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Tony Bill

Tony Bill

Actor, director and producer · Born August 23, 1940 (86) · San Diego, California, USA

Gerard Anthony "Tony" Bill (born August 23, 1940) is an American actor, producer, and director. He produced the 1973 movie The Sting, for which he shared the Academy Award for Best Picture with Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips. He majored in English and art at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, from which he graduated in 1962. Bill began his career as an actor in the 60s, first appearing on screen as Frank Sinatra's ingenuous younger brother in Come Blow Your Horn (1963). Bill specialized in likeable but none-too-bright juveniles and young leads. His acting credits include None But the Brave (1965), You're A Big Boy Now (1966), Never a Dull Moment (1968), Ice Station Zebra (1968), Shampoo (1975), The Little Dragons (1980), Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), and Less Than Zero (1987). Bill continued to act in TV-movies, miniseries, and guest spots though with decreasing frequency as he segued into directing. He appeared in the 1966 episode "Chaff In The Wind" of the long running western The Virginian. He then appeared in 1967 episode "The Predators" of NBC's western series The Road West starring Barry Sullivan. In 1980, Bill directed his first film, My Bodyguard. From there he went on to direct Six Weeks (1982), Five Corners (1987), Crazy People (1990) A Home of Our Own (1993), and Flyboys (2006) which Bill claims was one of the first features shot entirely with digital cameras. In television Bill directed Truman Capote's One Christmas, Harlan County War, and Pictures of Hollis Woods, among others. In 2009, Bill published the book Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Film Set. The book traces the etymology of the language of the movie set and is filled out with stories from the Bill's career in film. From 1984-2000, he co-owned with Dudley Moore the celebrated 72 Market Street, a restaurant in Venice, California. He is married to his second wife, the former Helen Buck Bartlett, his producer/partner in Barnstorm Films in Venice. The couple have two daughters, Madeline and Daphne. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tony Bill, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 23, 1940 (86)
From
San Diego, California, USA
Works as
Actor, director and producer
Titles
56 on MovieCove · 92 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 28% in 30 days

What are Tony Bill's films like?

Across their 42 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Bonds
26%
Morality
19%
Self
18%
Survival
12%
Power
11%
Society
9%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 42 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 16 · Serious 12 · Dark 14

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

Grounded 30 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 11 · Charged 17 · Intense 14

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

Steady 19 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 3

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 24 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 6

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 20 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 20 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 1

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 18 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 16

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

Resolved 35 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 6
Hero
1 of 6
Trickster
1 of 6
Herald
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Melancholic
24
Warm
11
Hopeful
14
Joyful
7
Other
28

How their films linger

Bittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous6

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 Tony Bill's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 56 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tony Bill'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

92 credits, 56 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Going in Style(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Crown(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Guardian Editor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Leverage(2008)

    Show 1 episode · Director · as Pierson

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Pictures of Hollis Woods(2007)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Flyboys(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Must Love Dogs(2005)

    as Walter

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Trial by Jury(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Kurt Lascher

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Keen Eddie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Monk(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Last Call(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Glory Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • In the Time of the Butterflies(2001)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • UC: Undercover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Lying in Wait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Detective Mike

  • Harlan County War(2000)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • A Chance of Snow(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Naked City: Justice with a Bullet(1998)

    as Mickey Calvin

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • To Have & to Hold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Felicity(1998)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Families(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Visitor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Oliver Twist(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Beyond the Call(1996)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Barb Wire(1996)

    as Foster

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • High Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • One Christmas(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Next Door(1994)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • A Home of Our Own(1993)

    Director · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Untamed Heart(1993)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Killing Mind(1991)

    as Thomas Quinn

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Crazy People(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Dirty Dancing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Less Than Zero(1987)

    as Bradford Easton

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Five Corners(1987)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • 2 1/2 Dads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Pee-wee's Big Adventure(1985)

    as Terry Hawthorne

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Moonlighting(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · as Scott Huntley

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Mark Lee Reynolds

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Love Thy Neighbor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • The Princess and the Pea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Running Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Paul Corsini

  • Six Weeks(1982)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Brian Whitehill

  • Faerie Tale Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Mike

  • Washington Mistress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Alan

  • Freedom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Richard

  • Portrait of an Escort(1980)

    as Beau Simpson

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Little Dragons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Niles

  • My Bodyguard(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Heart Beat(1980)

    as Dick

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Going in Style(1979)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Boulevard Nights(1979)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Are You in the House Alone?(1978)

    as Neil Osborne

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • With This Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Peter Turner

  • The Initiation of Sarah(1978)

    as Paul Yates

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 14 episodes · Actor

  • Having Babies II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Aaron Canfield

  • Washington: Behind Closed Doors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 6 episodes · as Adam Gardiner

  • Harry and Walter Go to New York(1976)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Ransom of Red Chief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Hearts of the West(1975)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Las Vegas Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Bob

  • Shampoo(1975)

    as Johnny Pope

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Sting(1973)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Steelyard Blues(1973)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Haunts of the Very Rich(1972)

    as Lyle

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Flap(1970)

    as Eleven Snowflake

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Lanton Mills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Mute

  • Castle Keep(1969)

    as Lt. Amberjack

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • How to Steal the World(1968)

    as Steven Garrow

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Never a Dull Moment(1968)

    as Florian

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Ice Station Zebra(1968)

    as Lt. Russell Walker

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • You're a Big Boy Now(1966)

    as Raef del Grado

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Death of a Salesman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Biff

  • Lee Oswald: Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Lee Harvey Oswald

  • BBC Play of the Month (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Biff · as Lee Harvey Oswald

  • Marriage on the Rocks(1965)

    as Jim Blake

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Loner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Jody Merriman

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

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Carson

  • None But the Brave(1965)

    as Air Crewman Keller

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.(1964)

    Show 2 episodes · as Steve Garrow

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Theatre 625 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Grayson Hinks

  • Soldier in the Rain(1963)

    as Jerry Meltzer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Tony Pitts

  • Mr. Novak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Chris Herrod

  • Come Blow Your Horn(1963)

    as Buddy Baker

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Clipper Ellis

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

    Show 1 episode · Actor

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

    Show 6 episodes · as Thomas Hartwood

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Charlie Two

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 92 titles from 1959 to 2017; peak year 1977.

Biggest box office

The Sting (1973)

$156M worldwide

Highest rated

The Sting (1973)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19592017

Peak 1977 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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
Acting54 of 92: 52 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score46thDirecting31 of 92: 26 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score51stProducing12 of 92: 9 only producing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

92 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s22 · acting1970s17 · 10 acting · 7 crew1980s20 · 12 acting · 8 crew1990s16 · 4 acting · 13 crew2000s14 · 4 acting · 11 crew2010s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 11 roles

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.

How do Tony Bill's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 47; across their 42 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Reach · how many have seen their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Midcredits score across 56 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th23
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 56 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed24

Most divisive · director

Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Families (1998)

83rd percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Sting (1973)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 79, 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 Tony Bill's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles16–61 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles25–52 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles20–63 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles31–63 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most 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 Tony Bill work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tony Bill's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Axel Hubert shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles