
Strother Martin
Actor · Died August 1, 1980, aged 61 · Kokomo, Indiana, USA
Strother Martin (March 26, 1919 – August 1, 1980) was an American actor in numerous films and television programs. Martin is perhaps best known as the prison "captain" in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, where he uttered the line, "What we've got here is...failure to communicate."
Biography from TMDB.
- March 26, 1919
- August 1, 1980 (aged 61)
- Kokomo, Indiana, USA
- Actor
- 73 on MovieCove · 143 credits in all
What are Strother Martin's films like?
Across their 32 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
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 3 · Wry 2 · Earnest 27
A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 8 · Dark 14
A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 3
Gentle 7 · Charged 16 · Intense 9
Steady 14 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 4
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 9
Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 0
A split, not a type: Casual 15 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 12 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 9
Resolved 24 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 3
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 6 of 16 analyzed roles.
Show the 16 rolesHide the roles
- Threshold guardianas Mr. Clyde in Brainstorm (1965)
- Tricksteras Trumbull in An Eye for an Eye (1966)
- Shadowas Captain in Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Shadowas Bowen in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
- Tricksteras Bowen in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
- Shadowas Doc Duncan in The Brotherhood of Satan (1971)
- Allyas Lee Cottrill in Fools' Parade (1971)
- Shadowas Rufus Clemens in Hannie Caulder (1971)
- Shadowas Bill Garrett in Pocket Money (1972)
- Shadowas Dr. Carl Stoner in Sssssss (1973)
- Allyas Poe in Hard Times (1975)
- Allyas Billy in The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday (1976)
- Mentoras McGrath in Slap Shot (1977)
- Allyas J.D. Ashcroft in Better Late Than Never (1979)
- Heraldas Parody Jones in The Villain (1979)
- Shapeshifteras George Westinghouse in The Secret Life of Nikola Tesla (1980)
Moods and endings
- Happy5
- Bittersweet19
- Tragic3
- Ambiguous5
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 Strother Martin's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 34 of their 73 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) · actor · free
- Attack (1956) · actor · free
- Hard Times (1975) · actor · free
- McLintock! (1963) · actor · free
- The Big Knife (1955) · actor · free
- Cowboy (1958) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- Bonanza (1959) · actor · free
- The Rebel (1959) · actor · free
- Dragnet (1951) · actor · free
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) · actor · free
- The Doris Day Show (1968) · actor · free
- +9 more
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) · actor · free
- The Twilight Zone (1959) · actor · free
- Perry Mason (1957) · actor · free
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) · actor · free
- I Love Lucy (1951) · actor · free
- McLintock! (1963) · actor · free
- Up in Smoke (1978) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- Dragnet (1951) · actor · free
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) · actor · free
- The Doris Day Show (1968) · actor · free
- Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964) · actor · free
- +3 more
- Perry Mason (1957) · actor
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) · actor
- Attack (1956) · actor
- The Horse Soldiers (1959) · actor
- McLintock! (1963) · actor
- The Texan (1958) · actor
- The Rebel (1959) · actor
- Strategic Air Command (1955) · actor
- The Doris Day Show (1968) · actor
- Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964) · actor
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor
- The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) · actor
- +3 more
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) · actor · free
- The Rockford Files (1974) · actor · free
- McLintock! (1963) · actor · free
- The Texan (1958) · actor · free
- Bonanza (1959) · actor · free
- The Rebel (1959) · actor · free
- Dragnet (1951) · actor · free
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) · actor · free
- The Doris Day Show (1968) · actor · free
- The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday (1976) · actor · free
- An Eye for an Eye (1966) · actor · free
- The Deadly Companions (1961) · actor · free
- +2 more
- Shout! TV, show their 7 titles on Shout! TV
- Howdy, show their 4 titles on Howdy
- ScreenPix, show their 4 titles on ScreenPix
- Best Westerns Ever, show their 3 titles on Best Westerns Ever
- Cineverse, show their 2 titles on Cineverse
- Great American Pure Flix, show their 2 titles on Great American Pure Flix
- Best TV Ever, show their title on Best TV Ever
- Dove Channel, show their title on Dove Channel
- IndieFlix, show their title on IndieFlix
- Midnight Pulp, show their title on Midnight Pulp
- UP Faith & Family, show their title on UP Faith & Family
Subscription and free streaming for Strother Martin'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
143 credits, 73 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Hotwire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Better Late Than Never(1979)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Villain(1979)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Champ(1979)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Nightwing(1979)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Love and Bullets(1979)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Stubby Pringle's Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Steel Cowboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Vega$ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Up in Smoke(1978)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
The End(1978)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Slap Shot(1977)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Rooster Cogburn(1975)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Hard Times(1975)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
One of Our Own(1975)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Baretta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

The Rockford Files(1974)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Movin' On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

Paper Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

Petrocelli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

Sssssss(1973)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Boy and the Bronc Buster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

Hawkins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

Pocket Money(1972)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Flim Flam Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

Hannie Caulder(1971)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Nichols (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

Fools' Parade(1971)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Brotherhood of Satan(1971)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Red Sky at Morning(1971)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Marcus Welby, M.D.(1969)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
The Wild Bunch(1969)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
True Grit(1969)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Doris Day Show(1968)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

It Takes a Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

The Mountains of the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

Cool Hand Luke(1967)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Danny Thomas Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

The Guns of Will Sonnett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

He & She (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

The Flim-Flam Man(1967)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Invaders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

Tarzan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

Nevada Smith(1966)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
An Eye for an Eye(1966)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Harper(1966)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Lost in Space(1965)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows
The Big Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

Run for Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

The Legend of Jesse James (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

The Sons of Katie Elder(1965)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Shenandoah(1965)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Brainstorm(1965)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all filmsProfiles in Courage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Gilligan's Island(1964)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

McLintock!(1963)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

The Lieutenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Showdown(1963)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
The Dakotas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

Stoney Burke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Dick Van Dyke Show(1961)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
The New Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

The Deadly Companions(1961)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Sanctuary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

Pete and Gladys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

The Rebel(1959)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all showsHotel de Paree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

The Twilight Zone(1959)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Bonanza(1959)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
The Horse Soldiers(1959)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Shaggy Dog(1959)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Black Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Lawman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

The Texan(1958)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Bitter Heritage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Jefferson Drum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Cowboy(1958)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Trackdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Perry Mason(1957)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Black Patch(1957)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Copper Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Panic! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

The Black Whip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

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

Attack(1956)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows
Johnny Concho (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

Telephone Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

World Without End(1956)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Target Zero(1955)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Matinee Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Big Knife(1955)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Crossroads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Navy Log (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Kiss Me Deadly(1955)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Strategic Air Command(1955)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Silver Chalice(1954)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Drum Beat(1954)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

A Star Is Born(1954)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Studio 57 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Lassie(1954)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
The Lone Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

World for Ransom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

South Sea Woman(1953)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The Magnetic Monster(1953)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Androcles and the Lion(1952)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Four Star Playhouse(1952)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
Storm Over Tibet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Chevron Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

Dangerous Assignment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

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

Dragnet(1951)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
I Love Lucy(1951)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

The Red Badge of Courage(1951)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Rhubarb(1951)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Damned Don't Cry(1950)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
The Asphalt Jungle(1950)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 143 titles from 1950 to 1980; peak year 1970.

Biggest box office
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Highest rated
Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Most popular right now
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Film career
Peak 1970 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 7 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.
- 1953Screen debut· The Magnetic Monster
- 1971First top-billed film· The Brotherhood of Satan
- 1977Career best· Slap Shot
Billing
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 Strother Martin's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 57; across their 32 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up30
- 50th to 74th22
- 25th to 49th15
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
38 of their 73 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved14
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser38
- Broadly Agreed6
- Mixed14
Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 47. 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 Strother Martin's work okay for kids?
Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most 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 Strother Martin work with?
People who share at least 2 of Strother Martin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Paul Newman shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Stuart RosenbergShared titles: Love and Bullets (1979), Pocket Money (1972), Cool Hand Luke (1967)See all 3 shared titles with Stuart Rosenberg

- Sam PeckinpahShared titles: The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), The Wild Bunch (1969), The Deadly Companions (1961)See all 3 shared titles with Sam Peckinpah

- George Roy HillShared titles: Slap Shot (1977), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)See all 2 shared titles with George Roy Hill

Writers
- Hal DresnerShared titles: Sssssss (1973), Cool Hand Luke (1967)See all 2 shared titles with Hal Dresner
- Marguerite RobertsShared titles: Red Sky at Morning (1971), True Grit (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Marguerite Roberts
Actors
- Paul NewmanShared titles: Slap Shot (1977), Pocket Money (1972), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Cool Hand Luke (1967)See all 4 shared titles with Paul Newman

- L.Q. JonesShared titles: The Brotherhood of Satan (1971), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), Showdown (1963), Target Zero (1955)See all 4 shared titles with L.Q. Jones

- Charles BronsonShared titles: Love and Bullets (1979), Hard Times (1975), Target Zero (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Charles Bronson

- Lee MarvinShared titles: The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday (1976), Pocket Money (1972), Attack (1956)See all 3 shared titles with Lee Marvin

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Lucien BallardShared titles: The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), The Wild Bunch (1969), True Grit (1969), An Eye for an Eye (1966)See all 4 shared titles with Lucien Ballard

- Lou LombardoShared titles: Up in Smoke (1978), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), The Wild Bunch (1969)See all 3 shared titles with Lou Lombardo
- Jerry GoldsmithShared titles: The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), The Flim-Flam Man (1967), Black Patch (1957)See all 3 shared titles with Jerry Goldsmith

- Bobby ByrneShared titles: The Villain (1979), The End (1978)See all 2 shared titles with Bobby Byrne

Producers
- Paul MaslanskyShared titles: The Villain (1979), Hard Times (1975)See all 2 shared titles with Paul Maslansky
- Lawrence GordonShared titles: The End (1978), Hard Times (1975)See all 2 shared titles with Lawrence Gordon

- John ForemanShared titles: Pocket Money (1972), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)See all 2 shared titles with John Foreman
- Hal B. WallisShared titles: Red Sky at Morning (1971), True Grit (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Hal B. Wallis

Mixed roles
- Richard CrennaShared titles: Better Late Than Never (1979), Red Sky at Morning (1971)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Crenna

- Henry HathawayShared titles: True Grit (1969), An Eye for an Eye (1966)See all 2 shared titles with Henry Hathaway




