Updated 1/27/2008 with more films available on DVD.
biography
Born John Cox in 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, John Howard joined the Navy.
LEFT and CENTER: Late 1930s Paramount photos. RIGHT: Unusual mid 1930s beefcake photo with Paramount Studio contract players Lloyd Nolan and Buster Crabbe on the beach
Highly decorated during the war, Howard returned to civilian life only to find a vanished film career. 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.
LEFT: Early Paramount photo from 1935. CENTER A: From 1936. CENTER B and RIGHT: From 1939
the films of john howard
Millions in the Air (1935)
With Wendy Barrie in Paramount's Millions in the Air
Valiant Is the Word for Carrie (1936)
LEFT: From the Paramount drama Valiant Is the Word for Carrie with Arline Judge and Gladys George. RIGHT: with Arline Judge
The Man from Dakota (1940)
With Dolores Del Rio in MGM's war drama The Man from Dakota
A Tragedy at Midnight (1942)
With Margaret Lindsay and Keye Luke in Republic's A Tragedy at Midnight
TV Reader's Digest (1955-1956 ABC TV Anthology Series)
Howard as General Oliver Otis Howard in an episode of TV Reader's Digest titled Cochise, Greatest of the Apaches, which originally aired in January 1956
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. 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), his last film. Retiring from acting in the late 1970s, John Howard passed away in 1995 at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife and four children.
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. 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. Classic Comedies Collection [DVD] DVD Six-disc set includes "Dinner at Eight," "Libeled Lady," "Stage Door," "Bringing Up Baby," "The Philadelphia Story," and "To Be or Not to Be" (1942). 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. 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. The John Wayne Adventure Collection [DVD] DVD Five-disc set includes "Island in the Sky," "The High and the Mighty," "Hatari!," "Donovan's Reef," and "In Harm's Way." The John Wayne Century Collection [DVD] DVD Fourteen-disc set includes "Hondo," "Island in the Sky," "The High and the Mighty," "Hatari!," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "McLintock!," "Donovan's Reef," "In Harm's Way," "The Sons of Katie Elder," "El Dorado," "True Grit" (Special Collector's Edition), "Rio Lobo," "Big Jake," and "The Shootist." 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.
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, 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
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This page premiered October 9, 2003.
