Skip to content
MovieCove
Cleavon Little

Cleavon Little

Actor · Died October 22, 1992, aged 53 · Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA

Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American film and theatre actor, known for his lead role as Bart in the Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles (1974) and as the irreverent Dr. Jerry Noland in the early-1970s sitcom Temperatures Rising. He also starred in the comedy films FM (1978) and Once Bitten (1985) and the action films Vanishing Point (1971) and the Toy Soldiers (1984).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 1, 1939
Died
October 22, 1992 (aged 53)
From
Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 52 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 16% in 30 days

What are Cleavon Little's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Power.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Self
24%
Power
23%
Society
18%
Survival
12%
Morality
12%
Bonds
11%
Ideas
1%
Prejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 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 7 · Serious 4 · Dark 5

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 4

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

A split, not a type: Steady 9 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 8 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 9 of 12 analyzed roles.

Ally
9 of 12
Mentor
1 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Hero
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Absurd
5
Warm
5
Melancholic
4
Hopeful
5
Other
13

How their films linger

Fun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet5
  • 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 Cleavon Little's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Cleavon Little'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

52 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • In the Nick of Time(1991)

    as Freddy

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Separate but Equal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Robert L. 'Bob' Carter

  • Separate But Equal(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · as Robert L. 'Bob' Carter

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Perfect Harmony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Pastor Clarence Johnson

  • Murder by Numbers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as David Selby

  • True Colors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 21 episodes · as Ron Freeman

  • Bagdad Cafe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 15 episodes · as Sal

  • Goin' to Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • Tales from the Crypt(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Pack Brightman (segment "This'll Kill Ya")

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Fletch Lives(1989)

    as Calculus Entropy

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Dear John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Tony Larkin

  • Lincoln(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · as Frederick Douglass

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Tanner '88 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Rev. Billy Crier

  • ALF(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as George Foley

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Gig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Marshall WIlson

  • Once Bitten(1985)

    as Sebastian

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

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

    Show 2 episodes · as Frank Colton

  • 227(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Toy Soldiers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Buck

  • Surf II(1983)

    as Daddy O

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Edmundo

  • Jimmy the Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Herb

  • Double Exposure(1982)

    as Police Chief

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion(1982)

    as Rolla

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Ned Shaw

  • Simon & Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige(1981)

    as Rabbit Thompson

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • High Risk(1981)

    as Rockney

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Salamander(1981)

    as Major Carl Malinowski, USMC

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Sky Is Gray(1980)

    as Monsieur Bayonne

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Scavenger Hunt(1979)

    as Jackson

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Preacher Ross

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

    as Prince

  • Once Upon a Brothers Grimm(1977)

    as Wolf

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 1 episode · as Andrew Hopkins

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Greased Lightning(1977)

    as Peewee

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Tony Randall Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Day the Earth Moved(1974)

    as Harley Copeland

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Rockford Files(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Billy Merrihew

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Blazing Saddles(1974)

    as Bart

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Money to Burn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Calvin Baker

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Waltons(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Temperatures Rising (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 47 episodes · as Jerry Noland

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Homecoming: A Christmas Story(1971)

    as Hawthorne Dooley

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Vanishing Point(1971)

    as Super Soul

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • All in the Family(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Coke

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Cotton Comes to Harlem(1970)

    as Lo Boy

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Mod Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • What's So Bad About Feeling Good?(1968)

    as Phil

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 52 titles from 1966 to 1991; peak year 1973.

Biggest box office

Blazing Saddles (1974)

$120M worldwide

Highest rated

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Vanishing Point (1971)

Film career

19661991

Peak 1973 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 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
Acting52 of 52: 52 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

By decade

1960s3 · acting1970s19 · acting1980s22 · acting1990s8 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 9% of 11 roles
7080

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 Cleavon Little's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 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 16

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 28 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor

Surf II (1983)

86th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

Midcredits 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 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 Cleavon Little's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 32 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 41 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 50 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Cleavon Little work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cleavon Little's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Stan Lathan shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles