Skip to content
MovieCove
Raymond Massey

Raymond Massey

Actor · Died July 29, 1983, aged 86 · Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor known for his commanding stage-trained voice. For his lead role in Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He reprised his role as Lincoln on TV and in How the West Was Won (1962). Among his other well-known roles were Dr Gillespie in the NBC TV series Dr Kildare (1961–1966), John Brown in Santa Fe Trail (1940), Seven Angry Men (1955), Abraham Farlan in A Matter of Life and Death (1946), and Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 30, 1896
Died
July 29, 1983 (aged 86)
From
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 82 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 34% in 30 days

What are Raymond Massey's films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Biography 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
37%
Bonds
16%
Self
16%
Survival
12%
Power
12%
Society
5%
Ideas
2%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 11 · Dark 12

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 18 · Intense 10

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

Steady 15 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 22 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 22 · 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 18 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 11 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

24 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 10 of 24 analyzed roles.

Shadow
10 of 24
Threshold guardian
4 of 24
Hero
3 of 24
Mentor
3 of 24
Shapeshifter
2 of 24
Ally
1 of 24
Herald
1 of 24
Show the 24 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
24
Romantic
10
Dread
8
Thrilling
7
Hopeful
8
Other
30

How their films linger

Rousing11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet18
  • Ambiguous4

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 Raymond Massey's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Raymond Massey'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

82 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Waiting for Hockney(2008)

    as Chauvelin

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • My Darling Daughters' Anniversary(1973)

    as Matthew Cunningham

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The President's Plane Is Missing(1973)

    as Secretary of State Freeman Sharkey

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • All My Darling Daughters(1972)

    as Matthew Cunningham

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Walt Whitman: Poet for a New Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Abraham Lincoln

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Archie Dittman (segment "Clean Kills and Other Trophies") · as Dr. Glendon

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Mackenna's Gold(1969)

    as The Preacher

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Saint Joan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as The Inquisitor

  • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as B. Elzie Bubb

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Narrator

  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    as Abraham Lincoln

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Jacqueline Kennedy's Asian Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Narrator

  • The Queen's Guards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Actor

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

    Show 191 episodes · as Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie

  • The Fiercest Heart(1961)

    as Willem Prisloom

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Great Impostor(1960)

    as Abbott Donner

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Insight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Adventures in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain William Brooks

  • Riverboat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Sir Oliver Garnett

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Amos Claypool

  • The Naked and the Dead(1958)

    as General Cummings

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Wagon Train(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Montezuma IX

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Omar Khayyam(1957)

    as The Shah

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

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

    as The Prime Minister

  • The True Story of the Civil War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Narrator

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

    Show 1 episode · as Malachi West

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Writer · as Sir George Sidney, MP

  • The Naked Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Narrator (voice)

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

    Show 1 episode · as George Apley

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Sam Pine

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • East of Eden(1955)

    as Adam Trask

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Seven Angry Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as John Brown

  • Battle Cry(1955)

    as Major General Snipes

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Prince of Players (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Junius Brutus Booth

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Doc Woodward · as Sir George Sidney

  • The American Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Narrator

  • The Desert Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Sheik Yousseff

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

    Show 1 episode · as Lord Hook · as Paul von Hindenburg

  • Carson City(1952)

    as Big Jack Davis

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as The Inquisitor

  • Come Fill the Cup(1951)

    as John Ives

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • David and Bathsheba(1951)

    as Nathan

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Sugarfoot(1951)

    as Jacob Stint

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Dallas(1950)

    as Will Marlow

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Abe Lincoln

  • Challenge: Science Against Cancer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Narrated by (voice)

  • Barricade(1950)

    as Boss Kruger

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Chain Lightning(1950)

    as Leland Willis

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Clark Evans · as Dr. Henry Craig · as Judge Benton

  • Roseanna McCoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Old Randall McCoy

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Fountainhead(1949)

    as Gail Wynand

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Ford Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Ford Theatre Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Clinton Jones

  • Mourning Becomes Electra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Ezra Mannon

  • Possessed(1947)

    as Dean Graham

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • A Matter of Life and Death(1946)

    as Abraham Farlan

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • God Is My Co-Pilot(1945)

    as Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Hotel Berlin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Arnim von Dahnwitz

  • The Woman in the Window(1944)

    as Dist. Attorney Frank Lalor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Arsenic and Old Lace(1944)

    as Jonathan Brewster

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Action in the North Atlantic(1943)

    as Capt. Steve Jarvis

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Desperate Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Major Otto Baumeister

  • Reap the Wild Wind(1942)

    as King Cutler

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Dangerously They Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Dr. Ingersoll

  • The 49th Parallel(1941)

    as Andy Brock

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Santa Fe Trail(1940)

    as John Brown

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Abe Lincoln in Illinois(1940)

    as Abe Lincoln

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Black Limelight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Peter Charrington

  • The Drum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Prince Ghul

  • The Hurricane(1937)

    as DeLaage

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Prisoner of Zenda(1937)

    as Black Michael

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Under the Red Robe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Cardinal Richelieu

  • Fire Over England(1937)

    as King Philip II of Spain

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Dreaming Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Miguel del Vayo

  • Things to Come(1936)

    as John Cabal / Oswald Cabal

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Scarlet Pimpernel(1934)

    as Chauvelin

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Old Dark House(1932)

    as Philip Waverton

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Face at the Window (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Paul le Gros

  • The Speckled Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Sherlock Holmes

  • The Crooked Billet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Actor

  • High Treason (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Member of Federated States Council

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 81 titles from 1929 to 1973; peak year 1961.

Biggest box office

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)

$420K worldwide

Highest rated

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

East of Eden (1955)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19291973

Peak 1961 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 14 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
Acting81 of 81: 80 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thWriting1 of 81: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s13 · acting1940s19 · acting1950s32 · 32 acting · 1 crew1960s11 · acting1970s5 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 7% of 27 roles
32424752

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 Raymond Massey's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th9

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 40 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

My Darling Daughters' Anniversary (1973)

80th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 45. 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 Raymond Massey's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles27–43 · median 31 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles7–29 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 7 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles32–42 · median 37 · 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 Raymond Massey work with?

People who share at least 2 of Raymond Massey's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Max Steiner shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles