Hal Chester started his career as a child actor in the United States, but in the mid-1950s moved to Britain, where he is remembered as the producer of films including the classic horror Night of the Demon (1957), as well as School for Scoundrels (1960).
Biography from TMDB.
- March 6, 1921
- January 1, 2012 (aged 90)
- Brooklyn, NY
- Producer, actor and writer
- 15 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Known for
What are Hal E. Chester's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
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 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 11
A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 4 · Dark 2
Grounded 11 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 4 · Charged 7 · Intense 2
Steady 6 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0
Casual 9 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 9 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 0
Resolved 11 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy8
- Bittersweet4
- 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 Hal E. Chester's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Hal E. Chester'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
37 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.
School for Scoundrels(2006)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Take a Girl Like You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Take a Girl Like You(1970)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Double Man(1967)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
His and Hers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
School for Scoundrels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
The Two-Headed Spy(1958)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Curse of the Demon(1957)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
The Weapon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
The Bold and the Brave(1956)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Crashout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
The Underworld Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Joe Palooka in Humphrey Takes a Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Joe Palooka in the Counterpunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Smart Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Joe Palooka, Champ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Sea Raiders(1941)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Hit the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Junior G-Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
You're Not So Tough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Boys of the City(1940)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
East Side Kids(1940)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Witness Vanishes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Code of the Streets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Off the Record (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Newsboys' Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Juvenile Court (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Little Tough Guy(1938)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Crime School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Career shape
A full career of 35 titles from 1938 to 2006.
Biggest box office
School for Scoundrels (2006)
Highest rated
Curse of the Demon (1957)
Most popular right now
School for Scoundrels (2006)
Film career
- 1938Screen debut· Crime School
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 Hal E. Chester's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th10
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 15 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 46. 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 Hal E. Chester work with?
People who share at least 2 of Hal E. Chester's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William A. Sickner shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Reginald LeBorgShared titles: Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951), Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Reginald LeBorg
Writers
- Frank TarloffShared titles: The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968), The Double Man (1967)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Tarloff
- Ham FisherShared titles: Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951), Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Ham Fisher
- William LivelyShared titles: Boys of the City (1940), East Side Kids (1940)See all 2 shared titles with William Lively
Actors
- Steve BrodieShared titles: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951)See all 2 shared titles with Steve Brodie
- Eddie GribbonShared titles: Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951), Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Eddie Gribbon
- Dave O'BrienShared titles: Boys of the City (1940), East Side Kids (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Dave O'Brien
- Dennis MooreShared titles: Boys of the City (1940), East Side Kids (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Dennis Moore
Composers and cinematographers
- William A. SicknerShared titles: Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951), Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948), Sea Raiders (1941)See all 3 shared titles with William A. Sickner
- Edward ScaifeShared titles: The Two-Headed Spy (1958), Curse of the Demon (1957)See all 2 shared titles with Edward Scaife
- Lew PorterShared titles: Boys of the City (1940), East Side Kids (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Lew Porter
Producers
- Bernard W. BurtonShared titles: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951), Joe Palooka in Winner Take All (1948)See all 3 shared titles with Bernard W. Burton
- Sam KatzmanShared titles: Boys of the City (1940), East Side Kids (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Sam Katzman
