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Robert M. Young

Robert M. Young

Director, cinematographer, writer and producer · Died February 6, 2024, aged 99 · New York City, New York, USA

Robert Milton Young (November 22, 1924 – February 6, 2024) was an American film and television director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and producer. Young was considered a trailblazer in the independent filmmaking sector and for frequently casting Edward James Olmos in his movies, directing him in Alambrista! (1977), The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982), Saving Grace (1986), Triumph of the Spirit (1989), Talent for the Game (1991), Roosters (1993), Slave of Dreams (1995), and Caught (1996). He produced Olmos's directorial debut, American Me (1992).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 22, 1924
Died
February 6, 2024 (aged 99)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Director, cinematographer, writer and producer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 45 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 5% in 30 days

What are Robert M. Young's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th 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
Self
31%
Morality
27%
Bonds
19%
Society
11%
Survival
9%
Ideas
2%
Purpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 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 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 8

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

Grounded 13 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 5 · 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 6 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

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

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
8
Warm
6
Hopeful
6
Contemplative
5
Other
7

How their films linger

Hopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic1
  • 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 Robert M. Young's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert M. Young'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

45 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page.

  • At the End of the Santa Fe Trail(2025)

    Writer

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

  • The Maze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director

  • Berkeley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Additional Director of Photography

  • Battlestar Galactica(2004)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Human Error (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • China: The Panda Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Caught(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Slave of Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director

  • Solomon & Sheba(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Children of Fate: Life and Death in a Sicilian Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer · Editor

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

    Director

  • American Me(1992)

    Camera Operator · Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Talent for the Game(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Triumph of the Spirit(1989)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Dominick and Eugene (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • We Are the Children(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Extremities(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Saving Grace(1986)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Screenplay

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Writer

  • One-Trick Pony(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Rich Kids(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Alambrista! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Short Eyes(1977)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • To Fly! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Children of the Fields (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • J.T.(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Plot Against Harry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Cinematographer · Producer

  • The Eskimo: Fight for Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, IV: Group Hunting on the Spring Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, IX: Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, V: At the Winter Sea Ice Camp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, VI: Building a Kayak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, VII: Fishing at the Stone Weir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, VIII: Jigging for Lake Trout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Faces of Israel 1966 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimo, III: At the Spring Sea Ice Camp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Netsilik Eskimo, II: At the Caribou Crossing Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Abstraction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Producer

  • Netsilik Eskimos, I: At the Autumn River Camp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • Nothing But a Man(1964)

    Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cortile Cascino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Writer

  • NBC White Paper: Angola – Journey to a War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director · Camera Operator · Writer

  • Sit-In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Secrets of the Reef (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 45 titles from 1956 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Extremities (1986)

$13M worldwide

Highest rated

Nothing But a Man (1964)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

American Me (1992)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing29 of 45: 20 only directing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thWriting10 of 45: 2 only writing, 8 with another roleProducing4 of 45: 0 only producing, 4 with another roleCinematography18 of 45: 10 only cinematography, 8 with another roleEditing2 of 45: 0 only editing, 2 with another roleOther crew2 of 45: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

45 titles, 13 with more than one role — directing and cinematography overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · crew1960s15 · crew1970s8 · crew1980s8 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s4 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · 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 Robert M. Young's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 14; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

At the End of the Santa Fe Trail (2025)

99th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

J.T. (1969)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 74/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 12 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 Robert M. Young work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert M. Young's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Edward James Olmos shares the most, 5.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles