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Stirling Silliphant

Stirling Silliphant

Writer and producer, also director · Died April 26, 1996, aged 78 · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Stirling Dale Silliphant (January 16, 1918 – April 26, 1996) was an American screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his screenplay for In the Heat of the Night, for which he won an Academy Award in 1967, and for creating the television series Naked City, Perry Mason, and Route 66. Other features as screenwriter include the Irwin Allen productions The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure. Description above from the Wikipedia article Stirling Silliphant, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 15, 1918
Died
April 26, 1996 (aged 78)
From
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Works as
Writer and producer, also director
Titles
39 on MovieCove · 67 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 26Down 30% in 30 days

What are Stirling Silliphant's films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
Morality
35%
Survival
24%
Society
12%
Bonds
11%
Self
9%
Power
5%
Ideas
4%
Survival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 9 · Dark 15

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 21 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 16 · Intense 16

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

Steady 13 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 24 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 14 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 4

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

Easy watch 8 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 9

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

Resolved 27 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
26
Thrilling
11
Melancholic
13
Dread
7
Warm
5
Other
22

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous2

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 Stirling Silliphant's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stirling Silliphant'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

67 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page.

  • The General And Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Writer

  • The Grass Harp(1995)

    Co-Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Village of the Damned(1995)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Day of Reckoning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Writer

  • A Stranger in the Mirror(1993)

    Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Salween (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Writer

  • Brotherhood of the Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · Producer

  • The Three Kings(1987)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Catch the Heat(1987)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Over the Top(1987)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Harry's Hong Kong(1987)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Mussolini: The Untold Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 4 episodes · Writer

  • Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 5 episodes · Teleplay

  • Travis McGee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Teleplay

  • Golden Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer

  • Fly Away Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Producer · Writer

  • When Time Ran Out...(1980)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Salem's Lot(1979)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Pearl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Circle of Iron(1978)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Swarm(1978)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Telefon(1977)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Enforcer(1976)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Killer Elite(1975)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Streetkill(1975)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The First 36 Hours of Dr. Durant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Writer

  • The Towering Inferno(1974)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Shaft in Africa(1973)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Time for Love(1973)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Poseidon Adventure(1972)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The New Centurions(1972)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The New Healers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Creator · Producer · Writer

  • Movin' On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Original Series Creator

  • Shaft's Big Score!(1972)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Longstreet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 23 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer

  • Shaft(1971)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Longstreet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Writer

  • Murphy's War(1971)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • A Walk in the Spring Rain(1970)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Liberation of L.B. Jones(1970)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Marlowe(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Charly(1968)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • In the Heat of the Night(1967)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Wings of Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Writer

  • The Slender Thread(1965)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Writer

  • Route 66(1960)

    Show 72 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Village of the Damned(1960)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Lucky(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • The Man from Blackhawk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show Creator

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

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Silent Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Writer

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Lineup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Writer

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

    Screenplay

  • Damn Citizen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Writer

  • Alcoa Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Suspicion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • M Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Nightfall(1956)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

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

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Huk!(1956)

    Novel · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 9 episodes · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • 5 Against the House(1955)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Joe Louis Story(1953)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 64 titles from 1953 to 2017.

Biggest box office

The Towering Inferno (1974)

$116M worldwide

Highest rated

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Over the Top (1987)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 64: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting59 of 64: 48 only writing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score70thProducing13 of 64: 4 only producing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score39thOther crew5 of 64: 1 only other crew, 4 with another role

64 titles, 11 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1950s18 · crew1960s9 · crew1970s22 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s4 · crew2010s1 · crew

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 Stirling Silliphant's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 39 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · writer

A Stranger in the Mirror (1993)

83rd percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Midcredits 98th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 49/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Stirling Silliphant's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles38–67 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles16–56 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles15–55 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles26–51 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles31–72 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most 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 Stirling Silliphant work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stirling Silliphant's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Irwin Allen shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles