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John Gavin

John Gavin

Actor · Died February 9, 2018, aged 86 · Los Angeles, California, USA

John Gavin (April 8, 1931 – February 9, 2018) was an American actor who was the United States Ambassador to Mexico (1981–86) and the president of the Screen Actors Guild (1971–73). He was best known for his performances in the films Imitation of Life (1959), Spartacus (1960), Psycho (1960), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), playing leading roles in a series of films for producer Ross Hunter. Born Juan Vincent Apablasa Jr., Gavin was of Mexican, Chilean and Spanish descent, and was fluent in Spanish. His father, Juan Vincent Apablasa Sr., was of Chilean origin, and his paternal ancestors, including Cayetano Apablasa, were early landowners in California under Spanish rule. Gavin's mother was Delia Diana Pablos. Gavin’s parents divorced when he was about two years old. Gavin’s mother married Herald Ray Golenor, who adopted Gavin and changed his name to John Anthony Golenor.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 8, 1931
Died
February 9, 2018 (aged 86)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 42 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 26

What are John Gavin's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th 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
31%
Self
20%
Morality
16%
Power
14%
Survival
9%
Society
8%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 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 3 · Dark 6

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 7 · Intense 6

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

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 11 · 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 11 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 10 · 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 7 · Full focus 2

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 8 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 4

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

11 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 11 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 11
Trickster
2 of 11
Ally
2 of 11
Shadow
1 of 11
Shapeshifter
1 of 11
Threshold guardian
1 of 11
Show the 11 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Romantic
7
Melancholic
8
Joyful
6
Dread
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet8
  • 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 John Gavin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Gavin'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

42 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Disclosure(2020)

    as Sam Loomis (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema(2001)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Sophia Loren: Her Own Story(1980)

    as Cary Grant

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Doctors' Private Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

  • The New Adventures of Heidi(1978)

    as Dan Wyler

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Flying High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Jennifer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Senator Tremayne

  • Doctors' Private Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Dr. Jeffrey Latimer

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Kellino

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Dan Barton

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • House of Shadows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Roland Stewart

  • Hard Day at Blue Nose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • Nefertiti and Akhenaten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Akhenaten

  • Keep It in the Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Roy McDonald

  • Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You(1970)

    as Charlie Harrison (Grant Granite)

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Cutter's Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Ben Cutter

  • The Madwoman of Chaillot(1969)

    as The Reverend

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • OSS 117 Murder for Sale(1968)

    as Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Thoroughly Modern Millie(1967)

    as Trevor Graydon

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Pedro Paramo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Pedro Páramo

  • Convoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 13 episodes · as Comdr. Dan Talbot

  • Destry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • The Solid Gold Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Harrison Destry

  • Kraft Suspense Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Carlos · as Tom Threepersons

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Don Reed · as Johnny Kendall

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Boulanger / Baker

  • Back Street(1961)

    as Paul Saxon

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Tammy Tell Me True(1961)

    as Thomas 'Tom' Freeman

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Romanoff and Juliet(1961)

    as Igor Romanoff

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Midnight Lace(1960)

    as Brian Younger

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Spartacus(1960)

    as Julius Caesar

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Psycho(1960)

    as Sam Loomis

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • A Breath of Scandal(1960)

    as Charles Foster

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Imitation of Life(1959)

    as Steve Archer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Time to Love and a Time to Die(1958)

    as Ernst Graeber

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Quantez(1957)

    as Teach

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Four Girls in Town(1957)

    as Tom Grant

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Behind the High Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Johnny Hutchins

  • Raw Edge(1956)

    as Dan Kirby (as John Gilmore)

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 42 titles from 1956 to 2020; peak year 1960.

Biggest box office

Psycho (1960)

$32M worldwide

Highest rated

Psycho (1960)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19562020

Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. 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.

  • 1958Screen debut· A Time to Love and a Time to Die
  • 1958First top-billed film· A Time to Love and a Time to Die

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting42 of 42: 42 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score58th

By decade

1950s6 · acting1960s19 · acting1970s14 · acting1980s1 · acting2000s1 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 13% of 8 roles

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.

How do John Gavin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 24 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

The New Adventures of Heidi (1978)

86th percentile spread · 48% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Psycho (1960)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 38. 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 John Gavin's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 59 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 22 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does John Gavin work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Gavin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Russell Metty shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers