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John Glen

John Glen

Editor and director · Born May 15, 1932 (94) · Sunbury-on-Thames, London, England, UK

John Glen (born 15 May 1932) is a British film director. He was born in Sunbury-on-Thames, England. He is best known for his work as a film editor, and director of five James Bond movies, he also worked as film editor and second unit director on three previous Bond movies: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979). Glen's other films as second unit director include Superman and The Wild Geese, both in 1978.  He also directed the feature films Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992) and The Point Men (2001) and directed the TV series Space Precinct. In 2001, he published his memoir "For My Eyes Only."

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 15, 1932 (94)
From
Sunbury-on-Thames, London, England, UK
Works as
Editor and director
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 41 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 15% in 30 days

What are John Glen's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
Morality
49%
Bonds
14%
Survival
12%
Power
10%
Self
10%
Society
4%
Ideas
1%
Revenge7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 9 · Intense 11

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

Steady 6 · Shifting 13 · 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 10 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 6

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

Casual 5 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 1

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 11 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Thrilling
12
Romantic
9
Melancholic
6
Dread
5
Other
9

How their films linger

Fun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet5
  • 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 John Glen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Glen'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

41 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Space Precinct: The Fire Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director

  • Petroleum Spirit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Executive Producer

  • On the Set with John Glen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Actor

  • Testing the Limits: The Aerial Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Narrator

  • The Point Men(2001)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Inside 'For Your Eyes Only' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Inside 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Space Precinct(1994)

    Show 8 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Christopher Columbus: The Discovery(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Aces: Iron Eagle III(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Checkered Flag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Licence to Kill(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Living Daylights(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • A View to a Kill(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Octopussy(1983)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • James Bond in India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • For Your Eyes Only(1981)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Wolves(1980)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Moonraker(1979)

    Editor · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Superman(1978)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Wild Geese(1978)

    Editor · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Spy Who Loved Me(1977)

    Editor · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Seven Nights in Japan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Editor

  • Shout at the Devil(1976)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Conduct Unbecoming(1975)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • London Conspiracy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Editor

  • Gold(1974)

    Editor · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Dead Cert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Editor

  • A Doll's House(1973)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Pulp(1972)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Sitting Target(1972)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Catlow(1971)

    Second Unit Director · Supervising Editor

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Murphy's War(1971)

    Editor · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • On Her Majesty's Secret Service(1969)

    Editor · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Baby Love(1969)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Koroshi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Editor

  • The Missing Note (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Editor

  • Danger Man(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Editor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • The Green Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Sound Editor

  • Views on Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Prosecuting Counsel

  • The Long Dark Hall(1951)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 41 titles from 1951 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Licence to Kill (1989)

$156M worldwide

Highest rated

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Midcredits 81st

Most popular right now

Licence to Kill (1989)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 41: 6 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting11 of 41: 11 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thProducing1 of 41: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleEditing19 of 41: 12 only editing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thOther crew11 of 41: 4 only other crew, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

41 titles, 7 with more than one role.

By decade

1950s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew1960s5 · crew1970s15 · crew1980s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew1990s4 · crew2000s5 · 4 acting · 1 crew2010s1 · 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 John Glen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned2
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · director

Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992)

58th percentile spread · 67% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Danger Man (1960)

Midcredits 83rd · 85% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 20 reviewed titles; fans 56, detractors 29. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

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 John Glen's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles55–68 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles35–45 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles19–45 · median 27 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles30–49 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles39–64 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian 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 John Glen work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Glen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Richard Maibaum shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers