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George Cleveland

{{Short description|Canadian-American actor (1885–1957)}}

{{for multi|the California politician|George C. Cleveland|the North Carolina politician|George G. Cleveland}}

{{Use American English|date=October 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox person

| name = George Cleveland

| image = George Cleveland in Lassie 1955.jpg

| caption = Cleveland in Lassie (1954)

| birth_name = Grover Alan Cleveland

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|09|17|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Sydney, Nova Scotia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1957|07|15|1885|09|17|mf=yes}}

| death_place = Burbank, California, U.S.

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1930–1957

| spouse = {{plainlist|

  • Helen Cleveland
    ({{abbr|m.|married}} 1905; ? 190?)
  • {{marriage|Victory Bateman|1910|1926|end=died}}
  • {{marriage|Dorothy Melleck|1955}}

}}

}}

Grover "George" Alan Cleveland (September 17, 1885 – July 15, 1957) was a Canadian film actor.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ&q=George+Alan+Cleveland&pg=PA140|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.|last=Wilson|first=Scott|date=September 16, 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476625997|language=en}} He appeared in more than 180 films between 1930 and 1954.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=prqcCgAAQBAJ&q=George+Alan+Cleveland+actor&pg=PA70|title=Who's Who In Hollywood!|last=Rowan|first=Terry|date=2015|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=9781329074491}}

Career

Cleveland was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.{{cite book|last1=Ellenberger|first1=Allan R.|title=Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory|date=2001|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786409839|page=41|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8bOJCgAAQBAJ&q=%22George+Cleveland%22+actor&pg=PA41|access-date=November 18, 2016}} His first appearance on the stage was in The Octaroon as a teenager.{{cite news|title=George Cleveland, "Gramps" of Lassie TV Series, Is Dead|newspaper=The Journal|location=Meridian, CT|date=July 16, 1957|page=7|agency=Associated Press}} Cleveland was active as a Vaudevillian before moving to Hollywood in 1936 where he worked in films via acting, producing and directing.

Although Cleveland played in more than 150 films during his 58-year career in show business, he acknowledged that he was most well-known for his role as George "Gramps" Miller in the early years of the long running American television series Lassie. Cleveland appeared in the first three seasons (1954–1956) and in the first 12 episodes of the fourth season (1957). His death in July 1957 was written into the 13th episode of the fourth season (1957) and became the storyline motive for the selling of the farm and the departure of the Millers for Capitol City.{{cite news|last=Hopper|first=Hedda|author-link=Hedda Hopper|title=Hollywood|newspaper=Hartford Courant|date=November 30, 1957|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112364063/hollywood/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Death

Cleveland died of a heart attack on July 15, 1957, in Burbank, California at age 71.{{cite news|title=George Cleveland, 'Gramps' Of Lassie Show, Dead at 71|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7492428/anderson_daily_bulletin/|work=Anderson Daily Bulletin|agency=International News Service|date=July 16, 1957|location=Indiana, Anderson|page=14|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 17, 2016}} {{Open access}} He was survived by his spouse Dorothy Melleck, whom he married as a widower in 1955.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19570716&id=0AcrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6201,5350219&hl=en |newspaper=Reading Eagle |via=Google News Archive |access-date=May 29, 2016 |title=George Cleveland, TV Actor, Succumbs |date=July 16, 1975 |page=8}} Cleveland was previously married to Victory Bateman (20 years his senior) between 1910–1926, whom he had met while both actors were touring in Vaudeville.{{cite news|title='As the sun went down' will appear|newspaper=Ogden Examiner|date=May 1, 1910|page=1}}{{cite web|url=http://aimesley.blogspot.com/2009/07/bateman-clevelad-marriage.html|title= Bateman-Cleveland marriage record|work=Aimesley Jordan Genealogy Detective|date=July 18, 2009}}

Selected filmography

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References

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External links

{{commons category|George Cleveland}}

  • {{IMDb name|0166477}}
  • {{IBDB name}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland, George}}

Category:1885 births

Category:1957 deaths

Category:Canadian male stage actors

Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States

Category:People from Sydney, Nova Scotia

Category:20th-century Canadian male actors

Category:Male actors from Nova Scotia