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Dean Jagger

Dean Jagger

Actor · Died February 5, 1991, aged 87 · Columbus Grove, Ohio, USA

Dean Jagger was an American film, stage, and television actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Twelve O'Clock High (1949). Other notable films in which Jagger appeared include The Robe (1953), White Christmas (1954), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), King Creole (1958), The Nun's Story (1959), Elmer Gantry (1960), Vanishing Point (1971), Game of Death (1978), and Alligator (1980).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 7, 1903
Died
February 5, 1991 (aged 87)
From
Columbus Grove, Ohio, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
56 on MovieCove · 123 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 26Up 13% in 30 days

What are Dean Jagger's films like?

Across their 49 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama24 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 28th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Horror 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
36%
Bonds
20%
Self
13%
Survival
12%
Society
10%
Power
7%
Ideas
2%
Justice16 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 49 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 13 · Serious 18 · Dark 18

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

Grounded 31 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 27 · Intense 15

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

Steady 19 · Shifting 26 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 36 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 29 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 23 · Engaged 22 · Full focus 4

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 18 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 15

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

Resolved 39 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

34 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 15 of 34 analyzed roles.

Mentor
15 of 34
Shadow
9 of 34
Threshold guardian
5 of 34
Ally
2 of 34
Hero
1 of 34
Herald
1 of 34
Shapeshifter
1 of 34
Show the 34 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
38
Melancholic
18
Hopeful
13
Dread
8
Romantic
9
Other
39

How their films linger

Hopeful23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous3

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 Dean Jagger's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 23 of their 56 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dean Jagger'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

123 credits, 56 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • 'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Major General Thomas F. Waverly (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Evil Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Doctor Schaeffer

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as David Domedion

  • Alligator(1980)

    as Slade

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Gideon's Trumpet(1980)

    as 6th Supreme Court Justice

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Game of Death(1978)

    as Dr. Land

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • End of the World(1977)

    as Ray Collins

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case(1976)

    as Koehler

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Shagetz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Dr. Shagetz

  • Harry O (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Great Lester Boggs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Actor

  • The Hanged Man(1974)

    as Josiah Lowe

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • I Heard the Owl Call My Name (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Jim Wallace

  • The Lie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Arnold Edgarton

  • The Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Carl Webster

  • So Sad About Gloria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Frederick Wellman

  • Kung Fu(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Henry Raphael Caine

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Delphi Bureau (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Quick

  • The Waltons(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor Bowen

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Delphi Bureau: The Merchant of Death Assignment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Matthew Keller

  • The Glass House(1972)

    as Warden Auerbach

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Columbo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Walter Cannell

  • Incident in San Francisco(1971)

    as Sam Baldwin

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Vanishing Point(1971)

    as Prospector

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Alias Smith and Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Partridge Family(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • The Brotherhood of the Bell(1970)

    as Chad Harmon

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Kremlin Letter(1970)

    as Highwayman

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Tiger by the Tail(1970)

    as Top Polk

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Lonely Profession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Charles Van Cleve

  • Medical Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Smith!(1969)

    as Judge James C. Brown

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Day of the Evil Gun(1968)

    as Jimmy Noble

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Firecreek(1968)

    as Whittier

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • First to Fight(1967)

    as Colonel Baseman

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Bishop John Atwood

  • Mr. Novak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 60 episodes · as Principal Albert Vane

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Tony Donovan

  • Billy Rose's Jumbo(1962)

    as John Noble

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as George Davies

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Gen. John Sparrow

  • The Honeymoon Machine(1961)

    as Admiral Fitch

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Parrish(1961)

    as Sala Post

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Elmer Gantry(1960)

    as William L. Morgan

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Cash McCall(1960)

    as Grant Austen

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Twilight Zone(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Lindsay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Nun's Story(1959)

    as Dr. Hubert Van Der Mal

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • King Creole(1958)

    as Mr. Fisher

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Proud Rebel(1958)

    as Harry Burleigh

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Side of the Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Anton Rojas

  • Forty Guns(1957)

    as Sheriff Ned Logan

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Bernardine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as J. Fullerton Weldy

  • Armored Attack! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as as Rodion Pavlov

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

    as Philip Carleton

  • Three Brave Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as John W. Rogers

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Bert Ensign

  • X: The Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Dr. Adam Royston

  • On the Threshold of Space(1956)

    as Dr. Hugo Thornton

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Red Sundown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Jade Murphy

  • It's a Dog's Life(1955)

    as Mr. Wyndham

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Eternal Sea(1955)

    as Vice-Adm. Thomas L. Semple

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Bad Day at Black Rock(1955)

    as Tim Horn

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • White Christmas(1954)

    as General Waverly

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Private Hell 36 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Police Capt. Michaels

  • Executive Suite(1954)

    as Jesse Q. Grimm

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Loretta Young Show(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Holt

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Robe(1953)

    as Justus

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Adam 'Mister Doc' Darrow

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • It Grows on Trees (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Phil Baxter

  • Denver & Rio Grande(1952)

    as General William J. Palmer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • My Son John (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Dan Jefferson

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as 6th Supreme Court Justice

  • Warpath(1951)

    as Sam Quade

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Gorman

  • Rawhide(1951)

    as Yancy

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Dark City(1950)

    as Captain Garvey

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as John Straley

  • Sierra(1950)

    as Jeff Hassard

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Twelve O'Clock High(1949)

    as Major / Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Stovall

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • C-Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Cliff Holden, alias William Harrah

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Ben Willson

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Burnett

  • Driftwood(1947)

    as Dr. Steve Webster

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Pursued(1947)

    as Grant

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Sister Kenny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Kevin Connors

  • I Live in Grosvenor Square (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Sgt. John Patterson

  • Alaska (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as John Masters

  • When Strangers Marry(1944)

    as Paul Baxter

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The North Star(1943)

    as Rodion Pavlov

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • I Escaped from the Gestapo(1943)

    as Torgut Lane

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Omaha Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as 'Pipestone' Ross

  • Valley of the Sun(1942)

    as Jim Sawyer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Men in Her Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as David Gibson

  • Western Union(1941)

    as Edward Creighton

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Brigham Young(1940)

    as Brigham Young

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Having Wonderful Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Charlie (uncredited)

  • Exiled to Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Charlie Sears

  • Escape by Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as James 'Capper' Regan

  • Song of the City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Paul Herrick

  • Dangerous Number (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Dillman

  • Woman in Distress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Fred Stevens

  • Under Cover of Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Alan Shaw

  • Star for a Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Fritz Lind

  • Pepper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bob O'Ryan

  • Revolt of the Zombies(1936)

    as Armand Louque

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • 13 Hours by Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Hap Waller

  • Woman Trap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as 'Honey' Hogan

  • It's a Great Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Arnold

  • Wanderer of the Wasteland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Adam Larey

  • Men Without Names (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Agent Jones

  • People Will Talk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Bill Trask

  • Car 99 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Trooper Jim Burton

  • Home on the Range(1935)

    as Thurman

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Wings in the Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Top Harmon

  • Behold My Wife! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Pete

  • College Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Coach Robbins

  • You Belong to Me(1934)

    as Military School Instructor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Whoopee!(1930)

    as Deputy (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Handcuffed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Gerald Morely

  • The Woman from Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Jim Coakley

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 123 titles from 1929 to 2000; peak year 1979.

Biggest box office

The Robe (1953)

$36M worldwide

Highest rated

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Vanishing Point (1971)

Film career

19292000

Peak 1979 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting123 of 123: 123 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score61st

By decade

1920s2 · acting1930s23 · acting1940s17 · acting1950s35 · acting1960s16 · acting1970s25 · acting1980s4 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 14% of 28 roles
36515666

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. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Dean Jagger's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 50; across their 49 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 49

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 49

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 49

Midcredits score across 56 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 56 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

Incident in San Francisco (1971)

82nd percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 47 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

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 Dean Jagger's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles25–66 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles0–38 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles5–44 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles26–43 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles13–58 · median 47 · 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 Dean Jagger work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dean Jagger's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Carradine shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles