Skip to content
MovieCove
William Bowers

William Bowers

Writer, also producer · Died March 27, 1987, aged 71 · Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA

William Bowers (Las Cruces, 1916 - Woodland Hills, California, 1987) was a reporter in Long Beach, California before becoming a screenwriter and specializing in writing comedy westerns and also turned out several thrillers. His first credited screenplay was My Favorite Spy in 1942. His career noticeably picked up after his Oscar nomination for the gritty Gregory Peck Western The Gunfighter in 1950, leading to such assignments as the remake of My Man Godfrey in 1957 and The Sheepman in 1958 (a second Oscar nomination). Bowers produced the last film that he wrote, the superior Western parody Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). He also had a bit part as an actor in The Godfather Part II (1974).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 17, 1916
Died
March 27, 1987 (aged 71)
From
Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
Works as
Writer, also producer
Titles
37 on MovieCove · 55 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 22% in 30 days

What are William Bowers' films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Western2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Western 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
37%
Morality
32%
Power
10%
Self
8%
Society
6%
Survival
5%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love13 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption6 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 27 · Serious 4 · Dark 3

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

Grounded 15 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 21 · Charged 11 · Intense 2

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

Steady 24 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1

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 3 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 16

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 17 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 28 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 34 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
15
Tense
14
Warm
16
Absurd
11
Romantic
8
Other
18

How their films linger

Fun24 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy27
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic4

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 Bowers' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 37 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for William Bowers' 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

55 credits, 37 with a MovieCove page.

  • Goodnight, August (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Sound Recordist

  • More Wild Wild West(1980)

    Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Wild West Revisited(1979)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid(1978)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Shame, Shame on the Bixby Boys(1978)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Starsky and Hutch(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Mobile Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Producer

  • The Godfather Part II(1974)

    as Senate Committee Chairman

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Gun and the Pulpit(1974)

    Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Sidekicks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Writer

  • Support Your Local Sheriff!(1969)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Ride to Hangman's Tree(1967)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Way... Way Out(1966)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Advance to the Rear(1964)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Last Time I Saw Archie(1961)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • -30-(1959)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Alias Jesse James(1959)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Imitation General(1958)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Law and Jake Wade(1958)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Sheepman(1958)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • My Man Godfrey(1957)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Best Things in Life Are Free (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Screenplay

  • 5 Against the House(1955)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Tight Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Screenplay

  • She Couldn't Say No(1953)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Split Second (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Screenplay

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

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Four Star Playhouse(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

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

    Screenplay

  • The San Francisco Story(1952)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Mob(1951)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Cry Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Screenplay

  • Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone(1950)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

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

    Screenplay

  • The Gunfighter(1950)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Gal Who Took the West(1949)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Criss Cross(1949)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Jungle Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Story

  • The Countess of Monte Cristo(1948)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Larceny(1948)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Pitfall(1948)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • River Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Screenplay

  • Black Bart(1948)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap(1947)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Something in the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Screenplay

  • The Web (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Screenplay

  • Ladies' Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Story

  • The Fabulous Suzanne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Story

  • Night and Day(1946)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Notorious Lone Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Story

  • Sing Your Way Home(1945)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of a Rookie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Story

  • Higher and Higher(1943)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Seven Days' Leave(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • My Favorite Spy(1942)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 52 titles from 1942 to 2023.

Biggest box office

My Man Godfrey (1957)

$2.6M worldwide

Highest rated

The Gunfighter (1950)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 52: 2 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting48 of 52: 47 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thProducing2 of 52: 1 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 52: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s18 · crew1950s20 · crew1960s5 · crew1970s7 · 2 acting · 5 crew1980s1 · crew2020s1 · 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 Bowers' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 37 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 37 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · writer

Shame, Shame on the Bixby Boys (1978)

92nd percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 57/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 32 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 William Bowers work with?

People who share at least 2 of William Bowers' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jeff Alexander shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers