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Jo Swerling

Jo Swerling

Writer · Died October 23, 1964, aged 71 · Berdichev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [now Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine]

Born
April 18, 1893
Died
October 23, 1964 (aged 71)
From
Berdichev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [now Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine]
Works as
Writer
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 57 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 24% in 30 days

What are Jo Swerling's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Crime 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
26%
Self
25%
Power
15%
Society
4%
Survival
4%
Romantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 16 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 14 · Intense 3

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 2

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 15 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 16 · Engaged 7 · 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 7 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Melancholic
11
Romantic
7
Joyful
3
Bittersweet
4
Other
20

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

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 Jo Swerling's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jo Swerling'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

57 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page.

  • King of the Roaring 20's: The Story of Arnold Rothstein(1961)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Guys and Dolls(1955)

    Theatre Play

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Thunder in the East(1952)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • It's a Wonderful Life(1946)

    Additional Writing

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Leave Her to Heaven(1945)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Lifeboat(1944)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Lady Takes a Chance(1943)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Crash Dive(1943)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Pride of the Yankees(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Confirm or Deny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Screenplay

  • New York Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Story

  • Blood and Sand(1941)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Westerner(1940)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Real Glory(1939)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Made for Each Other(1939)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Gone with the Wind(1939)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • I Am the Law(1938)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay

  • Double Wedding(1937)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Pennies from Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Screenplay

  • Love Me Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Screenplay

  • The Whole Town's Talking(1935)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Lady by Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • The Defense Rests (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Sisters Under the Skin(1934)

    Screenplay

  • No Greater Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Once to Every Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Screenplay

  • East of Fifth Avenue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

  • Man's Castle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

  • As the Devil Commands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • The Wrecker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

  • The Woman I Stole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • Below the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Man Against Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Screenplay

  • Washington Merry-Go-Round (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Screenplay

  • War Correspondent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Adaptation

  • Hollywood Speaks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Attorney for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Shopworn(1932)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Love Affair(1932)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Behind the Mask (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Story · Writer

  • Forbidden(1932)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Platinum Blonde(1931)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Miracle Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Screenplay

  • The Good Bad Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Dialogue

  • Carne de Cabaret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Story

  • Dirigible(1931)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Ten Cents a Dance(1931)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Madonna of the Streets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Screenplay

  • Rain or Shine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

  • Ladies Must Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Dialogue

  • Hell's Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Scenario Writer

  • Around the Corner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Dialogue · Story

  • Ladies of Leisure(1930)

    Dialogue · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Melody Lane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Theatre Play

  • Humor Risk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 56 titles from 1921 to 1961.

Biggest box office

Gone with the Wind (1939)

$402M worldwide

Highest rated

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Midcredits 97th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing55 of 56: 54 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thProducing1 of 56: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 56: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s2 · crew1930s41 · crew1940s10 · crew1950s2 · crew1960s1 · 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 Jo Swerling's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of the 24 of 25 with a score; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

None of their 24 titles divides audiences: 16 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed1

Most loved · writer

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 22 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 Jo Swerling's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 17 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Jo Swerling work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jo Swerling's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Harry Cohn shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers