John Howard (born John Richard Cox Jr.; April 14, 1913 – February 19, 1995) was an American actor. He is best remembered for his roles in the films '' Lost Horizon'' (1937) and '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940). Howard played Bulldog Drummond in seven films which were produced by

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

. He also appeared in many television series and received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

Early life

Born in

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, Howard was a

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

graduate of what now is

Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a Private university, private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University and the Case Institute of Technology. Case ...

. At college he discovered a love for the theater, and took part in student productions. One night, a talent scout from Paramount was in Cleveland to see the local stock company. The show was not on that night, so the scout decided to go and see a production at the local university. He was impressed by Howard in a production of '' John Brown's Body'' and arranged for a screen test.Weaver p 191

Career

Paramount

Howard became a contract player for

under the name of "Jon Cox". He appeared uncredited in '' One Hour Late'' (1934). Small roles followed in '' Car 99'' (1935) and '' Four Hours to Kill!'' (1935). He changed his name to John Howard and had a bigger part in '' Annapolis Farewell'' (1935).

Leading man

Paramount promoted him to a leading man in just his fourth film, '' Millions in the Air'' (1935), though it was a "B" movie. He was second billed in '' Soak the Rich'' (1936), made for Paramount by the team of

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplays and play ...

and Charles MacArthur. Paramount put him in an "A" feature, '' 13 Hours by Air'' (1936), and he was fourth billed in the credits. He starred in '' Border Flight'' (1936) alongside Frances Farmer and had a good part in '' Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936), with Gladys George. Howard also starred in the comedy '' Easy to Take'' (1936) with Marsha Hunt. According to David Shipman, "Howard..., was tried out in various capacities – supporting roles in As, leads in Bs, and on loan-outs. 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".

''Lost Horizon''

Howard's first memorable role came on loan out to Columbia: as

Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...

's younger brother in '' Lost Horizon'' (1937), directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

. Capra had seen him in ''Annapolis Farewell'' and arranged for a screen test. 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".Weaver, Tom ''John Howard Interview'' ''Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Producers and Writers of the 1940s Through 1960s'' McFarland, 2006 p 186 Howard was borrowed by Universal for the lead in '' Let Them Live'' (1937). Back at Paramount, he supported Bob Burns and Martha Raye in '' Mountain Music'' (1937). At RKO, Howard did '' Hitting a New High'' (1937) with Lily Pons and Jack Oakie. Columbia used him in '' Penitentiary'' (1938) with Walter Connolly. He and

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film ''All Quiet on the Western Fro ...

were in a buddy comedy, '' Hold 'Em Navy'' (1937), then Howard supported Lloyd Nolan and Shirley Ross in '' Prison Farm'' (1938) and starred in '' Touchdown, Army'' (1938) and '' Grand Jury Secrets'' (1939).

Bulldog Drummond

Since 1937, Paramount had made a series of "B" movies about daring adventurer Bulldog Drummond. The first of the actors to play the role, Ray Milland, was in '' Bulldog Drummond Escapes'' (1937). Milland was being groomed for more important pictures, so the studio offered the role of the British hero, Captain Hugh Drummond, to John Howard. Howard was himself not British, so he chose not to attempt a British accent, relying instead on diction to get the idea across. In his first performance as Drummond, '' Bulldog Drummond Comes Back'' (1937), Howard took second billing to John Barrymore, who played Inspector Nielson of Scotland Yard. According to Shipman, Howard "proved himself a resourceful, debonair, and witty player, his double-breasted suits and trilbies an admirable choice." Howard continued opposite Barrymore in '' Bulldog Drummond's Revenge'' (1937), and '' Bulldog Drummond's Peril'' (1938). H. B. Warner replaced Barrymore in '' Bulldog Drummond in Africa'' (1938), '' Arrest Bulldog Drummond'' (1939), '' Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police'' (1939), and '' Bulldog Drummond's Bride'' (1939), the last in the series. As Shipman said, about the Drummond films, " hetitles, splendidly, had nothing to do with the plots (since Drummond was never captured, there was nowhere to escape from) and the inconsequence was pleasing... All the while the spider's-web plots (of death threats, disguises, ambushes, sobbing women and booby-trapped motor-cars) hurtled to the screen – under various directors – with superior production values. They are more enjoyable than competitors featuring the Falcon, Charlie Chan, the Lone Wolf, Sexton Blake et al. due in part to Howard's insouciant playing".

''The Philadelphia Story''

Howard made '' What a Life'' (1939) with Betty Grable and '' Disputed Passage'' (1940) with

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the ''Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing C ...

. The latter was a flop at the box office, and Paramount began to cool on Howard.Weaver p 191 Universal borrowed him to play a key role in '' Green Hell'' (1940). MGM used him in '' The Man from Dakota'' (1940), supporting

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

, and '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940), where he played the fiancé of

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

, competing for her amorous attentions with characters played by

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

and

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

. It remains one of his best-known films. Back at Paramount, Howard was top-billed in '' Texas Rangers Ride Again'' (1940). Universal borrowed him to play the leading man in '' The Invisible Woman'' (1941) with Barrymore and Virginia Bruce. At Paramount, he supported Basil Rathbone in '' The Mad Doctor'' (1941), then Universal gave him the lead in '' Tight Shoes'' (1941). At RKO, he supported Adolphe Menjou and

Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...

in '' Father Takes a Wife'' (1941), then at Columbia he was

Joan Blondell Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, estab ...

's leading man in the farce comedy '' Three Girls About Town'' (1941). Howard was top billed in Republic Pictures' '' A Tragedy at Midnight'' (1942). At Columbia, he had the starring role in '' The Man Who Returned to Life'' (1942), and '' Submarine Raider'' (1942), then he did '' Isle of Missing Men'' (1942) for Monogram Pictures. Howard wanted to join the navy, but there was a delay after he signed a contract with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, who put him in '' The Undying Monster'' (1942), in which he was third billed.Weaver p 196

Military service

Howard served in the United States Navy as a lieutenant during World War II, later becoming an executive officer aboard the

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

USS ''YMS-24'', aboard which he participated in landing operations at the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis p ...

Allied invasion of Italy The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allies of World War II, Allied Amphibious warfare, amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place from 3 September 1943, during the Italian campaign (World War II), Italian campaign of World War II. T ...

, and Anzio, and deception operations against the island of Sardinia and in "

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil), known as Débarquement de Provence in French ("Provence Landing"), was the code name for the landing operation of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15Augu ...

" on the South coast of

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

. During 'Operation Dragoon' off the French coast on August 16, 1944 USS ''YMS-24'' struck a sea mine, the blast killing its captain and severely damaging the ship. Howard took command and fought to save the ship, jumping into the sea several times to save crew members who had fallen overboard. For his actions he was awarded both the United States' Navy Cross and the French Croix de Guerre.

Return to acting

Upon his return to Hollywood, Howard struggled to re-establish himself. He was told that Fox had no projects for him, so he ended his contract with them to do a play -- which closed out of town. "It was a long, long period of absolute dearth," he later said.Weaver p 196 He had support parts in '' Love from a Stranger'' (1947) for

Bryan Foy Bryan Foy (December 8, 1896 – April 20, 1977) was an American film producer and film director, director. He produced more than 200 films between 1924 and 1963. He also directed 41 films between 1923 and 1934. He headed the B picture unit a ...

at Eagle-Lion Films and '' I, Jane Doe'' (1948) for Republic. He starred in ''

Public Prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...

'', the first dramatic TV drama series shot on film. It was filmed in 1947 but not shown until several years later. ''Public Prosecutor'' was ultimately broadcast as part of '' Crawford Mystery Theatre'' in 1951. He was in "Entrapment" on '' NBC Presents'' in 1949. Howard supported

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

in '' The Fighting Kentuckian'' (1949) for Republic and had the lead in '' Radar Secret Service'' (1950) for the low-budget Lippert Pictures. Howard guest-starred on shows like '' Lights Out'', '' The Bigelow Theatre'' and '' Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' and had leads in low-budget films like '' Experiment Alcatraz'' (1950). Howard was in '' Models Inc.'' (1952) and '' Make Haste to Live'' (1954) and guest starred on '' Schlitz Playhouse'', ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'', '' Four Star Playhouse'', and ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hoste ...

''. His first high-profile film in a long while came when he played Laraine Day's husband in '' The High and the Mighty'' (1954). Howard made his Broadway debut in 1953 in '' Hazel Flagg'' where he met his future wife, the ballerina and actress Eva Ralf.

Television star

Howard continued to work in TV appearing in '' General Electric Theater'', '' The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse'', '' The Millionaire'', '' The Whistler'', '' The Ford Television Theatre'', '' The Star and the Story'', '' Science Fiction Theatre'', '' Studio 57'', '' Fireside Theatre'', '' TV Reader's Digest'', '' Front Row Center'', and ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

''. He had the lead in a series, '' Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal'' (1955–57). The series raised Howard's profile, and he was offered the lead in '' The Unknown Terror'' (1957). In 1958 he starred in another TV series, '' Adventures of the Sea Hawk'', which ran for 26 episodes.

1960s

Howard's 1960s acting work included guest spots on '' Lawman'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'', '' Men into Space'', ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'', '' The Magical World of Disney'', ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg for FX (TV channel), FX. It aired for six seasons from 2013 to 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also served as showrunners ...

'', '' Outlaws'', '' Gunslinger'', '' Lock Up'', '' Bronco'', '' Surfside 6'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', '' Rawhide'', ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian ...

'', '' Perry Mason'', '' Branded'', '' Profiles in Courage'', ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'', and ''

The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to ''I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct ...

'', and '' The Legend of Jesse James''. He formed a friendship with

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

, star of the TV series ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was filmed in black-and-white and broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seve ...

'' who, like Howard, had worked in Paramount features of the 1930s. Howard was a regular guest star on the show, playing MacMurray's boss. Series producer Don Fedderson used Howard in his other series, '' Family Affair'' and '' To Rome with Love''. Howard also had roles in the feature films '' Destination Inner Space'' (1966) and ''

The Destructors "The Destructors" is a 1954 short story written by Graham Greene, first published in ''Picture Post'' and subsequently collected in '' Twenty-One Stories'' later that year.

1970s

Howard could be seen in ''

Eye for an Eye "An eye for an eye" (, ) is a commandment found in the Book of Exodus 21:23–27 expressing the principle of reciprocal justice measure for measure. The earliest known use of the principle appears in the Code of Hammurabi, which predates the wr ...

'' (1971), '' The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Buck and the Preacher'' (1972), ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...

'', '' Mod Squad'', '' The ABC Afternoon Playbreak'', '' The New Perry Mason'', '' So Evil, My Sister'', '' Capone'' (1975), ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'', '' Bronk'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'', '' Police Woman'' and '' The Rockford Files''.

Filmography

Television

References

Bibliography

*Wise, James. ''Stars in Blue: Movie Actors in America's Sea Services''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1997.

External links

* * *
John Howard
at Virtual History
Navy Cross citation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, John (American actor) 1913 births 1995 deaths American male film actors American male television actors United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy officers Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Male actors from Cleveland Military personnel from Cleveland Case Western Reserve University alumni American recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Male actors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors