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Jean Negulesco

Jean Negulesco

Director, also writer and producer · Died July 18, 1993, aged 93 · Craiova, Dolj, Romania

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jean Negulesco (26 February 1900 – 18 July 1993) was a Romanian-born American film director and screenwriter. Born in Craiova, he attended Carol I High School. In 1915 he moved to Vienna, in 1919 to Bucharest, where he worked as a painter, before becoming a stage decorator in Paris. In 1927 he went to New York City for an exhibition of his paintings, and settled there. In 1934 he entered the film industry, first as a sketch artist, then as an assistant producer, second unit director and in the late 1930s he became a director and screenwriter. He made a reputation at Warner Brothers by directing short subjects, particularly a series of band shorts featuring unusual camera angles and dramatic use of shadows and silhouettes. Negulesco's first feature film as director was Singapore Woman (1941). In 1948 he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing for Johnny Belinda. In 1955, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Film for How to Marry a Millionaire. His 1959 movie The Best of Everything was on Entertainment Weekly's "Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time" list. From the late 1960s, he lived in Marbella, Spain. He died there at age 93, of heart failure. During his Hollywood career and in his 1984 autobiography, Negulesco claimed to have been born on 29 February 1900; he was apparently motivated to make this statement because birthdays on Leap Year Day are comparatively rare. In fact, 1900 was not a leap year, so there was no 29 February in 1900. Negulesco's autobiography (in which this claim appears) is appropriately titled Things I Did and Things I Think I Did. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jean Negulesco, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 26, 1900
Died
July 18, 1993 (aged 93)
From
Craiova, Dolj, Romania
Works as
Director, also writer and producer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 79 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 22% in 30 days

What are Jean Negulesco's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Adventure 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
Bonds
38%
Morality
28%
Self
11%
Power
8%
Survival
8%
Ideas
6%
Society
1%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 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 8 · Serious 7 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 9 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 11 · Intense 4

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

Steady 9 · 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 13 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 3

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1

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 10 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
13
Romantic
13
Bittersweet
6
Joyful
4
Other
18

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic2
  • 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 Jean Negulesco's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jean Negulesco'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

79 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page.

  • Hello-Goodbye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • The Invincible Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • Biganeh Biya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Editor

  • The Greatest Story Ever Told(1965)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Pleasure Seekers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Jessica(1962)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Best of Everything(1959)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Count Your Blessings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • A Certain Smile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • The Gift of Love(1958)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Boy on a Dolphin(1957)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Wave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • The Rains of Ranchipur(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Daddy Long Legs(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Woman's World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Director

  • Three Coins in the Fountain(1954)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • River of No Return(1954)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • How to Marry a Millionaire(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Scandal at Scourie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director

  • Titanic(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • O. Henry's Full House(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Lure of the Wilderness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director

  • Lydia Bailey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director

  • Phone Call from a Stranger(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Take Care of My Little Girl(1951)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Mudlark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Director

  • Under My Skin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Director

  • Three Came Home(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Forbidden Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director

  • Road House(1948)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Belinda(1948)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Deep Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Director

  • Humoresque(1946)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Nobody Lives Forever(1946)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Three Strangers(1946)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Conspirators(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Mask of Dimitrios(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Roaring Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director

  • Over the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Food and Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • The Voice That Thrilled the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Cavalcade of Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Women at War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Hit Parade of the Gay Nineties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • All Star Melody Masters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Three Cheers for the Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • The United States Navy Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • The United States Army Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • The United States Service Bands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Director

  • Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The United States Marine Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Six Hits and a Miss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Spanish Fiesta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The United States Army Air Force Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The Playgirls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • Calling All Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • The Gay Parisian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • A Ship Is Born (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Director

  • At the Stroke of Twelve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Those Good Old Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Hal Kemp and His Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Singapore Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Cliff Edwards and His Buckaroos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Skinnay Ennis and His Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Director

  • Henry Busse and His Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • The Flag of Humanity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director · Screenplay

  • City for Conquest(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Hawk(1940)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Alice in Movieland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Director

  • Rio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Story

  • Swiss Miss(1938)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Beloved Brat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Story

  • Expensive Husbands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Screenplay

  • Fight for Your Lady(1937)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Crash Donovan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Co-Director

  • This Is the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Technical Supervisor

Career shape

A full career of 78 titles from 1932 to 1970.

Biggest box office

River of No Return (1954)

$8.8K worldwide

Highest rated

Johnny Belinda (1948)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Titanic (1953)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing69 of 78: 67 only directing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thWriting6 of 78: 5 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 78: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 78: 1 only editing, 0 with another roleOther crew3 of 78: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s7 · crew1940s44 · crew1950s21 · crew1960s4 · crew1970s2 · 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 Jean Negulesco's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 26; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 26 titles divides audiences: 21 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most loved · director

Johnny Belinda (1948)

Midcredits 94th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 71/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 23 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.

Is Jean Negulesco's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 15 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Jean Negulesco work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jean Negulesco's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alfred Newman shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles