New York-born Irving Cummings began his career as an actor on the Broadway stage in his late teens, and appeared with the legendary Lillian Russell's company. He entered films in 1909 as an actor, and became a very popular leading man in the early 1920s. He began directing at around that time, turning out mostly action films and an occasional comedy, but he really came into his own in the 1930s at 20th Century-Fox. Cummings specialized in the big, splashy Technicolor musicals for which Fox became known, and was responsible for many of Betty Grable's, Alice Faye's and Shirley Temple's most enjoyable films.
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Biography from IMDb.
- October 8, 1888
- April 18, 1959 (aged 70)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Director and actor, also producer
- 20 on MovieCove · 122 credits in all
What are Irving Cummings' films like?
Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 20
Light 15 · Serious 4 · Dark 1
Grounded 8 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 2
A split, not a type: Gentle 11 · Charged 9 · Intense 0
Steady 15 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 3
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 0
Casual 18 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 17 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 0
Resolved 19 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
- Shadowas Mark Turner in The Saphead (1920)
- Tricksteras Mark Turner in The Saphead (1920)
Moods and endings
- Happy16
- Bittersweet1
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous2
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 Irving Cummings' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Irving Cummings' 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
122 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.
Double Dynamite(1951)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Dolly Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
The Impatient Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
What a Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Sweet Rosie O'Grady(1943)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
My Gal Sal(1942)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Louisiana Purchase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Belle Starr(1941)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
That Night in Rio(1941)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Down Argentine Way(1940)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Lillian Russell(1940)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Everything Happens at Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Jesse James(1939)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Just Around the Corner(1938)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Little Miss Broadway(1938)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Merry Go Round of 1938 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Vogues of 1938(1937)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
White Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Girls' Dormitory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Poor Little Rich Girl(1936)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Curly Top(1935)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
It's A Small World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
The White Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Grand Canary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
I Believed in You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
The Mad Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Woman I Stole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Man Hunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Man Against Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
The Night Club Lady(1932)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Attorney for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
The Cisco Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
A Holy Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
A Devil with Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
On the Level (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Cameo Kirby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Not Quite Decent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Behind That Curtain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
In Old Arizona(1928)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Romance of the Underworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
The Port of Missing Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Dressed to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
The Brute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Bertha the Sewing Machine Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
The Country Beyond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
The Midnight Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
Rustlin' for Cupid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
The Johnstown Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
Infatuation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
The Desert Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
Just a Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
One Year to Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
As Man Desires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
The Rose of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
In Every Woman's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Riders Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
The Dancing Cheat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Stolen Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Fools Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Rupert of Hentzau (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Broken Hearts of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
East Side - West Side (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Environment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
The Jilt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Broad Daylight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
The Eternal Flame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Paid Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Flesh and Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
The Man from Hell's River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Campbell of the Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Don't Get Personal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Cameron of the Royal Mounted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)
The Blasphemer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)
Patsy's Jim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)
Beautifully Trimmed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
Old Dad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
The Round-up(1920)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Harriet and the Piper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
The Saphead(1920)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Ladder of Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
Sex(1920)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Tree of Knowledge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
The 13th Commandment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
Everywoman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
What Every Woman Learns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
The Better Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
Men, Women, and Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
Secret Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
Some Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
Her Code of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
Mandarin's Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
Auction of Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
The Woman Who Gave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)
Toys of Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)
An American Widow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
Rasputin, the Black Monk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
Wrath of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
A Royal Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
The Whip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
Sister Against Sister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
The Hidden Scar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
The Gilded Cage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
The World's Great Snare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
The Saleslady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
The Diamond from the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)
His Brother's Debt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)
The Derelict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)
The Last Volunteer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
Uncle Tom's Cabin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
Pamela Congreve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
A Leech of Industry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
In the Mesh of Her Hair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
A Sword of Damocles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
Jane Eyre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)
The Finger of Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)
The Grey Sentinel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)
The Bells (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)
Marked Cards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1913)
Revolution in a Bachelors' Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1911)
Career shape
A full career of 122 titles from 1911 to 1951.
Biggest box office
Jesse James (1939)
Highest rated
Jesse James (1939)
Most popular right now
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)
Film career
- 1920Screen debut· Sex
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 Irving Cummings' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th8
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
12 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser12
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the atmosphere 65/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
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 Irving Cummings work with?
People who share at least 2 of Irving Cummings' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Darryl F. Zanuck shares the most, 7.
Writers
- Darrell WareShared titles: My Gal Sal (1942), Down Argentine Way (1940), Just Around the Corner (1938)See all 3 shared titles with Darrell Ware
- Ken EnglundShared titles: Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943), Springtime in the Rockies (1942)See all 2 shared titles with Ken Englund
- Karl TunbergShared titles: My Gal Sal (1942), Down Argentine Way (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Karl Tunberg
- Hal LongShared titles: That Night in Rio (1941), Jesse James (1939)See all 2 shared titles with Hal Long
Actors
- Don AmecheShared titles: That Night in Rio (1941), Down Argentine Way (1940), Lillian Russell (1940), The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)See all 4 shared titles with Don Ameche
- Shirley TempleShared titles: Just Around the Corner (1938), Little Miss Broadway (1938), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), Curly Top (1935)See all 4 shared titles with Shirley Temple
- Betty GrableShared titles: Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943), Springtime in the Rockies (1942), Down Argentine Way (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Betty Grable
- Carmen MirandaShared titles: Springtime in the Rockies (1942), That Night in Rio (1941), Down Argentine Way (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Carmen Miranda
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Cyril J. MockridgeShared titles: My Gal Sal (1942), Belle Starr (1941), Down Argentine Way (1940), Lillian Russell (1940), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)See all 5 shared titles with Cyril J. Mockridge
- Walter ThompsonShared titles: That Night in Rio (1941), Lillian Russell (1940), The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939), Just Around the Corner (1938), Little Miss Broadway (1938)See all 5 shared titles with Walter Thompson
- Alfred NewmanShared titles: Springtime in the Rockies (1942), Belle Starr (1941), That Night in Rio (1941), Lillian Russell (1940)See all 4 shared titles with Alfred Newman
- Leon ShamroyShared titles: That Night in Rio (1941), Down Argentine Way (1940), Lillian Russell (1940), The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)See all 4 shared titles with Leon Shamroy
Producers
- Darryl F. ZanuckShared titles: That Night in Rio (1941), Down Argentine Way (1940), Lillian Russell (1940), Jesse James (1939), The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939), Little Miss Broadway (1938), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)See all 7 shared titles with Darryl F. Zanuck
- Kenneth MacgowanShared titles: Belle Starr (1941), The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)See all 2 shared titles with Kenneth Macgowan
- David HempsteadShared titles: Just Around the Corner (1938), Little Miss Broadway (1938)See all 2 shared titles with David Hempstead