Chester Erskine (November 29, 1905 - April 7, 1986) was a Hollywood and Broadway director, writer, and producer. He was born in Hudson, New York and studied for a short time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His first directing job was Harlem an 1929 all-black revue. He also directed Spencer Tracy in the play The Last Mile in 1930. Erskine's likeness was drawn in caricature by Alex Gard for Sardi's, the New York City theater district restaurant. The picture is now part of the collection of the New York Public Library. In 1932 he began working in Hollywood where his best known work includes the direction of The Egg and I (1947) and the writing of All My Sons (1948). He died in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 83. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chester Erskine, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 29, 1905
- April 7, 1986 (aged 80)
- Hudson, New York, USA
- Writer, director and producer
- 10 on MovieCove · 17 credits in all
What are Chester Erskine's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
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 2 · Earnest 8
A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 1 · Dark 4
Grounded 2 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 1 · Intense 4
Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3
A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy5
- Bittersweet1
- Tragic2
- 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 Chester Erskine's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Chester Erskine'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
17 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
The Invincible Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Wonderful Country(1959)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Witness to Murder(1954)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Split Second (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Angel Face(1952)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Androcles and the Lion(1952)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Belle of New York(1952)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
A Girl in Every Port(1952)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Take One False Step(1949)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
All My Sons(1948)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Egg and I(1947)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Sailor Takes a Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Frankie and Johnnie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Midnight(1934)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Master of Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
My Mistake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Career shape
A full career of 17 titles from 1930 to 1972.
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 Chester Erskine's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
None of their 10 titles divides audiences: 5 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser5
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the dialogue 56/100 and the plot and story 45/100 in their films, across 10 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 Chester Erskine work with?
People who share at least 2 of Chester Erskine's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gary Merrill shares the most, 2.
Actors
- Gary MerrillShared titles: The Wonderful Country (1959), Witness to Murder (1954)See all 2 shared titles with Gary Merrill
- Robert MitchumShared titles: The Wonderful Country (1959), Angel Face (1952)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Mitchum
- Gene LockhartShared titles: A Girl in Every Port (1952), Androcles and the Lion (1952)See all 2 shared titles with Gene Lockhart
- Jean SimmonsShared titles: Androcles and the Lion (1952), Angel Face (1952)See all 2 shared titles with Jean Simmons
Cinematographers and editors
- Harry Stradling Sr.Shared titles: Androcles and the Lion (1952), Angel Face (1952)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Stradling Sr.
- Ralph DawsonShared titles: A Girl in Every Port (1952), All My Sons (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Ralph Dawson
- Russell F. SchoengarthShared titles: Take One False Step (1949), The Egg and I (1947)See all 2 shared titles with Russell F. Schoengarth