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Lee H. Katzin

Lee H. Katzin

Director · Died October 30, 2002, aged 67 · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Lee H. Katzin (April 12, 1935 – October 30, 2002) was an American film director. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and became a TV director in the late 1960s for TV shows that included Bonanza, Mission: Impossible and Police Story. He also directed the 1971 feature film Le Mans. Starting in 1969, he did an array of theatrical films starting with Heaven with a Gun and other films like The Break and the cult classic What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? In 1972, he directed the film The Salzburg Connection, which starred Barry Newman and Anna Karina. In 1975, he directed the launch episode "Breakaway", and other early episodes, of the Gerry Anderson live-action series Space: 1999. He also directed the pilots for the television series Man from Atlantis and Spenser: For Hire. He was primarily known as a prolific episodic television director, and he worked on series such as MacGyver, Police Story, The Young Riders, and Mission Impossible.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 12, 1935
Died
October 30, 2002 (aged 67)
From
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Works as
Director
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 69 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 16% in 30 days

What are Lee H. Katzin's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
40%
Survival
21%
Self
17%
Bonds
11%
Society
8%
Power
2%
Ideas
2%
Survival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 10 · Intense 3

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 8 · 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 4 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 11 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Warm
4
Absurd
4
Melancholic
3
Thrilling
2
Other
11

How their films linger

Fun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous1

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 Lee H. Katzin's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lee H. Katzin'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

69 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The Metamorph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director

  • Restraining Order (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director

  • The Break(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Walker, Texas Ranger(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Raven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • P.S. I Luv U (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Outsiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Jake Spanner, Private Eye(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Young Riders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • In the Heat of the Night(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • World Gone Wild(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • MacGyver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Spenser: For Hire(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Eagle and The Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

  • Partners in Crime(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Miami Vice(1984)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Automan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Yellow Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 10 episodes · Director

  • Emergency Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • The Mississippi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Devlin Connection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Journey Through the Black Sun(1982)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Neighborhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Chicago Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • McClain's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Death Ray 2000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • Alien Attack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop(1980)

    Director

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

  • Samurai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Terror Out of the Sky(1978)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Zuma Beach(1978)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Bastard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • CHiPs(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

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

    Director

  • Man from Atlantis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • The Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • The Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 16 episodes · Director

  • Space: 1999(1975)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Sky Hei$t (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • The Last Survivors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Space: 1999 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Strange Homecoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Savages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Ordeal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • Police Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

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

    Director

  • Voyage of the Yes(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Visions... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • The Salzburg Connection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • McMillan & Wife(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Le Mans(1971)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Phynx(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Along Came a Spider(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Heaven with a Gun(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Mod Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Mission: Impossible - The Slave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Mannix(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Hondo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • Hondo and the Apaches(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Mission: Impossible(1966)

    Show 11 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Felony Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Rat Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 7 episodes · Director

  • Ride Beyond Vengeance(1966)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Wild West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Branded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • Three Blondes In His Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Assistant Director

Career shape

A full career of 69 titles from 1961 to 2026.

Biggest box office

World Gone Wild (1987)

$324K worldwide

Highest rated

Le Mans (1971)

Midcredits 72nd

Most popular right now

Walker, Texas Ranger (1993)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing67 of 69: 67 only directing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thOther crew2 of 69: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1960s14 · crew1970s25 · crew1980s23 · crew1990s6 · 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 Lee H. Katzin's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 32nd percentile, the median of all 17; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

30thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 27 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · director

Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop (1980)

87th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Mission: Impossible (1966)

Midcredits 87th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 56/100 and the pacing 42/100 in their films, across 15 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 Lee H. Katzin work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lee H. Katzin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mark Rodgers shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles