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William Axt

Composer · Died February 13, 1959, aged 70 · New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William Axt (April 19, 1888 – February 13, 1959) was an American composer of nearly two hundred film scores. Born in New York City, Axt graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx and studied at the National Conservatory of Music of America. He served as an assistant conductor for the Hammerstein Grand Opera Company and was the musical director for the Capitol Theatre in Manhattan before joining the music department at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1919. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Chicago in 1922.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 19, 1888
Died
February 13, 1959 (aged 70)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
77 on MovieCove · 165 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 21% in 30 days

What are William Axt's films like?

Across their 67 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama26 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy25 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Biography 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
38%
Morality
27%
Self
17%
Power
10%
Survival
5%
Society
4%
Romantic love34 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception14 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass12 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 67 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 33 · Serious 14 · Dark 20

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 32 · Stylized 25 · Heightened 10

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

Gentle 18 · Charged 34 · Intense 15

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

Steady 25 · Shifting 38 · Whiplash 4

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 33 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 19

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 32 · Even-paced 30 · Relentless 5

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

Casual 32 · Engaged 32 · Full focus 3

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 32 · Affecting 18 · Heavy 17

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

Resolved 59 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
37
Melancholic
30
Romantic
34
Joyful
22
Warm
11
Other
51

How their films linger

Feel-good29 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet30 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy30
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic8
  • Ambiguous5

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 William Axt's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 77 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (22).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for William Axt'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

165 credits, 77 with a MovieCove page.

  • Adam's Rib(1949)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Dynamite(1949)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Equestrian Quiz: What's Your I.Q.? No. 11 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Composer

  • Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood(1945)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Untamed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Composer

  • Miracles for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • Tell No Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • The Kid from Texas(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Sergeant Madden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • Fast and Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Music Director

  • Heroes at Leisure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • Stand Up and Fight(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Girl Downstairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • Spring Madness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Music Score Producer

  • Listen, Darling(1938)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Three Loves Has Nancy(1938)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Rich Man, Poor Girl(1938)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Fast Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • Yellow Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • The First Hundred Years(1937)

    Music Score Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Everybody Sing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • The Bad Man of Brimstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Beg, Borrow or Steal(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Big City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Between Two Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Parnell(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Espionage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • The Last of Mrs. Cheyney(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Under Cover of Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Wanted - A Master (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Mad Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Libeled Lady(1936)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Suzy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Revolt of the Zombies(1936)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Old Shep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • The Unguarded Hour(1936)

    Music Score Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Jonker Diamond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Petticoat Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Three Godfathers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • The Garden Murder Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Tough Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Three Live Ghosts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Piccadilly Jim(1936)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Last of the Pagans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Whipsaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Rendezvous(1935)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Trained Hoofs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • It's in the Air(1935)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • O'Shaughnessy's Boy(1935)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Perfect Tribute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Woman Wanted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • The Murder Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Pitcairn Island Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Memories and Melodies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Buried Loot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • David Copperfield(1935)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Forsaking All Others(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • A Wicked Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Death on the Diamond(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Hide-Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Straight Is the Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • The Girl from Missouri(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Paris Interlude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Stamboul Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Operator 13 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • The Thin Man(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sadie McKee(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Manhattan Melodrama(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Men in White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Goofy Movies Number Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • The Mystery of Mr. X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • This Side of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • You Can't Buy Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Hollywood Party(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Sons of the Desert(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Dinner at Eight(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Should Ladies Behave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Eskimo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Bombshell(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Menu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Broadway to Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Penthouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Hold Your Man(1933)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Midnight Mary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • When Ladies Meet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Reunion in Vienna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Storm at Daybreak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Composer

  • Gabriel Over the White House(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Fast Workers(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Today We Live(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Secret of Madame Blanche(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Whistling in the Dark(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Clear All Wires!(1933)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Mask of Fu Manchu(1932)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Microscopic Mysteries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • Faithless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • Grand Hotel(1932)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Blondie of the Follies(1932)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Washington Masquerade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Music Score Producer

  • As You Desire Me(1932)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sea Spiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • Letty Lynton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • The Wet Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • Polly of the Circus(1932)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Mata Hari(1931)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Private Lives(1931)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Possessed(1931)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Wild and Woolly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Composer

  • Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)(1931)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Love-Tails of Morocco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Composer

  • Sporting Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Composer

  • Inspiration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Composer

  • Doughboys(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Romance(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Call of the Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Composer

  • The Big Dog House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Composer

  • When the Wind Blows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Composer

  • The Woman Racket(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Chasing Rainbows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Composer

  • A Lady's Morals(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Anna Christie(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Free and Easy(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Madam Satan(1930)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Their Own Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Conductor

  • Navy Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Composer

  • It's a Great Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Composer

  • Untamed(1929)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Speedway(1929)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Mysterious Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Composer

  • The Unholy Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Composer

  • Our Modern Maidens(1929)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Single Standard(1929)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Where East Is East(1929)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Pagan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Composer

  • Spite Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Additional Music

  • Tide of Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Composer

  • Wild Orchids(1929)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • West of Zanzibar(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Show People(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Masks of the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Composer

  • The Man Who Laughs(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Viking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Composer

  • The Wind(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Our Dancing Daughters(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • While the City Sleeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Composer

  • The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Composer

  • A Woman of Affairs(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Trail of '98(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • White Shadows in the South Seas(1928)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Camille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Composer

  • Annie Laurie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Composer

  • Love(1927)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Bardelys the Magnificent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Composer

  • Don Juan(1926)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • La Bohème (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Composer

  • Faust(1926)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ(1925)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Big Parade(1925)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Greed(1924)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Navigator(1924)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • He Who Gets Slapped(1924)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Scaramouche(1923)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Mark of Zorro(1920)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Madame DuBarry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Composer

Career shape

A full career of 149 titles from 1919 to 1949.

Biggest box office

The Man Who Laughs (1928)

$4.3K worldwide

Highest rated

The Thin Man (1934)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Mata Hari (1931)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music147 of 149: 147 only music, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thOther crew2 of 149: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1910s1 · crew1920s32 · crew1930s111 · crew1940s5 · 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.

How do William Axt's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 77; across their 67 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 67

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 67

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 67

Midcredits score across 77 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up25
  • 50th to 74th32
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

39 of their 77 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser39
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · composer

Untamed (1929)

69th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Thin Man (1934)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 59/100 in their films, across 46 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

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 William Axt's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 3 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles11–46 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 39 · 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 William Axt work with?

People who share at least 2 of William Axt's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William H. Daniels shares the most, 13.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles