John George (; born Tufei Fatella, January 20, 1898 – August 25, 1968) was a Syrian-American actor who appeared in at least 130 movies from 1916 to 1960. George worked in films of all genres alongside countless stars although often for only the briefest of appearances, uncredited.

Early years

George was born in

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. Little is known about his early life but he immigrated to the United States around 1911 and searched for his mother and sisters who seem to have settled in the Nashville, Tennessee, area.

Film

Eventually George found his way to Los Angeles and the early silent film industry. George may have begun his career in the

Joseph De Grasse Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadians, Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse. Biography Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class grad ...

movie ''

Bobbie of the Ballet ''Bobbie of the Ballet'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Joe De Grasse and starring Lon Chaney, Louise Lovely, Gretchen Lederer and Jay Belasco. It was written by Ida May Park Ida May Park (December 28, 1879 – June 1 ...

'' (1916) as an uncredited "tenement dweller". George may have even appeared earlier than that in the 1915 serial '' The Broken Coin'' unbilled, as an actor who strongly favors him appears in a still photo from the chapter play with Francis Ford and

Grace Cunard Grace Cunard (born Harriet Mildred Jeffries; April 8, 1893 – January 19, 1967) was an American actress, screenwriter and film director. During the silent era, she starred in over 100 films, wrote or co-wrote at least 44 of those productions ...

in Daniel Blum's ''Pictorial History of the Silent Screen''. George went on to appear in Rex Ingram's Gothic melodrama '' Black Orchids'' (1917) as a character named Ali Bara. George worked in dozens of movies for Rex Ingram until 1926 when Ingram, tired of George's

gambling Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of Value (economics), value ("the stakes") on a Event (probability theory), random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy (ga ...

, sent him home on a bus. George became a regular in several 1920s silent films with Lon Chaney both at

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

and

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, including ''The Road to Mandalay'', ''The Big City'', ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'', ''Outside The Law'' and ''The Unknown''. He also appeared in the

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

production ''

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

'' (1926) opposite

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...

, where he was the cruel dwarf Castle Keeper/Informer who delighted in exposing to Don Jose (Don Juan's father) the infidelities of his wife with another man. He also played Barnaby's minion in the 1934 '' Babes in Toyland''. George continued to appear in movie after movie until some time near his death.John George; findagrave.com
Retrieved December 16, 2016 One of his last roles was in 1956, an uncredited one as “A Barfly” in James Arness's TV Western Series ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', S1E21's “Helping Hand”.

Death

On August 25, 1968, George died from emphysema at age 70 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Partial filmography

* '' The Broken Coin'' (1915) as unknown role * ''

'' (1916) as Tenement Dweller(*uncredited) * ''

Shoes A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

'' (1916) as Customer(*uncredited) * '' The Chalice of Sorrow'' (1916) as Mexican(*uncredited) * '' Black Orchids'' (1917) as Ali Bara * '' Pay Me!'' (1917) as Bar Patron * '' Bound in Morocco'' (1918) as Hunchback (*uncredited) * ''Friends and Frauds'' (1918) as Prisoner (*uncredited: *short) * '' Outside the Law'' (1920) as Humpy (*uncredited) * '' Turn to the Right'' (1922) as Pool Hall Patron (*uncredited) * '' The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1922) as Dwarf Assassin * '' Trifling Women'' (1922) as Achmet * '' Where the Pavement Ends'' (1923) as Napuka Joe, a Servant * '' Scaramouche'' (1923) as Polichinelle * '' When a Girl Loves'' (1924) as Grishka * ''

Mare Nostrum In the Roman Empire, () was a term that referred to the Mediterranean Sea. Meaning "Our Sea" in Latin, it denoted the body of water in the context of borders and policy; Ancient Rome, Rome remains the only state in history to have controlled th ...

'' (1926) as Servant (*uncredited) * '' The Volga Boatman'' (1926) as Red Army Soldier (*uncredited) * '' The Road to Mandalay'' (1926) as Servant * '' The Bells'' (1926) as Mesmerist Announcer (*uncredited) * ''

'' (1926) as Hunchback, Castle Keeper (*uncredited) * '' The Night of Love'' (1927) as Jester * '' The Show'' (1927) as Photographer (*uncredited) * '' The Unknown'' (1927) as Cojo * '' The Road to Romance'' (1927) as Small Man (*uncredited) * '' The Big City'' (1928) The Arab * '' Condemned'' (1929) as Convict (*uncredited) * '' Outside the Law'' (1930) as Humpy * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' (1932) as Bird Shop Thug(*uncredited) * '' Babes in Toyland'' (1934) as Barnaby's Minion (*uncredited) * '' More About Nostradamus'' (1941) as A Townsman (*uncredited) * '' Adventure in Iraq'' (1943) as Villager (*uncredited) * '' The Devil's Playground'' (1946) as Shorty * '' Kiss the Blood Off My Hands'' (1948) as Midget (*uncredited) * '' Mesa of Lost Women'' (1953) as Aranya's Manservant (*uncredited) * '' Oceans 11'' (1960) as Vendor(*uncredited)

References

Classic Horror website

External links