Mervyn LeRoy was an American film director, producer, and sometime actor. LeRoy worked in costumes, processing labs and as a camera assistant until he became a gag writer and actor in silent films, including The Ten Commandments in 1923. LeRoy credits Ten Commandments director, Cecil B. DeMille, for inspiring him to become a director: "As the top director of the era, DeMille had been the magnet that had drawn me to his set as often as I could go." LeRoy also credits DeMille for teaching him the directing techniques required to make his own films. His first directing job was with First National Pictures on 1927's No Place to Go. LeRoy ended up working at Warner Bros. after they took control of First National. When his movies made lots of money without costing too much, he became well received in the movie business. He directed two key films which launched Edward G. Robinson into major stardom, the Oscar-nominated critique of tabloid journalism Five Star Final, and the classic gangster film Little Caesar, which made his mark. From that point forward, LeRoy would be responsible for a diverse variety of films as a director and producer. The following year's I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang was also nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Production as was his Anthony Adverse. In 1938 he was chosen as head of production at MGM, where he was responsible for the decision to make The Wizard of Oz. He was responsible for discovering Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Robert Mitchum, and Lana Turner. His 1941 film Blossoms in the Dust was nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. His first big hit as a director with MGM was 1942's Random Harvest which was their biggest of the season earning worldwide rentals of $8 million and for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Directing. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. He hit big again two years later with Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo with rentals of $6 million. In 1951, he scored his biggest hit with Quo Vadis earning worldwide rentals of $21 million as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. In the early 1950s, LeRoy directed such musicals as Lovely to Look At, Million Dollar Mermaid, Latin Lovers and Rose Marie. He returned to Warner Brothers in 1955, where he took over from John Ford as director on Mister Roberts, another big hit, which was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. He also directed films for Warners such as The Bad Seed, No Time for Sergeants, The FBI Story, and Gypsy. He received an honorary Oscar in 1946 for The House I Live In, "for tolerance short subject", and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1976. A total of eight movies Mervyn LeRoy directed or co-directed were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, one of the highest numbers among all directors.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 15, 1900
- September 13, 1987 (aged 86)
- San Francisco, California, USA
- Director and producer, also writer
- 44 on MovieCove · 93 credits in all
What are Mervyn LeRoy's films like?
Across their 43 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 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 41
A split, not a type: Light 19 · Serious 11 · Dark 13
A split, not a type: Grounded 21 · Stylized 18 · Heightened 3
Gentle 12 · Charged 23 · Intense 8
Steady 26 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 22 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 8
A split, not a type: Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 3
Casual 26 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 16 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 11
Resolved 39 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy21
- Bittersweet14
- Tragic5
- 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 Mervyn LeRoy's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 44 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).
- No Time for Sergeants (1958) · director, producer · free
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) · director · free
- Quo Vadis (1951) · director · free
- Little Caesar (1931) · director · free
- Tonight or Never (1931) · director · free
- The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) · director · free
- Without Reservations (1946) · director · free
- Show Girl in Hollywood (1930) · director · free
Subscription and free streaming for Mervyn LeRoy'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
93 credits, 44 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Green Berets(1968)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Moment to Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Mary, Mary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Gypsy(1962)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
A Majority of One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
The Devil at 4 O'Clock(1961)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Wake Me When It's Over(1960)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The FBI Story(1959)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Home Before Dark(1958)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
No Time for Sergeants(1958)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Toward the Unknown(1956)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Bad Seed(1956)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Mister Roberts(1955)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Strange Lady in Town(1955)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Rose Marie(1954)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Latin Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Million Dollar Mermaid(1952)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Lovely to Look At(1952)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Quo Vadis(1951)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
East Side, West Side(1949)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Any Number Can Play(1949)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Great Sinner(1949)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Little Women(1949)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Homecoming(1948)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Desire Me(1947)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Without Reservations(1946)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The House I Live In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Madame Curie(1943)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
You, John Jones! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Random Harvest(1942)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Johnny Eager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Unholy Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Blossoms in the Dust(1941)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Waterloo Bridge(1940)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
At the Circus(1939)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Wizard of Oz(1939)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Stand Up and Fight(1939)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Dramatic School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Fools for Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
The Great Garrick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Mr. Dodd Takes the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
They Won't Forget(1937)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The King and the Chorus Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Three Men on a Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Anthony Adverse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
The Making of a Great Motion Picture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
I Found Stella Parish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Page Miss Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Sweet Adeline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Happiness Ahead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Heat Lightning(1934)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Hi, Nellie(1934)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The World Changes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Tugboat Annie(1933)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Gold Diggers of 1933(1933)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Elmer, the Great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Hard to Handle(1933)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Three on a Match(1932)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Big City Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Two Seconds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
The Heart of New York (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
High Pressure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Local Boy Makes Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Five Star Final(1931)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Broadminded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Too Young to Marry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Gentleman's Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Little Caesar(1931)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Tonight or Never(1931)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Top Speed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Numbered Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Show Girl in Hollywood(1930)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Playing Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Little Johnny Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Broadway Babies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Hot Stuff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Naughty Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Oh Kay! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Harold Teen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Flying Romeos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
No Place to Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Ella Cinders(1926)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Chorus Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Broadway After Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
The Call of the Canyon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Going Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Little Johnny Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Prodigal Daughters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
My American Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Career shape
A full career of 92 titles from 1922 to 1966.
Biggest box office
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Highest rated
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
Most popular right now
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
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 Mervyn LeRoy's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 75th percentile, the median of all 44; across their 43 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up23
- 50th to 74th14
- 25th to 49th7
Shape of the crowd
31 of their 44 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved9
- Crowd Pleaser31
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 51/100 in their films, across 43 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 Mervyn LeRoy's work okay for kids?
Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter 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 Mervyn LeRoy work with?
People who share at least 2 of Mervyn LeRoy's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Harold Rosson shares the most, 8.
Writers
- Robert LordShared titles: Oil for the Lamps of China (1935), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Hard to Handle (1933), Five Star Final (1931), Little Caesar (1931)See all 5 shared titles with Robert Lord
- John Lee MahinShared titles: No Time for Sergeants (1958), The Bad Seed (1956), Quo Vadis (1951)See all 3 shared titles with John Lee Mahin
- George FroeschelShared titles: Rose Marie (1954), Random Harvest (1942), Waterloo Bridge (1940)See all 3 shared titles with George Froeschel
- Andrew SoltShared titles: Lovely to Look At (1952), Little Women (1949), Without Reservations (1946)See all 3 shared titles with Andrew Solt
Actors
- Greer GarsonShared titles: Strange Lady in Town (1955), Desire Me (1947), Madame Curie (1943), Random Harvest (1942), Blossoms in the Dust (1941)See all 5 shared titles with Greer Garson
- Glenda FarrellShared titles: Heat Lightning (1934), Hi, Nellie (1934), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), Little Caesar (1931)See all 4 shared titles with Glenda Farrell
- Parley BaerShared titles: Gypsy (1962), Wake Me When It's Over (1960), The FBI Story (1959)See all 3 shared titles with Parley Baer
- Murray HamiltonShared titles: The FBI Story (1959), No Time for Sergeants (1958), Toward the Unknown (1956)See all 3 shared titles with Murray Hamilton
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Harold RossonShared titles: No Time for Sergeants (1958), The Bad Seed (1956), Toward the Unknown (1956), Strange Lady in Town (1955), Any Number Can Play (1949), Homecoming (1948), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), The Wizard of Oz (1939)See all 8 shared titles with Harold Rosson
- Sol PolitoShared titles: Hi, Nellie (1934), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), Three on a Match (1932), Five Star Final (1931), Show Girl in Hollywood (1930)See all 6 shared titles with Sol Polito
- Herbert StothartShared titles: Desire Me (1947), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Madame Curie (1943), Blossoms in the Dust (1941), Waterloo Bridge (1940)See all 5 shared titles with Herbert Stothart
- Harold F. KressShared titles: Rose Marie (1954), East Side, West Side (1949), Madame Curie (1943), Random Harvest (1942)See all 4 shared titles with Harold F. Kress
Producers
- Sidney FranklinShared titles: Homecoming (1948), Madame Curie (1943), Random Harvest (1942), Waterloo Bridge (1940)See all 4 shared titles with Sidney Franklin
- Hal B. WallisShared titles: Hi, Nellie (1934), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), Five Star Final (1931), Little Caesar (1931)See all 4 shared titles with Hal B. Wallis
- Jack L. WarnerShared titles: They Won't Forget (1937), Hi, Nellie (1934), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)See all 3 shared titles with Jack L. Warner
- Arthur Hornblow Jr.Shared titles: Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), Desire Me (1947)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Hornblow Jr.
