John Brown (actor)

{{Infobox person

| name = John Brown

| image = Publicity_Photo_of_John_Brown.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Publicity Photo of John Brown

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1904|04|04}}

| birth_place = Hull, Yorkshire, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|1957|05|16|1904|04|04}}

| death_place = Hollywood, California, U.S.

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1932–1957

}}

John Brown (April 4, 1904 – May 16, 1957) was a British actor.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-2834-2}}. p. 43.

Radio

Brown had major roles in several popular radio shows: He was "John Doe" in the Texaco Star Theater's version of Fred Allen's Allen's Alley,{{cite book |title=The Big Broadcast 1920–1950 2nd Edition|last=Buxton |first=Frank |year=1997 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0810829572 |page=116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jHQ5AQAAIAAJ&q=%22fred+allen%22+%22hiken%22+%22howard+reilly%22+%22john+brown%22 |accessdate=February 19, 2014}} played Irma's love interest Al in My Friend Irma,{{cite book |title=Hans Conreid: A Biography; With a Filmography and a Listing of Radio, Television, Stage and Voice Work |last=Gargiulo |first=Suzanne |year=2002 |publisher=McFarland |isbn= 978-0-7864-1338-6 |page=57 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PNkE0c78qYQC&q=My+Friend+Irma+John+Brown&pg=PA57 |accessdate=April 26, 2011}} both "Gillis" and Digby "Digger" O'Dell in The Life of Riley,{{cite web |url=http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=lifeofriley |title=The Life of Riley |publisher=Museum of Broadcast Communications |accessdate=April 26, 2011 |archive-date=11 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211021032/http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=lifeofriley |url-status=dead }} (a role he reprised for the first incarnation of the television show), "Broadway" in The Damon Runyon Theatre,{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Damon-Runyon-Theatre.html |title=The Damon Runyon Theatre |publisher=Digital Deli Too |accessdate=April 26, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127043041/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Damon-Runyon-Theatre.html |archivedate=January 27, 2012 }} and "Thorny" the neighbor on the radio version of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Perhaps his most memorable piece of work is the ‘Broadway’ role; once heard, many find it impossible to think of the narrator of Damon Runyon’s stories as anyone else. It was a measure of Brown’s talent that this quintessentially American character was portrayed by an Englishman.Nachman, Gerald (1998). Raised on Radio, p. 247. Pantheon Books, New York. {{ISBN|037540287X}}.

Film

Brown appeared in some notable films: as the inebriated professor in Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, uncredited), and The Wild One (1953); he supplied the voice of "Ro-Man" in the 1953 cult science fiction B-film Robot Monster.

Television

In early television, Brown was the second actor (after Hal March) to play "Harry Morton", the next-door neighbor of George Burns and Gracie Allen in their situation comedy show, opposite Bea Benaderet; his tenure on the series lasted six months, and he was replaced by Fred Clark in June 1951.

Personal life

In 1952, Brown was placed on the Hollywood blacklist.{{cite web |title=Reliving The Scare: Looking Back On 'Red Channels' |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128005395 |website=NPR.org}}

Death

Brown died of a heart attack on May 16, 1957, in West Hollywood, California, while en route to his doctor's office.{{cite news |title=Digger O'Dell Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2299029/john_brown_obit/ | newspaper=The Kansas City Times |date=May 18, 1957 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=April 26, 2015 |agency=Associated Press}}

Filmography

=Radio=

class="wikitable"
Original Air Date ! Program ! Role ! Notes
1932 \| Police Headquarters \| \|
1932–1936 \| Roses and Drums \| \|
1935–1943 \| Town Hall Tonight/The Fred Allen Show/Texaco Star Theatre \| John Doe Various characters \|
1939 \| Arch Oboler's Plays \| \|
1940–1945 \| Amanda of Honeymoon Hill \| Mr. Lenord \|
1942 \| Tillie the Toiler \| Mr. Simpkins \|
1943–1949 \| The Abbott and Costello Show \| Travelling salesmen Police officers \|
1943 \| Busy Mr. Bingle \| Mr. Bingle \|
1943–1945 \| The Jack Benny Program \| Airplane Captain John Doe Various characters \|
1944 \| This Is My Best "The Plot To Overthrow Christmas" \|The Devil \|
1944 \|The Burns and Allen Show \| \|
1944–1945 \|It's Time to Smile \| \|
1945 \|The Drene Show \| \|
1944–1946 \| The Charlotte Greenwood Show \| William Anderson \|
1944–1950 \| A Date with Judy \| Dad \|
1944–1951 \| The Life of Riley \| Digby "Digger" O'Dell Gillis Additional voices \|
1945–1950 \| The Saint \| Inspector Fernack \|
1945–1952 \| The Adventures of Maisie \| Mr. Dorsey \|
1945–1954 \| The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet \| Thorny Thornberry \|
1946–1951 \| A Day in the Life of Dennis Day \| Mr. Willoughby \|
1947–1954 \| My Friend Irma \| Al \|
1948–1949 \| The Damon Runyon Theatre \| Broadway \|
1949 \| Young Love \| James Lewis' Dad \|
1952–1953 \| December Bride \| Various characters \|

class="wikitable"

Original Air Date

! Program

! Role

! Notes

1932

| Police Headquarters

1932–1936

| Roses and Drums

1935–1943

| Town Hall Tonight/The Fred Allen Show/Texaco Star Theatre

| John Doe

Various characters

1939

| Arch Oboler's Plays

1940–1945

| Amanda of Honeymoon Hill

| Mr. Lenord

1942

| Tillie the Toiler

| Mr. Simpkins

1943–1949

| The Abbott and Costello Show

| Travelling salesmen
Police officers

1943

| Busy Mr. Bingle

| Mr. Bingle

1943–1945

| The Jack Benny Program

| Airplane Captain

John Doe

Various characters

1944

| This Is My Best "The Plot To Overthrow Christmas"

|The Devil

1944

|The Burns and Allen Show

1944–1945

|It's Time to Smile

1945

|The Drene Show

1944–1946

| The Charlotte Greenwood Show

| William Anderson

1944–1950

| A Date with Judy

| Dad

1944–1951

| The Life of Riley

| Digby "Digger" O'Dell
Gillis
Additional voices

1945–1950

| The Saint

| Inspector Fernack

1945–1952

| The Adventures of Maisie

| Mr. Dorsey

1945–1954

| The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

| Thorny Thornberry

1946–1951

| A Day in the Life of Dennis Day

| Mr. Willoughby

1947–1954

| My Friend Irma

| Al

1948–1949

| The Damon Runyon Theatre

| Broadway

1949

| Young Love

| James Lewis' Dad

1952–1953

| December Bride

| Various characters

=Films=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
1944 \| Casanova Brown \| Fire chief \| Uncredited
1945 \| The Horn Blows at Midnight \| Lew Poplinski – Waiter \| Uncredited
1945 \| It's in the Bag! \| Joe – Nightclub Doorman \| Uncredited
1946 \| A Knight for a Day \| Narrator{{cite book \|last1=Scott \|first1=Keith \|title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2 \|date=3 October 2022 \|publisher=BearManor Media \|language=en}} \| Voice, Uncredited
1946 \| Make Mine Music \| Umpire \| Voice
1946 \| The Stranger \| Passport Photographer \| Uncredited
1948 \| Make Mine Freedom \| People \| Voice, Uncredited
1949 \| The Life of Riley \| Digby "Digger" O'Dell \|
1949 \| Winter Storage \| Chip 'n' Dale \| Voice, Uncredited
1951 \| Three Desperate Men \| Fairwether \|
1951 \| The Lemon Drop Kid \| Minor Role \| Uncredited
1951 \| Symphony in Slang \| St. Peter The Hipster Noah Webster \| Voice
1951 \| Strangers on a Train \| Professor Collins \|
1951 \| The Day the Earth Stood Still \| George Barley \| Uncredited
1952 \| The Sniper \| Wise \| Uncredited
1952 \| Somebody Loves Me \| Auto Salesman \| Uncredited
1952 \| Something for the Birds \| Mr. Lund \|
1952 \| Hans Christian Andersen \| Schoolmaster \|
1953 \| That's My Pup \| Spike \| Voice, uncredited
1953 \| T.V. of Tomorrow \| Las Vegas Special Narrator "We’re getting a picture now" Narrator \| Voice, uncredited
1953 \| The Unicorn in the Garden \| Husband Psychiatrist \| Voice
1953 \| Robot Monster \| Ro-Man Great Guidance \| Voice
1953 \| Crazylegs \| Keller \|
1953 \| Man Crazy \| Mr. Duncan \|
1953 \| The Bigamist \| Dr. Wallace \| Uncredited
1953 \| The Wild One \| Bill Hannegan \|
1954 \| The Farm of Tomorrow \| Tomato Narrator \| Voice, uncredited
1954 \| Dixieland Droopy \| Narrator Agent \| Voice, Uncredited, (final film role)

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1944

| Casanova Brown

| Fire chief

| Uncredited

1945

| The Horn Blows at Midnight

| Lew Poplinski – Waiter

| Uncredited

1945

| It's in the Bag!

| Joe – Nightclub Doorman

| Uncredited

1946

| A Knight for a Day

| Narrator{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Keith |title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2 |date=3 October 2022 |publisher=BearManor Media |language=en}}

| Voice, Uncredited

1946

| Make Mine Music

| Umpire

| Voice

1946

| The Stranger

| Passport Photographer

| Uncredited

1948

| Make Mine Freedom

| People

| Voice, Uncredited

1949

| The Life of Riley

| Digby "Digger" O'Dell

1949

| Winter Storage

| Chip 'n' Dale

| Voice, Uncredited

1951

| Three Desperate Men

| Fairwether

1951

| The Lemon Drop Kid

| Minor Role

| Uncredited

1951

| Symphony in Slang

| St. Peter
The Hipster
Noah Webster

| Voice

1951

| Strangers on a Train

| Professor Collins

1951

| The Day the Earth Stood Still

| George Barley

| Uncredited

1952

| The Sniper

| Wise

| Uncredited

1952

| Somebody Loves Me

| Auto Salesman

| Uncredited

1952

| Something for the Birds

| Mr. Lund

1952

| Hans Christian Andersen

| Schoolmaster

1953

| That's My Pup

| Spike

| Voice, uncredited

1953

| T.V. of Tomorrow

| Las Vegas Special Narrator
"We’re getting a picture now" Narrator

| Voice, uncredited

1953

| The Unicorn in the Garden

| Husband
Psychiatrist

| Voice

1953

| Robot Monster

| Ro-Man
Great Guidance

| Voice

1953

| Crazylegs

| Keller

1953

| Man Crazy

| Mr. Duncan

1953

| The Bigamist

| Dr. Wallace

| Uncredited

1953

| The Wild One

| Bill Hannegan

1954

| The Farm of Tomorrow

| Tomato Narrator

| Voice, uncredited

1954

| Dixieland Droopy

| Narrator
Agent

| Voice, Uncredited, (final film role)

=Television=

class="wikitable"
Year ! Program ! Role ! Notes
1949–1950 \| The Life of Riley \| Digby "Digger" O'Dell \| Was the only original cast member to join the television version
1951 \| I Love Lucy \| Mr. Murdoch \| "The Mustache"
1951 \| The Amos 'n Andy Show \| The Loan Shark \| "Leroy Lends a Hand" Uncredited
1951 \| The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show \| Harry Morton \|
1952 \| Biff Baker, U.S.A. \| Mueller \| "Counterfeit Plates"

class="wikitable"

Year

! Program

! Role

! Notes

1949–1950

| The Life of Riley

| Digby "Digger" O'Dell

| Was the only original cast member to join the television version

1951

| I Love Lucy

| Mr. Murdoch

| "The Mustache"

1951

| The Amos 'n Andy Show

| The Loan Shark

| "Leroy Lends a Hand"
Uncredited

1951

| The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

| Harry Morton

1952

| Biff Baker, U.S.A.

| Mueller

| "Counterfeit Plates"

References

External links

{{IMDb name|0113876}}
{{Find a Grave}}
[https://archive.org/details/DamonRunyonTheater The Damon Runyon Theatre – audio files of the complete series], freely available at the Internet Archive

Category:1904 births

Category:1957 deaths

Category:Burials at Eden Memorial Park Cemetery

Category:English male radio actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:English male voice actors

Category:Hollywood blacklist

Category:Jewish English male actors

Category:20th-century English male actors