John Howard (1913-1995)

biography

Born John Cox on April 14, 1913, Cleveland native John Howard didn't consider a career as an actor until he entered college. After some minor stage work, following graduation Howard headed for Hollywood and quickly signed a contact with Paramount Studios. The studio cast Howard in a few small roles, and soon after he was handed the role of Bulldog Drummond, Paramount's late 1930s adventure series. After Paramount shot down the series, Howard was cast in his best film The Philadelphia Story (1940; with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn). When Howard's contract with Paramount ended in 1941, he freelanced for other studios, including Republic and Monogram. With the onset of U.S. involvement in World War II, he joined the Navy.

Highly decorated during the war, Howard returned to civilian life only to find a vanished film career, much like other film stars of the 1930s. Desperate for work, Howard took a role on an early DuMont series titled Public Prosecutor (1947-1948) in which he portrayed the title character. Between occasional films, he also worked in television throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

the films of john howard

Millions in the Air (1935)

Valiant Is the Word for Carrie (1936)

Penitentiary (1938)

Bulldog Drummond's Bride (1939)

Grand Jury Secrets (1939)

The Man from Dakota (1940)

Submarine Raider (1942)

The Man Who Returned to Life (1942)

A Tragedy at Midnight (1942)

The Fighting Kentuckian (1949)

Models, Inc (1952)

TV Reader's Digest (1955-1956 ABC TV Anthology Series)

later years

With his film career in decline, Howard went into teaching and eventually became the headmaster of a private school, yet he continued working as an actor whenever he could. He took guest roles on Perry Mason, Mannix, and Wonder Woman, and acted in a few films, including So Evil, My Sister (1974; with Faith Domergue) and Capone (1975; with Ben Gazzara), his last film. Retiring from acting in the late 1970s, John Howard passed away from heart failure on February 19, 1995, at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife, Eva, and four children.

john howard films available from movies unlimited

TELEVISION
Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
This syndicated TV series from 1956 starred John Howard as the title character. Includes "Carlton's Story," "Dr. Means' Surgery," "Hospital Melodrama," and "Off the Pedestal." 103 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Perry Mason: 50th Anniversary Edition [DVD] DVD
Twelve of the series's best episodes--including "The Case of the Wary Wildcatter," "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee," "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank," "The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe," and "The Case of the Final Fade-Out"--have been collected in this four-disc set. Also included is "Perry Mason Returns" (1985), the TV movie that finds the legal eagle (Raymond Burr), now a judge, stepping down from the bench to defend former secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) when she's accused of murder. 12 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; featurette; interviews; photo gallery; TV spots; screen tests; more.
The Rockford Files: Season Five [DVD](1978) DVD
All 22 episodes from the fifth season--including "Heartaches of a 3ool," "The Empty Frame," "A Fast Count," "Guilt," and "A Different Drummer"--are featured in a five-disc set. 18 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH). **22 episodes on 5 discs. 18 1/3 hrs.**

FILM
Lost Horizon [DVD](1937) DVD
A group of travelers lost in the Tibetan mountains comes upon the mystical valley of Shangri-La, a Utopia detached from the rest of the world, in Frank Capra's classic adventure/romance saga. Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Sam Jaffe, John Howard, H.B. Warner, Thomas Mitchell star; restored 134-minute version. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; audio commentary; production notes; alternate ending; deleted scenes; photo gallery; featurette; theatrical trailer; more.
Bulldog Drummond's Revenge [DVD](1937) DVD
The top secret formula for a new form of explosive is stolen, and only Bulldog can sniff out the crooks responsible. John Howard, John Barrymore, Louise Campbell and Reginald Denny star. 55 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access. Plays All Regions.
Bulldog Drummond Comes Back [DVD](1937) DVD
And he comes back in the form of John Howard, making his series debut as Drummond. Here Bulldog is on the trail of terrorists, with the help from John Barrymore as Scotland Yard's Col. Nielson. With Reginald Denny, J. Carrol Naish. 58 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Bulldog Drummond In Africa [DVD](1938) DVD
When Col. Nielson is kidnapped by spies who want the plans for a radio-defense system, Drummond journeys to the dark continent to rescue him. John Howard, H.B. Warner, Heather Angel star; look for Anthony Quinn. 58 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Bulldog Drummond's Peril [DVD](1938) DVD
Bulldog (John Howard) finally pops the question to Phyllis (Louise Campbell), but when a missing synthetic diamond turns up as a wedding gift, pleasure is put aside for business. John Barrymore co-stars in this rousing Drummond drama. 67 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Bulldog Drummond's Bride [DVD](1939) DVD
It's anything but a peaceful honeymoon for John Howard and Heather Angel when the French village they're staying at is beset by jewel thieves who lead Drummond on a rooftop chase. H.B. Warner, Elizabeth Patterson co-star. 57 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Arrest Bulldog Drummond [DVD](1939) DVD
Series regular John Howard is the sleuthing ex-officer, ably contested by villain George Zucco. Drummond is accused of the murder of a scientist who has invented an advanced long-range detonator, and barely eludes police while tracking the real killers. 57 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English. Plays All Regions.
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police [DVD](1939) DVD
An eccentric professor, a missing family fortune, and a baffling murder case are in store for Drummond (John Howard) and his fiancee (Heather Angel) in this tantalizing series entry. With H.B. Warner, Reginald Denny. 54 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
The Invisible Man: The Legacy Collection [DVD] DVD
It's apparent that you'll love this two-disc set! First, Claude Rains lends a sinister presence to "The Invisible Man" (1933). With Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan. Next, "The Invisible Man Returns" (1940) in the guise of Vincent Price as he attempts to clear his name. Nan Grey, Cedric Hardwicke co-star. Then, scientist John Barrymore turns Virginia Bruce into "The Invisible Woman" (1941), featuring John Howard and Shemp Howard; and the "Invisible Agent" (1942) tries to stop a Nazi plot. John Hall, Peter Lorre star. Finally, it's "The Invisible Man's Revenge" (1944) when fugitive Hall terrorizes a rich couple. John Carradine, Leon Errol co-star. 6 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish; audio commentary; documentary; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
The Philadelphia Story [DVD](1940) DVD
A gem of sophisticated comedy, set in Philadelphia's ritzy Main Line suburbs. Katharine Hepburn re-creates her stage role as society girl Tracy Lord, whose upcoming marriage is imperiled by the attentions of reporter James Stewart and ex-husband Cary Grant. John Howard, Roland Young, Virginia Weidler. 112 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Fox Horror Classics [DVD] DVD
First, a Scotland Yard inspector is charged with uncovering the link between a werewolf and the wealthy English clan whose members seem to be the lycan's only victims, in the rare horror gem "The Undying Monster" (1942). James Ellison, Heather Angel, John Howard star. Next, the matriarch of a Victorian London family begins to suspect that their new boarder is actually infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. Will it spell trouble for her niece, a beautiful actress who fits the profile of Jack's victims to a T? Based on the novel by Marie Belloc Lowndes, "The Lodger" (1944) stars Laird Cregar, George Sanders, Merle Oberon, Cedric Hardwicke. And, "Hangover Square" (1945) features Cregar as a temperamental composer in early 20th-century London whose reaction to the cacophony of the city leaves him prone to blackouts--and murderous rampages. With Sanders, Linda Darnell, Faye Marlowe, Alan Napier. 3 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; "making of" documentary; featurettes; photo gallery; theatrical trailers; bonus radio shows; more.
Isle Of Missing Men [DVD](1942) DVD
In this Monogram classic, the governor of a penal island invites a blonde beauty to spend a week with him--unaware of her ulterior motives. But when her arrival coincides with a revolt by the inmates, chaos soon spreads throughout the prison. John Howard, Gilbert Roland, Helen Gilbert star. Soundtrack: English.
Experiment Alcatraz [DVD](1950) DVD
Five Alcatraz lifers have a chance to win their freedom by volunteering for an ambitious Army doctor's experiment involving the use of dangerous radiation to treat blood disorders. But when one of the test subjects kills a fellow inmate, the program is scrapped. Now, the dedicated doc will put his own life in jeopardy to uncover the real reason behind the murder. John Howard, Joan Dixon, Walter Kingsford star in this low-budget thriller. 58 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Forgotten Noir: Collector's Set Series Four [DVD] DVD
A law school grad's (Dennis O'Keefe) gaffe working at the office of "Mr. District Attorney" (1941) nets him a dangerous new case. Peter Lorre co-stars. On "Highway 13" (1948), a lovestruck trucker (Robert Lowery) gets mixed up in murder. With Pamela Blake. An FBI agent tries to track down a spy possessing secret government documents aboard a "Sky Liner" (1949). Richard Travis, Blake star. A descendant of the Count of Monte Cristo goes against a crooked lawyer to obtain the "Treasure of Monte Cristo" (1949). Glenn Langan, Adele Jurgens star. When "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard" (1950), secret missile plans are the prize. With Howard St. John, Amanda Blake. L.A. cops on the "Motor Patrol" (1950) chase down the culprit of a hit-and-run. Don Castle, Jane Nigh star. The "Radar Secret Service" (1950) makes use of high technology to foil bad guys in the atomic age. John Howard, Jergens star. When a mad killer goes on the hunt, a "Western Pacific Agent" (1950) must take him down. Kent Taylor, Lowery star. In the "Roaring City" (1951), a shamus takes a treacherous bet on boxing. Hugh Beaumont, Joan Valerie star. 9 2/3 hrs. total on three discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
The Fighting Kentuckian [DVD](1950) DVD
After helping Andy Jackson take care of the British at the Battle of New Orleans, Kentucky frontiersman John Wayne and sidekick Oliver Hardy head back home by of Alabama, where the Duke comes to the aid of French-born settlers against landgrabbers. With Vera Ralston, Hugo Haas. 100 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access.
John Wayne Collection, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Four-disc boxed set includes "A Lady Takes a Chance," "Dakota" (1945), "The Fighting Kentuckian," and "Rio Grande" (1950).
The High And The Mighty (Special Collector's Edition) [DVD](1954) DVD
The Oscar-winning progenitor of the airborne disaster film genre features a memorable turn by John Wayne as a veteran airline pilot unable to overcome surviving a crash which killed his wife and child. Serving as co-pilot to brash rival Robert Stack on a Honolulu-San Francisco passenger flight that sustains a midair emergency, Wayne must try to safely land the damaged plane before the fuel runs out. Among the passengers, whose personal crises are shown in flashbacks, are unhappily married couple Laraine Day and John Howard, playboy David Brian, mail-order bride Jan Sterling, and world-weary Claire Trevor; William Wellman directs. 148 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo Surround; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; featurettes; theatrical trailers; premiere footage; photo gallery. Two-disc set.
Buck And The Preacher [DVD](1971) DVD
In the 1860s an ex-soldier (Sidney Poitier) and a conniving man of the cloth (Harry Belafonte) lead a group of ex-slaves to homestead sites, dealing with hostile whites and each other. A funny, exciting and different Western. 102 min. Widescreen and Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono, Portuguese mono; Subtitles: English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; production notes; biographies; trailers.

john howard photos and posters available

filmography

FILM
Capone (1975) with Ben Gazzara, Susan Blakely, Sylvester Stallone, and John Cassavetes
So Evil, My Sister (1974) with Faith Domergue, Susan Strasberg, and Sydney Chaplin
Buck and the Preacher (1972) with Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Cameron Mitchell, Denny Miller, and Nita Talbot
Eye for an Eye (1971) with Cameron Mitchell
The Destructors (1968) with Richard Egan, David Brian, John Ericson, and Patricia Owens
Destination Inner Space (1966) with Scott Brady, Sheree North, and Gary Merrill
Moochie of Pop Warner Football (1960) with Kevin Corcoran, Russ Conway, and Alan Hale Jr.
The Unknown Terror (1957) with Mala Powers and Charles Gray
The High and the Mighty (1954) with John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Laraine Day, Robert Stack, Jan Sterling, William Campbell, and David Brian
Make Haste to Live (1954) with Dorothy McGuire and Stephen McNally
Models, Inc. (1952) with Coleen Gray and Howard Duff
Experiment Alcatraz (1950) with Frank Cady and Byron Foulger
Radar Secret Service (1950) with Tom Neal, Adele Jergens, and Ralph Byrd
The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) with John Wayne, Marie Windsor, and Vera Ralston
I, Jane Doe (1948) with Ruth Hussey, Vera Ralston, and John Carroll
Love from a Stranger (1947) with John Hodiak and Sylvia Sidney
The Undying Monster (1942) with James Ellison and Heather Angel
Isle of Missing Men (1942) with Gilbert Roland and Alan Mowbray
Submarine Raider (1942) with Bruce Bennett, Marguerite Chapman, Larry Parks, and Forrest Tucker
The Man Who Returned to Life (1942)
A Tragedy at Midnight (1942) with Keye Luke and Margaret Lindsay
Three Girls About Town (1941) with Joan Blondell, Janet Blair, and Binnie Barnes
Father Takes a Wife (1941) with Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Swanson, Desi Arnaz, Neil Hamilton, and Grady Sutton
Tight Shoes (1941) with Binnie Barnes, Broderick Crawford, Anne Gwynne, and Shemp Howard
The Mad Doctor (1941) with Basil Rathbone and Ellen Drew
The Invisible Woman (1940) with John Barrymore, Virginia Bruce, Maria Montez, and Shemp Howard
The Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940) with Ellen Drew and Broderick Crawford
The Philadelphia Story (1940) with Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, and Ruth Hussey
The Man from Dakota (1940) with Wallace Beery and Dolores Del Rio
Green Hell (1940) with Joan Bennett, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Vincent Price, and George Sanders
Disputed Passage (1939) with Dorothy Lamour and Keye Luke
What a Life (1939) with Jackie Cooper, Lionel Stander, and Hedda Hopper
Bulldog Drummond's Bride (1939) with Heather Angel, H.B. Warner, and Reginald Denny
Grand Jury Secrets (1939) with Gail Patrick, William Frawley, Elisha Cook Jr., Jane Darwell, and Richard Denning
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police (1939) with Leo G. Carroll, Heather Angel, H.B. Warner, and Reginald Denny
Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1939) with George Zucco, Heather Angel, H.B. Warner, and Reginald Denny
Touchdown, Army (1938) with Mary Carlisle, Robert Cummings, and William Frawley
Bulldog Drummond in Africa (1938) with J. Carrol Naish, Heather Angel, H.B. Warner, and Reginald Denny
Prison Farm (1938) with Lloyd Nolan, Marjorie Main, J. Carrol Naish, Anna Q. Nilsson, and Mae Busch
Bulldog Drummond's Peril (1938) with John Barrymore and Reginald Denny
Penitentiary (1938) with Jean Parker
Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937) with John Barrymore, Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, and J. Carrol Naish
Hitting a New High (1937) with Lily Pons, Jack Oakie, and Edward Everett Horton
Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937) with John Barrymore, Louise Campbell, and Reginald Denny
Hold 'Em Navy (1937) with Lew Ayres, Mary Carlisle, and Richard Denning
Mountain Music (1937) with Martha Raye, Bob Burns, George 'Gabby' Hayes, and Fuzzy Knight
Let Them Live (1937) with Nan Grey
Lost Horizon (1937) with Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Margo, Edward Everett Horton, Isabel Jewell, and H.B. Warner
Soak the Rich (1936) with Ilka Chase and Percy Kilbride
Valiant Is the Word for Carrie (1936) with Gladys George and Arline Judge
Easy to Take (1936) with Marsha Hunt, Eugene Pallette, and Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
Border Flight (1936) with Frances Farmer, Robert Cummings, and Grant Withers
Thirteen Hours by Air (1936) with Joan Bennett, Fred MacMurray, Zasu Pitts, and Brian Donlevy
Millions in the Air (1935) with Wendy Barrie and Robert Cummings
Annapolis Farewell (1935) with Guy Standing
Four Hours to Kill! (1935) with Richard Barthelmess and Ray Milland
Car 99 (1935) with Fred MacMurray, Ann Sheridan, Guy Standing, and William Frawley

TELEVISION SERIES
Days of Our Lives, 1965-present NBC daytime TV series. Howard portrayed Cliff Patterson during the 1971 season
My Three Sons, 1960-1972 ABC/CBS TV series. Howard portrayed Dave Welch from 1965-1967
Adventures of the Sea Hawk, 1958 syndicated TV series. Howard portrayed Commander Pliny Hawk
Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal, 1956 syndicated TV series. Howard portrayed Dr. Wayne Hudson. Also in the cast was Jack Kelly
Crawford Mystery Theatre, 1951 DuMont TV series. Howard served as host of a few episodes
Public Prosecutor, 1947-1948 DuMont TV series. Also in the cast was Anne Gwynne

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
The Rockford Files, episode Black Mirror: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired November 24, 1978
Wonder Woman, episode Last of the $2 Bills, originally aired January 8, 1977
Bronk, episode Long Time Dying, originally aired February 1, 1976
Little House on the Prairie, episode The Pride of Walnut Grove, originally aired January 28, 1976
Police Woman, episode The End Game, originally aired September 13, 1974
The New Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Ominous Oath, originally aired September 30, 1973
Hawaii Five-O, episode Percentage, originally aired February 20, 1973
The Brady Bunch, episode Today, I Am a Freshman, originally aired October 13, 1972
Mission: Impossible, episode Committed, originally aired January 22, 1972
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, episode Glass Cage, originally aired December 5, 1971
To Rome with Love, episode The Stray Cat, originally aired February 10, 1971
The Brady Bunch, episode Coming Out Party, originally aired January 29, 1971
To Rome with Love, episode We Want to Go Home, originally aired November 16, 1969
Mannix, episode A Question of Midnight, originally aired October 25, 1969
Family Affair, episode Star Dust, originally aired December 18, 1967
My Three Sons, episode TV or Not TV, originally aired January 26, 1967
The Legend of Jesse James, episode 1863, originally aired March 28, 1966
My Three Sons, episode Whatever Happened to Baby Chip?, originally aired February 3, 1966
The Lucy Show, episode Lucy and the Soap Opera, originally aired January 31, 1966
My Three Sons, episode Charley, the Pigeon, originally aired December 25, 1965
My Three Sons, episode Office Mother, originally aired October 22, 1965
Profiles in Courage, episode Thomas Corwin, originally aired May 9, 1965
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Ruinous Road, originally aired December 31, 1964
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Festive Felon, originally aired November 28, 1963
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Capricious Corpse, originally aired October 4, 1962
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Crippled Cougar, originally aired March 3, 1962
Rawhide, episode The Captain's Wife, originally aired January 12, 1962
77 Sunset Strip, episode Bullets for Santa, originally aired December 22, 1961
Surfside 6, episode The Old School Tie, originally aired November 20, 1961
Bronco, episode The Prince of Darkness, originally aired November 6, 1961
Gunslinger, episode The Recruit, originally aired (1961) March 23, 1961
Outlaws, episode The Bell, originally aired March 9, 1961
The Americans, episode Rebellion at Blazing Rock, originally aired January 30, 1961
77 Sunset Strip, episode Stranger Than Fiction, originally aired April 22, 1960
Cheyenne, episode Home Is the Brave, originally aired March 14, 1960
Men Into Space, episode Caves of the Moon, originally aired February 3, 1960
Wagon Train, episode The Colonel Harris Story, originally aired January 13, 1960
Lawman, episode The Showdown, originally aired January 10, 1960
Lux Video Theatre, episode High Tension, originally aired July 25, 1957
Front Row Center, episode The Human Touch, originally aired April 15, 1956
TV Reader's Digest, episode Courage, originally aired April 9, 1956
TV Reader's Digest, episode Cochise, Greatest of the Apaches, originally aired January 30, 1956
Lux Video Theatre, episode September Affair, originally aired December 23, 1954
Fireside Theatre, episode Murderer's Wife, originally aired June 7, 1955
Studio 57, episode Secret Message, originally aired May 24, 1955
Science Fiction Theatre, episode The Brain of John Emerson, originally aired May 20, 1955
Science Fiction Theatre, episode No Food for Thought, originally aired April 22, 1955
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Deception, originally aired April 7, 1955
The Millionaire, episode The Betty Jane Ryan Story, originally aired March 16, 1955
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, episode The Quiet Wife, originally aired February 27, 1955
Fireside Theatre, episode Brian, originally aired February 1, 1955
General Electric Theater, episode Committed, originally aired December 5, 1954
Studio 57, episode Ring Once for Death, originally aired September 21, 1954
Letter to Loretta, episode The Judgment, originally aired May 2, 1954
Four Star Playhouse, episode Lady of the Orchids, originally aired March 18, 1954
Suspense, episode Pigeons in the Cave, originally aired July 21, 1953
The Bigelow Theatre, episode Flowers for John, originally aired December 6, 1951
Lights Out, episode Just What Happened, originally aired October 9, 1950
NBC Presents, episode Entrapment, originally aired May 30, 1949

john howard film now showing

Watch John Howard's 1939 mystery Bulldog Drummond's Bride