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Alastair Sim

Alastair Sim

Actor · Died August 19, 1976, aged 75 · Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish character actor who appeared in a string of classic British films. He is best remembered in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film Scrooge, and for his portrayal of Miss Fritton, the headmistress in two St. Trinian's films. He was famously described by comedian Ronnie Corbett as a "sad-faced actor, with the voice of a fastidious ghoul", in Corbett's autobiography High Hopes. Description above from the Wikipedia article Alastair Sim, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 9, 1900
Died
August 19, 1976 (aged 75)
From
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 60 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 4% in 30 days

What are Alastair Sim's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Society.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile
: browse their Drama 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
43%
Society
17%
Power
12%
Self
11%
Bonds
10%
Survival
8%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 3 · Dark 2

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 11 · Intense 1

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

A split, not a type: Steady 8 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 7 · 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 2 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 4 of 10 analyzed roles.

Trickster
4 of 10
Hero
3 of 10
Mentor
1 of 10
Shadow
1 of 10
Ally
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Warm
5
Joyful
5
Absurd
4
Contemplative
4
Other
11

How their films linger

Fun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet5
  • 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 Alastair Sim's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Alastair Sim'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

60 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • To See Such Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Rogue Male(1976)

    as The Earl

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Littlest Horse Thieves(1976)

    as Lord Harrogate

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Royal Flash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Mr. Greig

  • The Prodigal Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Father Perfect

  • The General's Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • The Ruling Class(1972)

    as Bishop Lampton

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • A Christmas Carol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Scrooge (voice)

  • Play for Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Cold Comfort Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 3 episodes · as Amos Starkadder

  • Misleading Cases (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 19 episodes · as Mr Swallow

  • The Millionairess(1960)

    as Sagamore

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • School for Scoundrels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as S. Potter

  • Left Right and Centre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Lord Wilcot

  • The Doctor's Dilemma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Cutler Walpole

  • Blue Murder at St. Trinian's(1957)

    as Miss Amelia Fritton

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

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

    as Hawkins

  • The Anatomist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Dr. Knox

  • Geordie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as The Laird

  • Festival in Edinburgh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Narrator

  • Escapade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Dr. Skillingworth

  • The Belles of St. Trinian's(1954)

    as Millicent Fritton / Clarence Fritton

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • An Inspector Calls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Inspector Poole

  • Innocents in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Sir Norman Barker

  • Folly to Be Wise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Capt. William Paris

  • A Christmas Carol(1951)

    as Ebenezer Scrooge

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bikini Baby(1951)

    as Hawtrey Murington (Optimum Films) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Laughter in Paradise(1951)

    as Deniston Russell

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Happiest Days of Your Life(1950)

    as Wetherby Pond

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Stage Fright(1950)

    as Commodore Gill

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Dulcimer Street(1948)

    as Mr. Squales

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Captain Boycott (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Father McKeogh

  • Hue and Cry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Felix H. Wilkinson

  • Green for Danger(1946)

    as Inspector Cockrill

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Waterloo Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Dr. Montgomery

  • Let the People Sing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Professor Ernst Kronak

  • Bombsight Stolen(1941)

    as Charles Dimble

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Sergeant Bingham

  • Law and Disorder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Samuel Blight

  • Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Sergeant Bingham

  • The Mysterious Mr. Davis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Theodore F. Wilcox

  • This Man in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Macgregor

  • Inspector Hornleigh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Sergeant Bingham

  • Climbing High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Max

  • This Man Is News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as MacGregor

  • Alf's Button Afloat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as The Genie of the Button

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

    as 'Soapy' Marx

  • Sailing Along (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Sylvester

  • Murder on Diamond Row(1937)

    as Joshua Collie

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Gangway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Detective Taggett

  • Strange Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as 'Pop' Lawler

  • A Romance in Flanders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Colonel Wexton

  • The Man in the Mirror(1936)

    as Interpreter

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Keep Your Seats, Please (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as A. S. Drayton

  • Troubled Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mac MacTavish

  • The Big Noise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Finny

  • Late Extra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as MacPherson

  • The Private Secretary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mr. Nebulae

  • A Fire Has Been Arranged (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Cutte

  • The Riverside Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Police Sergeant 'Mac' McKay

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 60 titles from 1935 to 1977; peak year 1971.

Biggest box office

Stage Fright (1950)

$511 worldwide

Highest rated

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

19351977

Peak 1971 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 5 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
Acting60 of 60: 60 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1930s21 · acting1940s9 · acting1950s17 · acting1960s4 · acting1970s9 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 53% of 15 roles
4656

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 Alastair Sim's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 16 titles divides audiences: 11 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed1

Most loved · actor

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 80/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 61. 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.

Who does Alastair Sim work with?

People who share at least 2 of Alastair Sim's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Launder shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles