Joyful
4
Hopeful
4
Thrilling
4
Other
14

How their films linger

Fun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic2
  • 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 Jeff York's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jeff York'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

58 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page.

  • Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Big Zack

  • Savage Sam(1963)

    as Bud Searcy

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Alaskans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 36 episodes · Actor

  • Lawman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Bronco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Peter Gunn(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Old Yeller(1957)

    as Bud Searcy

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Zorro(1957)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Scot Cahill · as Pete Mallory · as Ross Walker

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Johnny Tremain(1957)

    as James Otis

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Liberty Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Actor

  • Westward Ho, the Wagons!(1956)

    as Hank Brekenridge

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Davy Crockett and the River Pirates(1956)

    as Mike Fink

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Great Locomotive Chase(1956)

    as William Campbell

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Actor

  • Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Mike Fink

  • Cheyenne(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Davy Crockett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show Actor

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

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Camera Caught It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Actor

  • Demetrius and the Gladiators(1954)

    as Albus

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Kansas City Confidential(1952)

    as Capt. McBride (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Duel at Silver Creek(1952)

    as Abe Cooney (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Lady Says No(1951)

    as Goose

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Unknown Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as (uncredited)

  • Short Grass(1950)

    as Curley

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

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

    as Canning

  • Father of the Bride(1950)

    as Policeman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Asphalt Jungle(1950)

    as Policeman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Kill the Umpire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Panhandle Jones (uncredited)

  • The Inspector General(1949)

    as Guard (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Special Agent(1949)

    as Jake Rumpler (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Paleface(1948)

    as Big Joe

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Three Musketeers(1948)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Isn't It Romantic(1948)

    as Elmer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Panhandle(1948)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Jingle, Jangle, Jingle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Jeff Leonard

  • Blondie's Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Paul Madison

  • Fear in the Night(1946)

    as Deputy Torrence (as Jeff Yorke)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Alias Mr. Twilight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Police Lieutenant Barton

  • The Yearling(1946)

    as Oliver Hutto

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Postman Always Rings Twice(1946)

    as Blair

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Up Goes Maisie(1946)

    as Elmer Sauders

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Little Miss Big (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Clancy

  • They Were Expendable(1945)

    as Ens. Tony Aiken

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Kid Glove Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Henchman (uncredited)

  • Nazi Agent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Keeler (uncredited)

  • The Great Plane Robbery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jim Day

  • Li'l Abner(1940)

    as Li'l Abner Yokum

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Terry and the Pirates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Pat Ryan

  • Start Cheering(1938)

    as Student

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Expensive Husbands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Announcer at Polo Game

  • The Adventurous Blonde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Dr. Nally

  • That Certain Woman(1937)

    as Reporter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Devil's Saddle Legion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Chris Madden

  • Kid Galahad(1937)

    as Reporter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 58 titles from 1937 to 1964.

Biggest box office

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

$380 worldwide

Highest rated

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Midcredits 91st

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting58 of 58: 58 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1930s6 · acting1940s20 · acting1950s29 · acting1960s3 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 11 roles
4550

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 Jeff York's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Isn't It Romantic (1948)

77th percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 43. 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 Jeff York work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jeff York's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Walt Disney shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers