Skip to content
MovieCove
Thomas Mitchell

Thomas Mitchell

Actor, also writer · Died December 17, 1962, aged 70 · Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thomas Mitchell (July 11, 1892 – December 17, 1962) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. Among his most famous roles in a long career are those of Gerald O'Hara, the father of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, the drunken Doc Boone in John Ford's Stagecoach, and Uncle Billy in It's a Wonderful Life. Mitchell was the first person to win an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony Award.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 10, 1892
Died
December 17, 1962 (aged 70)
From
Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Actor, also writer
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 101 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 26Up 22% in 30 days

What are Thomas Mitchell's films like?

Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th 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
25%
Self
14%
Power
13%
Society
10%
Survival
7%
Ideas
6%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 43 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 15 · Serious 16 · Dark 12

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

Grounded 17 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 26 · Intense 9

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

Steady 19 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 4

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 16 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 27 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 0

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

Easy watch 12 · Affecting 21 · Heavy 10

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

Resolved 37 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

38 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 13 of 38 analyzed roles.

Mentor
13 of 38
Ally
9 of 38
Threshold guardian
5 of 38
Shadow
4 of 38
Hero
3 of 38
Trickster
2 of 38
Herald
2 of 38
Show the 38 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
23
Melancholic
21
Warm
11
Hopeful
14
Romantic
12
Other
34

How their films linger

Hopeful20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet21
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

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 Thomas Mitchell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Thomas Mitchell'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

101 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Tracker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Vesser

  • 21 Jump Street(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Lear

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s(1984)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Pocketful of Miracles(1961)

    as Judge Henry G. Blake

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • By Love Possessed(1961)

    as Noah Tuttle

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Islanders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Todd

  • Too Young to Love(1960)

    as Judge Bentley

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Right Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Grover Cleveland

  • Adventures in Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Hubert Willis

  • Laramie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Glencannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 39 episodes · Actor

  • Natchez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Mr. Carson

  • Handle with Care (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Mayor Dick Williston

  • Shirley Temple's Storybook(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Emperor

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • O. Henry Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 20 episodes · Actor

  • The O. Henry Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 2 episodes · as O. Henry

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

    Show 1 episode · as Ben Cary · as Cason Thomas · as Nick Finn

  • Playhouse 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Carson

  • While the City Sleeps(1956)

    as John Day Griffith

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

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

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Miracle on 34th Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Kris Kringle

  • Screen Director's Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Joseph H. Walton

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Kris Kringle

  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as 'Pap' Finn

  • Destry(1954)

    as Reginald T. 'Rags' Barnaby

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Old Man Finn

  • Secret of the Incas(1954)

    as Ed Morgan

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Big Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Blumenau

  • Mayor of the Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 34 episodes · as Mayor Thomas Russell

  • The Backbone of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Fred Tupple

  • The United States Steel Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Silas Lapham

  • Medallion Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Mender McClure

  • The Ford Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Elmo · as Ralph Woodbury · as Silas Burton

  • High Noon(1952)

    as Mayor Jonas Henderson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · as Truman Winters · as William Oliver Gant

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Smith · as Sam Hawkins

  • Journey Into Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Gandy

  • Tales of Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Innkeeper · as Johnny Reynolds, Sr. · as Judge Calvin Cook · as Ralp Burgess · as Robert Baldwin · as Sam Partridge

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Big Wheel(1949)

    as Arthur 'Red' Stanley

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Lights Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alias Nick Beal(1949)

    as Joseph Foster

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Suspense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Paul Morgan · as Henry Brown

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Hank Morgan · as Jack Guzzow · as William Mallory

  • Ford Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Silver River(1948)

    as John Plato Beck

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Romance of Rosy Ridge(1947)

    as Gill MacBean

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Kraft Television Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • High Barbaree(1947)

    as Capt. Thad Vail

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • It's a Wonderful Life(1946)

    as Uncle Billy

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Mirror(1946)

    as Lieutenant Stevenson

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Three Wise Fools (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Terence Alaysius O'Davern

  • Adventure(1945)

    as Mudgin

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Within These Walls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Warden Michael Howland

  • Captain Eddie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Ike Howard

  • The Keys of the Kingdom(1944)

    as Willie Tulloch

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Dark Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Mr. Sydney

  • Casanova Brown(1944)

    Theatre Play

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Wilson(1944)

    as Joseph Tumulty

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Buffalo Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Ned Buntline

  • The Fighting Sullivans(1944)

    as Mr. Thomas F. Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Flesh and Fantasy(1943)

    as Septimus Podgers (segment 2)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Bataan(1943)

    as Cpl. Jake Feingold

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Immortal Sergeant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Sergeant Kelly

  • The Outlaw(1943)

    as Pat Garrett

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Black Swan(1942)

    as Tommy Blue

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Tales of Manhattan(1942)

    as John Halloway

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Moontide(1942)

    as Tiny

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • This Above All(1942)

    as "Monty" Montague

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Song of the Islands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Dennis O'Brien

  • Joan of Paris(1942)

    as Father Antoine

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Out of the Fog(1941)

    as Jonah Goodwin

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Flight from Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Prof. Henry Todhunter

  • The Long Voyage Home(1940)

    as Driscoll

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Angels Over Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Gene Gibbons

  • Our Town(1940)

    as Doc Gibbs

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Three Cheers for the Irish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Peter Casey

  • Swiss Family Robinson(1940)

    as William Robinson

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Gone with the Wind(1939)

    as Gerald O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Little Accident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Theatre Play

  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

    as Diz Moore

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame(1939)

    as Clopin

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Only Angels Have Wings(1939)

    as Kid Dabb

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Stagecoach(1939)

    as Doc Josiah Boone

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Trade Winds(1938)

    as Commissioner Blackton

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Love, Honor and Behave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Dan Painter

  • The Hurricane(1937)

    as Dr. Kersaint

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Make Way for Tomorrow(1937)

    as George Cooper

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • I Promise to Pay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as District Attorney J.E. Curtis

  • Lost Horizon(1937)

    as Henry Barnard

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • When You're in Love(1937)

    as Hank Miller

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Man of the People(1937)

    as William J. Grady

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Life Begins with Love(1937)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Theodora Goes Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Jed Waterbury

  • Adventure in Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Phil Bane

  • Craig's Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Fergus Passmore

  • All of Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • Little Accident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Theatre Play

  • Six Cylinder Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Bertram Rogers

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 100 titles from 1923 to 2001.

Biggest box office

Gone with the Wind (1939)

$402M worldwide

Highest rated

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting96 of 100: 96 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thWriting4 of 100: 4 only writing, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s19 · 16 acting · 3 crew1940s39 · 38 acting · 1 crew1950s33 · acting1960s5 · acting1980s2 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 3% of 33 roles
364146

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 Thomas Mitchell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 44; across their 43 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 43

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 43

Reach · how many have seen their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 43

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up22
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer

Life Begins with Love (1937)

95th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 42 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 50. 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 Thomas Mitchell's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles19–46 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles3–27 · median 5 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles1–21 · median 5 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles30–41 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles17–45 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all 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 Thomas Mitchell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Thomas Mitchell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alfred Newman shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles