Alistair MacLean
Writer · Died February 2, 1987, aged 64 · Glasgow, Scotland
Alistair Stuart MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacGill-Eain; 21 April 1922 – 2 February 1987) was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers and adventure stories. His works include The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare – all three were made into popular films. He also wrote two novels under the pseudonym Ian Stuart. [from Wikipedia]
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 21, 1922
- February 2, 1987 (aged 64)
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Writer
- 16 on MovieCove · 18 credits in all
What are Alistair MacLean's films like?
Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.
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 12
Light 3 · Serious 7 · Dark 4
A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1
Gentle 0 · Charged 8 · Intense 6
Steady 5 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 3
Casual 1 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 4
Easy watch 10 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 9 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy8
- Bittersweet7
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 Alistair MacLean's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Alistair MacLean'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
18 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page.
Air Force One Is Down(2013)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Detonator(1993)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
River of Death(1989)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
The Hostage Tower(1980)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Bear Island(1979)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Force 10 from Navarone(1978)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Golden Rendezvous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Breakheart Pass(1975)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Caravan to Vaccarès (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
Fear Is the Key(1972)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
When Eight Bells Toll(1971)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Puppet on a Chain(1971)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Where Eagles Dare(1968)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Ice Station Zebra(1968)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
The Satan Bug(1965)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Guns of Navarone(1961)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Secret Ways(1961)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 17 titles from 1961 to 1995.
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 Alistair MacLean's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th5
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
7 of their 16 titles are Broadly Agreed.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Broadly Agreed7
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the dialogue 46/100 and the plot and story 47/100 in their films, across 14 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.
Is Alistair MacLean's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.
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 Alistair MacLean work with?
People who share at least 2 of Alistair MacLean's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Snell shares the most, 4.
Directors
- John SturgesShared titles: Ice Station Zebra (1968), The Satan Bug (1965)See all 2 shared titles with John Sturges
Writers
- Robert CarringtonShared titles: The Hostage Tower (1980), Fear Is the Key (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Carrington
- Don SharpShared titles: Bear Island (1979), Puppet on a Chain (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Don Sharp
- Carl ForemanShared titles: Force 10 from Navarone (1978), The Guns of Navarone (1961)See all 2 shared titles with Carl Foreman
Actors
- Barbara ParkinsShared titles: Bear Island (1979), Puppet on a Chain (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Barbara Parkins
- Richard WidmarkShared titles: Bear Island (1979), The Secret Ways (1961)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Widmark
Composers and editors
- Eric Boyd-PerkinsShared titles: Detonator II: Night Watch (1995), Bear Island (1979)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Boyd-Perkins
- John ScottShared titles: Detonator II: Night Watch (1995), The Hostage Tower (1980)See all 2 shared titles with John Scott
- Ron GoodwinShared titles: Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Where Eagles Dare (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Ron Goodwin
- Jerry GoldsmithShared titles: Breakheart Pass (1975), The Satan Bug (1965)See all 2 shared titles with Jerry Goldsmith
Producers
- Peter SnellShared titles: Air Force One Is Down (2013), Detonator II: Night Watch (1995), The Hostage Tower (1980), Bear Island (1979)See all 4 shared titles with Peter Snell
- Elliott KastnerShared titles: Breakheart Pass (1975), Fear Is the Key (1972), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Where Eagles Dare (1968)See all 4 shared titles with Elliott Kastner
- Jerry GershwinShared titles: Breakheart Pass (1975), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), Where Eagles Dare (1968)See all 3 shared titles with Jerry Gershwin
- Jay KanterShared titles: Fear Is the Key (1972), When Eight Bells Toll (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Jay Kanter