From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joseph Sargent (July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American film director. He directed many television movies, but his best known feature film works are probably White Lightning, MacArthur, Nightmares, and Jaws: The Revenge, with his most popular film being The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. He has won four Emmy Awards. He is the father of anime dubbing voice actress Lia Sargent. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joseph Sargent, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- July 22, 1925
- December 22, 2014 (aged 89)
- Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
- Director, actor and producer
- 48 on MovieCove · 97 credits in all
Known for
What are Joseph Sargent's films like?
Across their 39 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.
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 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 35
Light 5 · Serious 12 · Dark 21
Grounded 28 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2
Gentle 2 · Charged 23 · Intense 13
Steady 17 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 29 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2
Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 1
Casual 13 · Engaged 23 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 9 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 17
Resolved 33 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy9
- Bittersweet26
- Tragic1
- 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 Joseph Sargent's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 48 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) · director · free
- The Love She Sought (1990) · actor, director · free
- The Incident (1990) · director · free
- Mandela and de Klerk (1997) · director · free
- Caroline? (1990) · director · free
- Bojangles (2001) · director · free
- Buck and the Preacher (1972) · director · free
- Memorial Day (1983) · director · free
- White Lightning (1973) · director · free
- Streets of Laredo (1995) · director · free
- Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring (1971) · director, producer · free
- Hustling (1975) · director · free
- +1 more
Subscription and free streaming for Joseph Sargent'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
97 credits, 48 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Ironheart(2025)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all shows
Billionaire Boy(2016)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Sweet Nothing in My Ear(2008)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Sybil(2007)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Warm Springs(2005)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Something the Lord Made(2004)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Out of the Ashes(2003)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Salem Witch Trials (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Bojangles(2001)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Vola sciusciù (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
A Lesson Before Dying(1999)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Crime and Punishment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
The Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
The Long Island Incident(1998)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Miss Evers' Boys(1997)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Mandela and de Klerk(1997)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Streets of Laredo(1995)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
My Antonia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
World War II: When Lions Roared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Abraham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Abraham (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Skylark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Somebody's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Miss Rose White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Never Forget(1991)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
The Love She Sought(1990)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Ivory Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Caroline?(1990)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
The Incident(1990)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Day One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Jaws: The Revenge(1987)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Passion Flower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Of Pure Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
There Must Be a Pony(1986)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Love Is Never Silent(1985)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Terrible Joe Moran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Choices of the Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Memorial Day(1983)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Nightmares(1983)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Tomorrow's Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
The Manions of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Freedom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Coast to Coast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Playing for Time(1980)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Amber Waves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Goldengirl(1979)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
MacArthur(1977)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Friendly Persuasion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Hustling(1975)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Sunshine(1973)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Kojak(1973)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
White Lightning(1973)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Man Who Died Twice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Man on a String(1972)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Buck and the Preacher(1972)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Longstreet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Tribes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Immortal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Sunshine Patriot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
The Hell with Heroes(1968)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Garrison's Gorillas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
The Spy in the Green Hat(1967)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Invaders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Gallegher Goes West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.(1966)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows
Star Trek(1966)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
One Spy Too Many(1966)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Daniel Boone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.(1964)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all showsBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Mr. Novak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Street Fighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Johnny Ringo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
The Twilight Zone(1959)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Johnny Staccato (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Kathy O' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
State Trooper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Navy Log (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Lassie(1954)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
From Here to Eternity(1953)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
I'm the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
I Led Three Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Career shape
A full career of 96 titles from 1951 to 2025.
Biggest box office
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Highest rated
Something the Lord Made (2004)
Most popular right now
Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
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 Joseph Sargent's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 40; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up21
- 50th to 74th13
- 25th to 49th11
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
21 of their 48 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved9
- Universally Panned1
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser21
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed14
Reviewers score the atmosphere 64/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 32 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 Joseph Sargent's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 3 categories sits near the median of all 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 Joseph Sargent work with?
People who share at least 2 of Joseph Sargent's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Brown shares the most, 12.
Writers
- Richard WesleyShared titles: Bojangles (2001), Mandela and de Klerk (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Wesley
- Michael De GuzmanShared titles: Caroline? (1990), Jaws: The Revenge (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Michael De Guzman
- Sam RolfeShared titles: The Spy in the Green Hat (1967), One Spy Too Many (1966)See all 2 shared titles with Sam Rolfe
Actors
- Ned BeattyShared titles: Streets of Laredo (1995), The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973), White Lightning (1973)See all 3 shared titles with Ned Beatty
- William SchallertShared titles: The Incident (1990), Man on a String (1972), Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)See all 3 shared titles with William Schallert
- Dick O'NeillShared titles: There Must Be a Pony (1986), Hustling (1975), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)See all 3 shared titles with Dick O'Neill
- Ed WaterstreetShared titles: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), Love Is Never Silent (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Ed Waterstreet
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Michael BrownShared titles: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), Sybil (2007), Warm Springs (2005), Something the Lord Made (2004), Out of the Ashes (2003), For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000), A Lesson Before Dying (1999), The Long Island Incident (1998), Miss Evers' Boys (1997), Never Forget (1991), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Nightmares (1983)See all 12 shared titles with Michael Brown
- Charles BernsteinShared titles: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), Sybil (2007), Out of the Ashes (2003), The Long Island Incident (1998), Miss Evers' Boys (1997), Caroline? (1990), The Love She Sought (1990), White Lightning (1973)See all 8 shared titles with Charles Bernstein
- Donald M. MorganShared titles: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), Sybil (2007), Something the Lord Made (2004), Out of the Ashes (2003), Bojangles (2001), For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000), A Lesson Before Dying (1999), Miss Evers' Boys (1997)See all 8 shared titles with Donald M. Morgan
- George Jay NicholsonShared titles: The Karen Carpenter Story (1989), MacArthur (1977), Hustling (1975), The Night That Panicked America (1975), White Lightning (1973)See all 5 shared titles with George Jay Nicholson
Producers
- Robert A. HalmiShared titles: Out of the Ashes (2003), Streets of Laredo (1995), The Incident (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Robert A. Halmi
- Anne HopkinsShared titles: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), Love Is Never Silent (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Anne Hopkins
- Marian ReesShared titles: Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008), Love Is Never Silent (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Marian Rees
- Celia D. CostasShared titles: For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000), A Lesson Before Dying (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Celia D. Costas
Mixed roles
- Cedric ScottShared titles: Mandela and de Klerk (1997), Jaws: The Revenge (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Cedric Scott