A former railroad worker, Frank McDonald came to Hollywood after a career on the stage as an actor/producer/director. At first hired as a dialogue director, McDonald turned out some scripts and in the mid-'30s began directing. Working for almost every studio in Hollywood at one time or another, he did a lot of work for Republic, grinding out Gene Autry and Roy Rogers westerns, and at the Pine/Thomas "B" unit at Paramount, churning out westerns, action dramas and war pictures. Not entirely comfortable as a director -Evelyn Keyes once said, "I've never seen anyone as terrified of directing as Frank McDonald" - he nevertheless turned out more than 100 pictures in his career.
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- November 9, 1899
- March 8, 1980 (aged 80)
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Director, also writer
- 39 on MovieCove · 131 credits in all
What are Frank McDonald's films like?
Across their 34 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 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 32
Light 27 · Serious 7 · Dark 0
Grounded 23 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 0
Gentle 25 · Charged 9 · Intense 0
Steady 28 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 22 · Funny 3
Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 0
Casual 32 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 32 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 32 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy32
- Bittersweet2
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 Frank McDonald's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 29 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (26).
- Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940) · director · free
- The Range Rider (1951) · director · free
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) · director · free
- Sioux City Sue (1946) · director · free
- Rancho Grande (1940) · director · free
- Gaucho Serenade (1940) · director · free
- My Pal Trigger (1946) · director · free
- Bells of Rosarita (1945) · director · free
- Under Fiesta Stars (1941) · director · free
- Under Nevada Skies (1946) · director · free
- Rainbow Over Texas (1946) · director · free
- The Gene Autry Show (1950) · director · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940) · director
- Sioux City Sue (1946) · director
- Rancho Grande (1940) · director
- Gaucho Serenade (1940) · director
- Bells of Rosarita (1945) · director
- Under Fiesta Stars (1941) · director
- Rainbow Over Texas (1946) · director
- The Gene Autry Show (1950) · director
- Sunset in El Dorado (1945) · director
- Man from Oklahoma (1945) · director · free
- Texans Never Cry (1951) · director
- Timber Queen (1944) · director
- +5 more
- Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940) · director · free
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) · director · free
- Sioux City Sue (1946) · director · free
- Rancho Grande (1940) · director · free
- Gaucho Serenade (1940) · director · free
- Under Fiesta Stars (1941) · director · free
- The Gene Autry Show (1950) · director · free
- Texans Never Cry (1951) · director · free
- The Big Sombrero (1949) · director · free
- One Body Too Many (1944) · director · free
- Flipper (1964) · director · free
- Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947) · director · free
- Shout! TV, show their 9 titles on Shout! TV
- Best Westerns Ever, show their 3 titles on Best Westerns Ever
- IndieFlix, show their 3 titles on IndieFlix
- Best TV Ever, show their 2 titles on Best TV Ever
- Great American Pure Flix, show their 2 titles on Great American Pure Flix
- FilmBox+, show their title on FilmBox+
Subscription and free streaming for Frank McDonald'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
131 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page.
Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Mara of the Wilderness(1965)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Get Smart(1965)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Flipper(1964)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
McHale's Navy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
The Underwater City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
National Velvet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Raymie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
The Purple Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Mantelli e spade insanguinate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Okefenokee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Wanted: Dead or Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Le Imprese di una Spada Leggendaria (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Broken Arrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Phantom Trails (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
The Matchmaking Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
The Tilted Tenderfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Timber Country Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
The Big Tip Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Treasure of Ruby Hills(1955)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Marshals in Disguise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Outlaw's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Two Gun Teacher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Trouble on the Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Thunder Pass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
The Whistler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Border City Rustlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Secret of Outlaw Flats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Six Gun Decision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Two Gun Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Son of Belle Starr (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
The Yellow Haired Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Four Star Playhouse(1952)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
Yukon Gold(1952)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Sea Tiger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
Northwest Territory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Yellow Fin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Yukon Manhunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Father Takes the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
The Range Rider(1951)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Texans Never Cry(1951)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Sierra Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Call of the Klondike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
The Gene Autry Show(1950)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows
Snow Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Apache Chief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Ringside(1949)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Big Sombrero(1949)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Gun Smugglers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
13 Lead Soldiers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
French Leave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Mr. Reckless(1948)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Linda, Be Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
When a Girl's Beautiful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Hit Parade of 1947 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
Sioux City Sue(1946)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Under Nevada Skies(1946)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
My Pal Trigger(1946)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Rainbow Over Texas(1946)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Song of Arizona(1946)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Sunset in El Dorado(1945)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Along the Navajo Trail(1945)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Tell It to a Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Man from Oklahoma(1945)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
The Chicago Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Scared Stiff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Bells of Rosarita(1945)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
One Body Too Many(1944)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Lights of Old Santa Fe(1944)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Sing, Neighbor, Sing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Take It Big (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Gambler's Choice(1944)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Timber Queen(1944)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
O, My Darling Clementine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Hoosier Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Submarine Alert(1943)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Alaska Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Swing Your Partner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
High Explosive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Mountain Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
The Traitor Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Wrecking Crew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Wildcat(1942)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
The Old Homestead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Shepherd of the Ozarks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
No Hands on the Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Tuxedo Junction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Flying Blind(1941)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Under Fiesta Stars(1941)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Country Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Arkansas Judge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Barnyard Follies(1940)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride(1940)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Carolina Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Grand Ole Opry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Gaucho Serenade(1940)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
In Old Missouri (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Rancho Grande(1940)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Forgotten Girls(1940)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)Village Barn Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Jeepers Creepers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Death Goes North (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
They Asked For It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
First Offenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Flirting with Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Freshman Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Over the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Reckless Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Blondes at Work (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
The Adventurous Blonde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Dance Charlie Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Fly Away Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Midnight Court (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Her Husband's Secretary(1937)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Smart Blonde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Isle of Fury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Love Begins at Twenty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
The Song of a Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
The Big Noise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Murder by an Aristocrat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Boulder Dam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)
Broadway Hostess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)
Career shape
A full career of 131 titles from 1935 to 1994.
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 Frank McDonald's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 27th percentile, the median of the 33 of 34 with a score; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 32nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up1
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th12
- Below 25th16
Shape of the crowd
19 of their 38 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser9
- Broadly Agreed9
- Mixed19
Reviewers score the atmosphere 54/100 and the pacing 51/100 in their films, across 30 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.
Who does Frank McDonald work with?
People who share at least 2 of Frank McDonald's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dale Evans shares the most, 9.
Writers
- Maxwell ShaneShared titles: Mr. Reckless (1948), Gambler's Choice (1944), One Body Too Many (1944), Timber Queen (1944), Submarine Alert (1943), Wildcat (1942), Flying Blind (1941)See all 7 shared titles with Maxwell Shane
- Bradford RopesShared titles: Song of Arizona (1946), Gaucho Serenade (1940), Rancho Grande (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Bradford Ropes
- John K. ButlerShared titles: My Pal Trigger (1946), Man from Oklahoma (1945), Sunset in El Dorado (1945)See all 3 shared titles with John K. Butler
- Betty BurbridgeShared titles: Gaucho Serenade (1940), Rancho Grande (1940), Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Betty Burbridge
Actors
- Dale EvansShared titles: My Pal Trigger (1946), Rainbow Over Texas (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Along the Navajo Trail (1945), Bells of Rosarita (1945), Man from Oklahoma (1945), Sunset in El Dorado (1945), Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944)See all 9 shared titles with Dale Evans
- George 'Gabby' HayesShared titles: My Pal Trigger (1946), Rainbow Over Texas (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Along the Navajo Trail (1945), Bells of Rosarita (1945), Man from Oklahoma (1945), Sunset in El Dorado (1945), Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944)See all 9 shared titles with George 'Gabby' Hayes
- Roy RogersShared titles: My Pal Trigger (1946), Rainbow Over Texas (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Along the Navajo Trail (1945), Bells of Rosarita (1945), Man from Oklahoma (1945), Sunset in El Dorado (1945), Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944)See all 9 shared titles with Roy Rogers
- Gene AutryShared titles: Texans Never Cry (1951), The Big Sombrero (1949), Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947), Sioux City Sue (1946), Under Fiesta Stars (1941), Gaucho Serenade (1940), Rancho Grande (1940), Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940)See all 8 shared titles with Gene Autry
Composers and cinematographers
- William BradfordShared titles: Texans Never Cry (1951), The Big Sombrero (1949), Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947), My Pal Trigger (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Along the Navajo Trail (1945), Man from Oklahoma (1945), Sunset in El Dorado (1945)See all 8 shared titles with William Bradford
- R. Dale ButtsShared titles: Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947), My Pal Trigger (1946), Rainbow Over Texas (1946), Sioux City Sue (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Sunset in El Dorado (1945), Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944)See all 8 shared titles with R. Dale Butts
- Mort GlickmanShared titles: Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Along the Navajo Trail (1945), Man from Oklahoma (1945), Sunset in El Dorado (1945), Gambler's Choice (1944), Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944), Under Fiesta Stars (1941)See all 8 shared titles with Mort Glickman
- Joseph DubinShared titles: The Big Sombrero (1949), Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947), Sioux City Sue (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944)See all 6 shared titles with Joseph Dubin
Producers
- William C. ThomasShared titles: Mr. Reckless (1948), Gambler's Choice (1944), One Body Too Many (1944), Timber Queen (1944), Submarine Alert (1943), Wildcat (1942), Flying Blind (1941)See all 7 shared titles with William C. Thomas
- William H. PineShared titles: Mr. Reckless (1948), Gambler's Choice (1944), One Body Too Many (1944), Timber Queen (1944), Submarine Alert (1943), Wildcat (1942), Flying Blind (1941)See all 7 shared titles with William H. Pine
- Armand SchaeferShared titles: Texans Never Cry (1951), The Big Sombrero (1949), Twilight on the Rio Grande (1947), My Pal Trigger (1946), Sioux City Sue (1946), Barnyard Follies (1940)See all 6 shared titles with Armand Schaefer
- Edward J. WhiteShared titles: Rainbow Over Texas (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), Under Nevada Skies (1946), Along the Navajo Trail (1945), Bells of Rosarita (1945)See all 5 shared titles with Edward J. White