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Dana Andrews

Dana Andrews

Actor · Died December 17, 1992, aged 83 · Covington County, Mississippi, USA

Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American actor. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts into the 1980s. He is best known for his portrayal of obsessed police detective Mark McPherson in the noir Laura (1944) and his critically acclaimed performance as World War II veteran Fred Derry in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Description above from the Wikipedia article Dana Andrews, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1909
Died
December 17, 1992 (aged 83)
From
Covington County, Mississippi, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
62 on MovieCove · 106 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 26Up 4% in 30 days

What are Dana Andrews' films like?

Across their 56 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama24 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary 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
39%
Bonds
15%
Survival
14%
Self
10%
Society
10%
Power
7%
Ideas
5%
Justice14 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption10 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 56 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 9 · Serious 20 · Dark 27

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 29 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 32 · Intense 17

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

Steady 25 · Shifting 28 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 45 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 32 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 26 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 4

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

Easy watch 17 · Affecting 30 · Heavy 9

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

Resolved 44 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

43 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 21 of 43 analyzed roles.

Hero
21 of 43
Mentor
7 of 43
Shadow
7 of 43
Ally
3 of 43
Shapeshifter
2 of 43
Trickster
1 of 43
Herald
1 of 43
Threshold guardian
1 of 43
Show the 43 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
42
Melancholic
22
Romantic
13
Dread
12
Contemplative
13
Other
48

How their films linger

Hopeful20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy23
  • Bittersweet23
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

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 Dana Andrews' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dana Andrews' 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

106 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • These Amazing Shadows(2011)

    as Fred Derry

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker(1991)

    as Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Prince Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as The Cardinal

  • Falcon Crest(1981)

    Show 2 episodes · as Elliot McKay

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • The Pilot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Randolph Evers

  • Ike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Gen. George C. Marshall

  • Ike: The War Years(1979)

    as Gen. George C. Marshall

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Born Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Tom Phillips

  • The American Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Phillips

  • Good Guys Wear Black(1978)

    as Edgar Harolds

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • A Tree, a Rock, a Cloud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as The Man

  • The Last Hurrah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Roger Shanley

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Paul Gerber

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Townley

  • The Last Tycoon(1976)

    as Red Ridingwood

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Take a Hard Ride(1975)

    as Morgan

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Lewis Marshall

  • The First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Dr. Hutchins

  • A Shadow in the Streets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Len Raeburn

  • Airport 1975(1974)

    as Scott Freeman

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Sarge

  • Innocent Bystanders(1972)

    as Blake

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Failing of Raymond(1971)

    as Allan McDonald

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Koch (segment "The Different Ones")

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Bright Promise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 321 episodes · as Thomas Boswell

  • The Devil's Brigade(1968)

    as Brig. Gen. Walter Naylor

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • No Diamonds for Ursula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Il gioielliere

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

    Show 1 episode · as Courtenay Eliot

  • The Cobra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Capt. Kelly

  • The Ten Million Dollar Grab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as George Kimmins

  • Hot Rods to Hell(1966)

    as Tom Phillips

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Frozen Dead(1966)

    as Dr. Norberg

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Family Affair(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Harv Mullen

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Johnny Reno(1966)

    as Johnny Reno

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Battle of the Bulge(1965)

    as Colonel Pritchard

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Loved One(1965)

    as Gen. Buck Brinkman

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Spy in Your Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Col. Lancaster

  • Town Tamer(1965)

    as Tom Rosser

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Brainstorm(1965)

    as Cort Benson

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Crack in the World(1965)

    as Dr. Stephen Sorenson

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • In Harm's Way(1965)

    as Admiral Broderick

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Satan Bug(1965)

    as Gen. Williams

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Douglas Vinson

  • Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Ernest Farrow

  • The Dick Powell Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Nat Keough · as Paul Oakland

  • The DuPont Show of the Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Cdr. Jason Vanning · as Narrator

  • Kraft Mystery Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Madison Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Clint Lorimer

  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Clint Evans

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

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Leland McIntyre

  • The Crowded Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Dick Barnett

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Paul Driscoll

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Enchanted Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Abner "Ab" Bedford

  • The Fearmakers(1958)

    as Alan Eaton

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Zero Hour!(1957)

    as Lt. Ted Stryker

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Curse of the Demon(1957)

    as Dr. John Holden

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Spring Reunion(1956)

    as Fred Davis

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Armored Attack! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Kolya Simonov

  • Playhouse 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Leo Bass · as Mark Bragg

  • Beyond a Reasonable Doubt(1956)

    as Tom Garrett

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • While the City Sleeps(1956)

    as Edward Mobley

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Comanche(1956)

    as Jim Read

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Strange Lady in Town(1955)

    as Dr. Rourke O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Smoke Signal(1955)

    as Brett Halliday

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Three Hours to Kill(1954)

    as Jim Guthrie

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Duel in the Jungle(1954)

    as Scott Walters

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Elephant Walk(1954)

    as Dick Carver

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Anderson

  • Assignment: Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Jimmy Race

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

    Show 1 episode · as Roger Shanley

  • I Want You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Martin Greer

  • Sealed Cargo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Pat Bannon

  • The Frogmen(1951)

    as Jake Flannigan

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Edge of Doom(1950)

    as Father Thomas Roth

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Where the Sidewalk Ends(1950)

    as Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • My Foolish Heart(1949)

    as Walt Dreiser

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sword in the Desert(1949)

    as Mike Dillon

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Forbidden Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Henry Lambert / Gilbert Lauderdale

  • No Minor Vices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Perry Ashwell

  • Deep Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Hod Stillwell

  • The Iron Curtain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Igor Gouzenko

  • Night Song(1947)

    as Dan Evans

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Daisy Kenyon(1947)

    as Dan O'Mara

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Boomerang!(1947)

    as State's Attorney Henry L. Harvey

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Best Years of Our Lives(1946)

    as Fred Derry

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Canyon Passage(1946)

    as Logan Stuart

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • A Walk in the Sun(1945)

    as Sgt. Bill Tyne

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angel(1945)

    as Eric Stanton

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • State Fair(1945)

    as Pat Gilbert

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Laura(1944)

    as Det. Lt. Mark McPherson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Purple Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Capt. Harvey Ross

  • Up in Arms(1944)

    as Joe Nelson

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Wing and a Prayer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Edward Moulton

  • The North Star(1943)

    as Kolya Simonov

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Crash Dive(1943)

    as Lt. Cdr. Dewey Connors

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Ox-Bow Incident(1943)

    as Donald Martin

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • December 7th(1943)

    as Ghost of US sailor killed at Pearl Harbor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Berlin Correspondent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Bill Roberts

  • Ball of Fire(1941)

    as Joe Lilac

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Swamp Water(1941)

    as Ben Ragan

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Belle Starr(1941)

    as Thomas Crail

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Tobacco Road(1941)

    as Capt. Tim Harmon

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Westerner(1940)

    as Hod Johnson

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Kit Carson(1940)

    as Captain John C. Fremont

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Sailor's Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Scrappy Wilson

  • Lucky Cisco Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Sergeant Dunn

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 105 titles from 1940 to 1991; peak year 1965.

Biggest box office

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

$24M worldwide

Highest rated

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Fallen Angel (1945)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19401991

Peak 1965 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 27 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting105 of 105: 105 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score59th

By decade

1940s30 · acting1950s25 · acting1960s27 · acting1970s19 · acting1980s3 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 42% of 36 roles
40455065

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 Dana Andrews' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 57; across their 56 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 56

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 56

Reach · how many have seen their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 56

Midcredits score across 62 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up22
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th18
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

32 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Crowd Pleaser32
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Hot Rods to Hell (1966)

64th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 53 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 Dana Andrews' work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles22–53 · median 30 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles2–42 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles2–50 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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 Dana Andrews work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dana Andrews' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Daniel Mandell shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles