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John Darrow

{{Short description|American actor (1907–1980)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = John Darrow

| image = JohnDarrowTheLadyRefuses.jpg

| caption = John Darrow in The Lady Refuses (1931)

| birth_date = {{birth date|1907|7|17}}

| birth_place = Leonia, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1980|2|24|1907|7|17}}

| death_place = Malibu, California, U.S.

| birthname = Harry Simpson

| occupation = Actor

| partner = Charles Walters (1936-1980){{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2-4dBQAAQBAJ&q=john+darrow+actor+Charles+Walters&pg=PA1819 |title = Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance|isbn = 9780813147222|last1 = Phillips|first1 = Brent|date = 2014-10-31| publisher=University Press of Kentucky }}

| yearsactive = 1927–1935

}}

John Darrow (born Harry Simpson; 17 July 1907 – 24 February 1980) was an American actor of the late silent and early talking film eras. He is the uncle of actress Barbara Darrow.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}

Biography

Born in Leonia, New Jersey in 1907,{{cite web | url=http://movie-bar.com/actor/john-darrow_186514 | publisher=Movie-Bar.com | title=John Darrow | access-date=October 21, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021171540/http://movie-bar.com/actor/john-darrow_186514 | archive-date=October 21, 2014}} Darrow began acting in theater with a stock company, right after graduating high school.{{cite web | url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/john-darrow-p17071 | title=John Darrow | access-date=October 21, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704071504/http://www.allmovie.com/artist/john-darrow-p17071 | archive-date=July 4, 2012}} Shortly after, he would begin his film career with a featured role in the 1927 silent film, High School Hero.{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=9729 | title=High School Hero: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | access-date= October 21, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021172438/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=9729 | archive-date= October 21, 2014}} After several films with featured roles, he was cast as the lead in 1931's The Lady Refuses, which co-stars Betty Compson and was directed by George Archainbaud.{{cite book | title=The RKO Story | last1=Jewell | first1=Richard B. | last2=Harbin | first2=Vernon | publisher=Arlington House | year=1982 | place=New York | page=34 |isbn=0-517-546566}} He would spend the next five years in leading man or featured roles, before retiring from acting in 1935. He would appear in five films that year, although four of them were produced in 1934. His final screen appearance would be in a supporting role in Annapolis Farewell.{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=&Type=CA&Tbl=PN&CatID=&ID=85489&searchedFor=John_Darrow_&SortType=ASC&SortCol=RELEASE_YEAR | title=John Darrow | publisher=American Film Institute | access-date= October 21, 2014}}

Although he retired from acting, he did not leave the film industry and instead continued on to become a very successful agent. From the 1930s to the early 1950s, he was in a relationship with (future) film director Charles Walters.{{Cite book|title=Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance.|last=Phillips|first=Brent}}

Filmography

(Per AFI database)

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References

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External links

{{Commons category|John Darrow}}

  • {{IMDb name|0201690}}
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Category:1907 births

Category:1980 deaths

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:American LGBTQ male actors

Category:American talent agents

Category:American male silent film actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:Actors from Leonia, New Jersey

Category:Male actors from New Jersey

Category:20th-century American LGBTQ people

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