Julius J. Epstein

Writer and producer · Died December 30, 2000, aged 91 · New York City, New York, USA

Julius J. Epstein (August 22, 1909 – December 30, 2000) was an American screenwriter, who had a long career, best remembered for his screenplay, written with his twin brother, Philip, and Howard E. Koch, of the film Casablanca (1942), for which the writers won an Academy Award. It was adapted from an unpublished play, Everybody Comes to Rick's, written by Murray Bennett and Joan Alison. His identical twin died in 1952, a loss that he felt for the rest of his life. He continued writing, receiving two more Oscar nominations. In 1998, he received a Los Angeles Film Critics Association career achievement award. His credits included Four Daughters (1938) for which he received his first Oscar nomination, The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Mr. Skeffington (1944), The Tender Trap (1955), Light in the Piazza (1962), Send Me No Flowers (1964), Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), Cross of Iron (1977) and Reuben, Reuben (1983). Epstein had a less successful result as a playwright in Broadway theatre. He adapted his play Front Porch in Flatbush into Saturday Night, the first professional musical written by Stephen Sondheim. The musical was intended to open on Broadway in 1955, but was shelved due to the death of its lead producer. His play, But, Seriously (starring Richard Dreyfuss and Tom Poston) would prove to be the last to be staged at Henry Miller's Theatre for more than 30 years, opening on February 27, 1969, and closing after only four performances. Description above from the Wikipedia article Julius J. Epstein, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

What are Julius J. Epstein's films like?

Across their 37 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy16 titles72^nd

Drama14 titles70^th

Documentary5 titles74^th

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

34%

Morality

20%

Self

19%

Survival

12%

Power

8%

Society

7%

Romantic love21 Self-worth9 Family bonds7 War5 Deception6 Betrayal4 Community3 Survival3

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 35

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 18 · Serious 6 · Dark 13

Stylized

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

Grounded 18 · Stylized 18 · Heightened 1

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 17 · Intense 5

Steady

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 21 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 8

Slow burn

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 0

Casual

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 22 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 0

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 15 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 9

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 31 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

14

Romantic

18

Melancholic

14

Joyful

13

Warm

11

Other

31

How their films linger

Feel-good16 Bittersweet14 Hopeful13 Fun10 Rousing6 Thought-provoking5

How their films end · 6 with a twist

Happy16
Bittersweet15
Ambiguous5
Other1

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 Julius J. Epstein's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Docurama3 titles, show their 3 titles on Docurama
IndieFlix2 titles, show their 2 titles on IndieFlix
ScreenPix2 titles, show their 2 titles on ScreenPix
Best TV Ever1 title, show their title on Best TV Ever
Dove Channel1 title, show their title on Dove Channel
Great American Pure Flix1 title, show their title on Great American Pure Flix
Shout! TV1 title, show their title on Shout! TV

Subscription and free streaming for Julius J. Epstein'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

58 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Scenes from Casablanca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Writer
Why We Fight: World War II: The Battle of China / War Comes to America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Writer
Reuben, Reuben(1983)
Co-Producer · Screenplay
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
House Calls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Show Creator
House Calls(1978)
Screenplay · Story
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
The Pirate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Show 2 episodes · Writer
Cross of Iron(1977)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Once Is Not Enough(1975)
Writer
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Pete 'n' Tillie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Producer · Writer
Any Wednesday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Producer · Screenplay
Return from the Ashes(1965)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Send Me No Flowers(1964)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Light in the Piazza(1962)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Fanny(1961)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Tall Story(1960)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Take a Giant Step(1959)
Producer · Screenplay
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
The Reluctant Debutante(1958)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Brothers Karamazov(1958)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Kiss Them for Me(1957)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
The Tender Trap(1955)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)
Show 1 episode · Idea
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Young at Heart(1954)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Last Time I Saw Paris(1954)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Forever Female(1953)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Take Care of My Little Girl(1951)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
My Foolish Heart(1949)
Writer
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Chicken Every Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Theatre Play
Romance on the High Seas(1948)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
War Comes to America(1945)
Writer
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Arsenic and Old Lace(1944)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Mr. Skeffington(1944)
Producer · Screenplay
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Casablanca(1942)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Why We Fight: Divide and Conquer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Writer
The Battle of Britain(1943)
Writer
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Battle of Russia(1943)
Writer
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Nazis Strike(1943)
Writer
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Yankee Doodle Dandy(1942)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
The Male Animal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Screenplay
Why We Fight(1942)
Writer
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Man Who Came to Dinner(1941)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Bride Came C.O.D.(1941)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Strawberry Blonde(1941)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Honeymoon for Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Additional Dialogue
No Time for Comedy(1940)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Saturday's Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Screenplay
Four Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Screenplay
Daughters Courageous(1939)
Writer
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Secrets of an Actress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Screenplay
Four Daughters(1938)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Adaptation
Sons o' Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Screenplay
Love on a Bet(1936)
Writer
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Stars Over Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Screenplay
I Live for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Screenplay
Little Big Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Screenplay
Broadway Gondolier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Writer
In Caliente(1935)
Screenplay
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Living on Velvet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 52 titles from 1935 to 2025.

Biggest box office

House Calls (1978)

$28M worldwide

Highest rated

Casablanca (1942)

Midcredits 99^th

By role

only this rolewith another role

Writing50 of 52 · 72^ndProducing5 of 52Other crew2 of 52

52 titles, 5 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1930s12 · crew1940s14 · crew1950s11 · crew1960s6 · crew1970s6 · crew1980s1 · crew2000s1 · 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 Julius J. Epstein's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73^rd percentile, the median of all 37; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70^th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

72^ndpercentile

Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

57^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 38 titles, by percentile

75^th and up17
50^th to 74^th15
25^th to 49^th5
Below 25^th1

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 38 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved7
Crowd Pleaser25
Broadly Agreed3
Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

Once Is Not Enough (1975)

56^th percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Casablanca (1942)

Midcredits 99^th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 63/100 and the plot and story 49/100 in their films, across 36 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.