Official Sites. [citation needed], Howard died in 1995 of heart failure at the age of 81 in Santa Rosa, California. The show was not on that night, so the scout decided to go and see a production at the local university. |  due in part to Howard's insouciant playing". While serving on the minesweeper YMS - 24 as the XO (executive officer) his ship hit a mine. He also appeared in many television series and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [2] The film was a huge success and really established Howard, who later said "without Lost Horizon I doubt very much whether I would have survived in Hollywood".[5]. During the invasion of southern France the ship was severely damaged by a mine that killed her captain. For his actions he was awarded both the United States' Navy Cross[10] and the French Croix de Guerre. [6], At RKO, Howard did Hitting a New High (1937) with Lily Pons and Jack Oakie.

It remains one of his best known films. 2 No. Small roles followed in Car 99 (1935) and Four Hours to Kill! ", - IMDb Mini Biography By: According to Shipman, Howard "proved himself a resourceful, debonair and witty player, in his double-breasted suits and trilbies an admirable choice. Howard took command and fought valiantly to save his ship and crew, even jumping into the sea to rescue a wounded sailor. [1], One night, a talent scout from Paramount was in Cleveland to see the local stock company. Howard was borrowed by Universal for the lead in Let Them Live (1937). - IMDb Mini Biography By:

According to David Shipman, "Howard..., was tried out in various capacities – supporting roles in As, leads in Bs, and on loan-outs.

American voice actor, actor, comedian, and impressionist. Tom Weaver .

He appeared uncredited in One Hour Late (1934). If you've binged every available episode of the hit Disney Plus series, then we've got three picks to keep you entertained.

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He changed his name to John Howard and had a bigger part in Annapolis Farewell (1935). In his first performance as Drummond, Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937), Howard took second billing to John Barrymore who played Drummond's colleague. He had the lead in a series, Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal (1955–57) which ran for several years. These last could be significant: the smaller studios had restricted contract lists and were prepared to pay well to borrow good-looking guys whose acting consisted mainly of not bumping into the furniture". It was filmed in 1947 but not shown for several years later.[11][12][13]. The first of the actors to play the role, Ray Milland, was in Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937).

At RKO, he supported Adolphe Menjou and Gloria Swanson in Father Takes a Wife (1941), then at Columbia he was Joan Blondell's leading man in Three Girls About Town (1941). The captain was killed. The good-looking and personable young Howard soon became a contract player for Paramount, working in a dozen pictures before getting his first memorable role as Ronald Colman's younger brother in Lost Horizon. During World War II Howard served as Executive Officer of the USS YMS-24, a minesweeper. Jim Beaver , Other Works He soon took over for Colman in the popular Bulldog Drummond series of films, starring in seven of the features (1937–39), and maintaining the film version of the detective as far more sophisticated than the original print character. Back at Paramount, he supported Bob Burns and Martha Raye in Mountain Music (1937). [14], Howard was in Models Inc. (1952 film) (1952) and Make Haste to Live (1954) and guest starred on Schlitz Playhouse, Suspense, Four Star Playhouse, and The Loretta Young Show. He was awarded the Navy Cross by the U.S. Navy, and the Croix de Guerre by France. John Howard, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (From left) John Howard, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (1940). A native Ohioan, John Howard (born John R. Cox, Jr.) had no interest in working in theater until schoolmates at Cleveland's Western Reserve University turned him on to acting. He and his wife Eva had four children, Daniel, Deborah, Dale, and Deirdre. At Paramount, he supported Basil Rathbone in The Mad Doctor (1941), then Universal gave him the lead in Tight Shoes (1941). This took place off the coast of Marseille, France while the ship took part in a deception action in Aug. of 1944. The Best Actresses and Actors - Born in the 1910s, Moochie of Pop Warner Football: From Ticonderoga to Disneyland, Moochie of Pop Warner Football: Pee Wees Versus City Hall. Howard supported John Wayne in The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) for Republic and had the lead in Radar Secret Service (1950) for the low budget Lippert Pictures. Paramount promoted him to a leading man in just his fourth film, Millions in the Air (1935), though it was a "B" movie. Paramount put him in an "A" feature, 13 Hours by Air (1936), and he was fourth billed in the credits. (1935). A native Ohioan, John Howard (born John R. Cox, Jr.) had no interest in working in theater until schoolmates at Cleveland's Western Reserve University turned him on to acting.

Howard made his Broadway debut in 1953 in Hazel Flagg where he met his future wife, the ballerina and actress Eva Ralf. [1], Howard's first memorable role came on loan out to Columbia: as Ronald Colman's younger brother in Lost Horizon (1937), directed by Frank Capra.

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He died in 1995, survived by his actress-ballerina wife Eva Ralf and their four children. Upon his return to Hollywood, Howard struggled to re-establish himself. A native Ohioan, John Howard (born John R. Cox, Jr.) had no interest in working in theater until schoolmates at Cleveland's Western Reserve University turned him on to acting. John Howard was born. He formed a friendship with Fred MacMurray, star of the TV series My Three Sons, and was a regular guest star on the show, playing MacMurray's boss. He also gave private lessons in celestial navigation. Howard was top billed in Republic Pictures' A Tragedy at Midnight (1942). A native Ohioan, John Howard (born John R. Cox, Jr.) had no interest in working in theater until schoolmates at Cleveland's Western Reserve University turned him on to acting. In time, Howard moved into the field of specialized education. Columbia used him in Penitentiary (1938) with Walter Connolly.

[14], Howard's 1960s acting work included guest spots on Lawman, Wagon Train, Men into Space, Cheyenne, The Magical World of Disney, The Americans, Outlaws, Gunslinger, Lock Up, Bronco, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, Rawhide, Hawaiian Eye, Perry Mason, Branded, Profiles in Courage, Days of Our Lives, and The Lucy Show, and The Legend of Jesse James.[14]. "[1], He and Lew Ayres were in a buddy comedy, Hold 'Em Navy (1937), then he and Barrymore were in Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937). Howard played Bulldog Drummond in seven films which were produced by Paramount. "Half Hour Video Films Shot in 2 Days, Cost $10,000", Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Full Text Citations For Award of The Navy Cross To U.S. Navy Personnel World War II", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Howard_(American_actor)&oldid=976959959, Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States), Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France), Articles needing additional references from March 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, episodes: Moochie of Pop Warner Football: Pee Wees Versus City Hall & Moochie of Pop Warner Football: From Ticonderoga to Disneyland, episodes: Office Mother & Douglas a Go-Go & Charley, the Pigeon & From Maggie with Love & Whatever Happened to Baby Chip? Howard was in Touchdown, Army (1938), Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1939), Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police (1939), Grand Jury Secrets (1939), and Bulldog Drummond's Bride (1939), the last in the series. Howard served in the United States Navy as a lieutenant during World War II, later becoming an executive officer aboard the minesweeper USS YMS-24, aboard which he participated in landing operations at the Allied invasion of Sicily, Allied invasion of Italy, and Anzio, and deception operations against the island of Sardinia and in "Operation Dragoon" on the South coast of Vichy France.