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John Payne
1912-1989
Updated 3/18/2008 with more photos and more films, including Payne's TV series The Restless Gun, available on DVD!
biography
John Payne was born into a wealthy Virginia family in 1912. Payne's mother had been an opera singer of note around the turn of the century, and she encouraged her son in his singing lessons. With the Wall Street crash in 1929, the family's fortune evaporated, and Payne's father died just a few months later. He enrolled at Columbia University in the fall of 1930; to support himself, he took on a variety of odd jobs, including wrestling and singing in vaudeville. In 1934, he was spotted by a talent scout for the Schubert Theater and was given a a job as a stock player. He toured with several Schubert shows, and frequently picked up singing gigs on New York-based radio programs. In 1936, Payne was offered a contract by Samuel Goldwyn, and he immediately left New York for Hollywood. He made a couple of pictures while under contract to Goldwyn, but was quickly released from his contract. Payne's early career consisted of mostly supporting roles in such films as College Swing (1938). His early starring roles were in B films, which include the musical Hats Off (1937; with Mae Clarke) and Fair Warning (1937; with Betty Furness). After a few more low-budget programmers, Payne began to be noticed by audiences. One of his finest early film performances was in the comedy Kid Nightingale with Jane Wyman. This role helped him win a contract with 20th Century-Fox in 1940, where he achieved stardom in a number of early 1940s musical extravaganzas, such as Sun Valley Serenade and Weekend in Havana.
Late 1930s beefcake photos of John Payne
In 1940, when he signed with Fox, he appeared in six films, mostly musicals. Throughout the early 1940s, Payne starred in a number of big-budget musicals, such as Springtime in the Rockies (1942) and Iceland (1942). But after completing filming of Hello, Frisco, Hello (1942), like many other actors John Payne decided to do his part for the war effort. He joined the Army Air Corps and became a flight instructor. Payne returned to Hollywood after his discharge in 1944 to resume his career. However, by the end of World War II, the popularity of musicals was declining. Following the war, Payne made several dramas, including his best-known film Miracle on 34th Street (1947; with Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood). Payne left Fox shortly after completing this film. By the early 1950s, Payne had signed with Paramount and established himself as a western star in El Paso (1950), Passage West (1951), The Blazing Forest (1952), and Rails into Laramie (1954; with Mari Blanchard). He also made several film noir thrillers, including Kansas City Confidential (1952; with Coleen Gray), 99 River Street (1953; with Peggie Castle), and Slightly Scarlet (1956; with Rhonda Fleming and Arlene Dahl).
As for his personal life, Payne married actress Anne Shirley in 1937; the couple had a daughter, actress Julie Payne, before divorcing in 1943. The next year, he married actress Gloria Dehaven. This couple had two children, but the union ended in 1950. By 1953, Payne married socialite Sandy Crowell, which proved to be lasting.
the films of john payne
Fair Warning (1937)
With Betty Furness in a scene from the mystery Fair Warning, Payne's first starring vehicle
Kid Nightingale (1939)
Studio shots from the 1939 comedy Kid Nightingale. Payne portrays a singing waiter who is duped into a boxing career by a shady manager. The right photo includes Jane Wyman
Springtime in the Rockies (1942)
With Payne's help, Carmen Miranda livens the Fox musical Springtime in the Rockies
To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)
From the wartime drama To the Shores of Tripoli with Randolph Scott
Hello Frisco, Hello (1943)
From the colorful Fox musical Hello Frisco, Hello with Alice Faye and Jack Oakie
Larceny (1948)
From the intriguing Universal-International film noir Larceny with Joan Caulfield
The Saxon Charm (1948)
As Eric Busch in the Universal-Internatinal drama The Saxon Charm
Captain China (1949)
Payne mixes it up with Lon Chaney Jr. in the Paramount adventure film Captain China
The Blazing Forest (1952)
From the Paramount Technicolor actioner The Blazing Forest with Susan Morrow, Richard Arlen, Agnes Moorehead, and William Demarest
Caribbean (1952)
From the Paramount pirate adventure Caribbean with Arlene Dahl
The Vanquished (1953)
Rails into Laramie (1954)
With B-movie queen Mari Blanchard in Rails into Laramie
Silver Lode (1954)
Tennessee's Partner (1955)
From the 1955 western Tennesee's Partner with Rhonda Fleming and Ronald Reagan
Rebel in Town (1956)
Payne wrestles a knife away from John Smith in Rebel in Town (1956)
Bailout at 43,000 (1957)
With Karen Steele in Bailout at 43,000
later years
In 1956, John Payne formed his own production company, Window Productions, which was responsible for the release of The Boss (1956). Window Productions also produced Payne's 1957 through 1959 western TV series The Restless Gun, which aired on NBC. After the series folded, in 1959 Payne was seriously injured when a car struck him on a busy New York street. He nearly died as a result of the accident, and it took him two years to recooperate. His career lost its momentum, and he worked relatively little afterwards, making only two films and a few TV appearances in the 1960s and early 1970s. By the mid 1970s, after his swan-song appearance on Columbo, he hung up his spurs and retired. Sadly, John Payne passed away in 1989 at the age of 77.
Dodsworth [DVD](1936) DVD
Upon reaching success, an American businessman finds he is in danger of losing his wife and the secure life he built for himself in this dramatic adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' novel. Walter Huston stars in the title role; David Niven, Mary Astor co-star. William Wyler directs. 101 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English mono, French; Subtitles: French, Spanish; theatrical trailer.
The Big Broadcast Of 1938 (1937)/College Swing (1938) [DVD] DVD
All-star comedy/musical finds ocean liner owner W.C. Fields pitting his ship against another vessel in a high-speed race. While on the journey, a host of Paramount stars are spotlighted, including Martha Raye, Dorothy Lamour, Kirsten Flagstad, and Bob Hope (his first feature), who sings his signature tune, the Oscar-winning "Thanks for the Memory." Then, Gracie Allen inherits a small-town school and proceeds to turn it into a hangout for her vaudeville friends. Bob Hope, Martha Raye, Betty Grable and, of course, George Burns are among the students of the "new curriculum." Songs include "I Fall in Love with You Every Day" and "You're a Natural." 187 min. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono.
Weekend In Havana [DVD](1941) DVD
Macy's shopgirl Alice Faye heads off on a Caribbean vacation, but after her ship encounters problems, the cruise company sends her to Havana with official chaperone John Payne. In the Cuban resort city, Faye meets a married gambler who takes a liking to her, while Payne realizes she's the gal for him. Cesar Romero and Carmen Miranda co-star. Songs include "Romance and Rhumba" and "Tropical Magic." 80 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; theatrical trailer; audio commentary; photo gallery; collectible lobby cards.
To The Shores Of Tripoli [DVD](1942) DVD
Spoiled rich youth John Payne finds out a hitch in the Marine Corps isn't the same as a vacation in the Hamptons, but under the eye of D.I. Randolph Scott he becomes a full-fledged leatherneck. Rousing WWII flag-waver also stars Maureen O'Hara, Henry (Harry) Morgan, Maxie Rosenbloom. 86 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; theatrical trailer; interactive menus; scene access.
The Dolly Sisters [DVD](1945) DVD
Betty Grable and June Haver sing and dance their way through the title roles in this breezy musical biodrama about the vaudeville duo who charmed America in the early 1900s. With John Payne, Frank Latimore, S.Z. Sakall. Songs include "I Can't Begin to Tell You," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "Give Me the Moonlight." 114 min. Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; lobby cards; photo gallery.
The Razor's Edge [DVD](1946) DVD
The first film version of W. Somerset Maugham's novel features Tyrone Power as the WWI veteran who turns his back on his materialistic, upper-class friends and embarks on a global search for the meaning of life. Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner Anne Baxter, and Herbert Marshall as Maugham co-star. 145 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; newsreel footage.
Miracle On 34th Street (Special Edition) [DVD](1947) DVD
Perennial holiday film classic relates the tale of "Kris Kringle," a Macy's department store Santa Claus claiming to be the genuine article--much to the consternation of a humbugging store exec who is raising her daughter not to believe in fantasy. But when the gift-giver is declared insane, a good-hearted lawyer fights to prove that the man truly is jolly old St. Nicholas. Edmund Gwenn (in an Academy Award-winning performance), Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, and John Payne star. Two-disc set includes the original film, a colorized version, and a 1955 remake starring Thomas Mitchell from "The 20th-Century Fox Hour." 96 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; documentaries.
Kansas City Confidential [DVD](1953) DVD
A bitter ex-cop becomes the criminal mastermind behind a huge armored car heist, and a former con must turn investigator when he's falsely accused of the crime. Intriguing underworld saga stars John Payne, Neville Brand, Coleen Gray, Lee Van Cleef. 98 min.
Kansas City Confidential(1953) VHS
A bitter ex-cop becomes the criminal mastermind behind a huge armored car heist, and a former con must turn investigator when he's falsely accused of the crime. Intriguing underworld saga stars John Payne, Neville Brand, Coleen Gray, Lee Van Cleef. 98 min.
Silver Lode [DVD](1954) DVD
Western action is mixed with an allegorical look at '50s McCarthyism in this tale starring John Payne as a frontier sheriff who must fight to prove his innocence when U.S. marshal Dan Duryea comes to town with a warrant for his arrest on theft and murder charges. Lizabeth Scott co-stars. 80 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; biographies; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Silver Lode(1954) VHS
Western action is mixed with an allegorical look at '50s McCarthyism in this tale starring John Payne as a frontier sheriff who must fight to prove his innocence when U.S. marshal Dan Duryea comes to town with a warrant for his arrest on theft and murder charges. Lizabeth Scott co-stars. 80 min.
Slightly Scarlet [DVD](1955) DVD
Intriguing film noir drama (and one of the few of that genre to be shot in color) stars John Payne as a hood working for big-city crime boss Ted de Corsia. Sent to dig up incriminating information on a reform-minded mayoral candidate, Payne falls for the politician's secretary, redhead Rhonda Fleming, and decides to turn in his boss...if he lives that long. With Arlene Dahl, Kent Taylor; based on a James L. Cain novel. 99 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Tennessee's Partner [DVD](1955) DVD
Ronald Reagan's the fast-triggered gunslinger, John Payne's the quick-witted cardsharp, and Rhonda Fleming's the high-living dancehall owner who comes between them, in this frontier drama based on a Bret Harte story. With Colleen Gray, Chubby Johnson; look for a young Angie Dickinson. 87 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; theatrical trailer.
Tennessee's Partner(1955) VHS
Ronald Reagan's the fast-triggered gunslinger, John Payne's the quick-witted cardsharp, and Rhonda Fleming's the high-living dancehall owner who comes between them, in this frontier drama based on a Bret Harte story. With Colleen Gray, Chubby Johnson; look for a young Angie Dickinson. 87 min.
The Restless Gun (3 DVD Set) [DVD](1957) DVD
Twenty-four episodes--including "Duel at Lockwood," "The Child," "The Pawn," "Melany," and "Incident at Bluefield"--are featured in a three-disc set. 10 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Columbo: The Complete Fifth Season [DVD](1975) DVD
All six episodes from season five--"Forgotten Lady" with guest star John Payne, "A Case of Immunity," "Identity Crisis," "A Matter of Honor," "Now You See Him...," and "Last Salute to the Commodore"--are featured in a three-disc set. Standard; Soundtrack: English; bonus "Mrs. Columbo" episode.
filmography
They Ran for Their Lives (1968) with Scott Brady, John Carradine, Anthony Eisley, and Jim Davis; directed by John Payne
O'Conner's Ocean (1960) with Irene Hervey and Edward Andrews
Bailout at 43,000 (1957) with Karen Steele and Constance Ford
Hidden Fear (1957) with Conrad Nagel
Rebel in Town (1956) with Ruth Roman
The Boss (1956) with Roy Roberts; Payne also wrote and produced
Hold Back the Night (1956) with Peter Graves, Chuck Connors, and Mona Freeman
Slightly Scarlet (1956) with Rhonda Fleming, Arlene Dahl, Lance Fuller, and Kent Taylor
Hell's Island (1955)
Tennessee's Partner (1955) with Rhonda Fleming, Coleen Gray, and Ronald Reagan
The Road to Denver (1955) with Lee Van Cleef and Mona Freeman
Santa Fe Passage (1955) with Faith Domergue and Rod Cameron
Rails Into Laramie (1954) with Mari Blanchard, Dan Duryea, and Lee Van Cleef
Silver Lode (1954) with Lizabeth Scott, Dan Duryea, and John Hudson
99 River Street (1953) with Peggie Castle, Evelyn Keyes, and Glenn Langan
Raiders of 7 Seas (1953) with Gerald Mohr, Donna Reed, and Lon Chaney Jr.
The Vanquished (1953) with Jan Sterling and Coleen Gray
The Blazing Forest (1952) with Richard Arlen, Agnes Moorehead, William Demarest, and Susan Morrow
Caribbean (1952) with Arlene Dahl
Kansas City Confidential (1952) with Coleen Gray, Lee Van Cleef, and Neville Brand
Crosswinds (1951) with Rhonda Fleming and Forrest Tucker
Passage West (1951) with Dennis O'Keefe and Mary Beth Hughes
The Eagle and the Hawk (1950) with Rhonda Fleming and Dennis O'Keefe
Tripoli (1950) with Maureen O'Hara
El Paso (1949) with Sterling Hayden and Gail Russell
Captain China (1949) with Gail Russell, Lon Chaney Jr., Edgar Bergen, and Robert Armstrong
The Crooked Way (1949) with Sonny Tufts and Ellen Drew
The Saxon Charm (1948) with Robert Montgomery and Susan Hayward
Larceny (1947) with Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, and Joan Caulfield
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) with Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood
The Razor's Edge (1946) with Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney, and Anne Baxter
Sentimental Journey (1946) with Maureen O'Hara and Glenn Langan
Wake Up and Dream (1946) with John Ireland
The Dolly Sisters (1945) with Betty Grable and June Haver
Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943) with Alice Faye and June Havoc
Footlight Serenade (1942) with Betty Grable and Victor Mature
Iceland (1942) with Sonja Henie
Springtime in the Rockies (1942) with Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, and Cesar Romero
To the Shores of Tripoli (1942) with Maureen O'Hara and Randolph Scott
Remember the Day (1941) with Claudette Colbert and Anne Revere
Week-end in Havana (1941) with Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, and Cesar Romero
Sun Valley Serenade (1941) with Sonja Henie, Joan Davis, Glenn Miller, and Milton Berle
The Great American Broadcast (1941) with Alice Faye, Cesar Romero, Mary Beth Hughes, and Jack Oakie
Tin Pan Alley (1940) with Alice Faye and Betty Grable
Tear Gas Squad (1940) with Dennis Morgan, George Reeves, and William Hopper
The Great Profile (1940) with John Barrymore, Mary Beth Hughes, and Anne Baxter
King of the Lumberjacks (1940)
Maryland (1940) with Walter Brennan, Fay Bainter, and Brenda Joyce
Star Dust (1940) with Linda Darnell and Mary Beth Hughes
Indianapolis Speedway (1939) with Ann Sheridan
Wings of the Navy (1939) with George Brent and Olivia de Havilland
Kid Nightingale (1939) with Jane Wyman
Garden of the Moon (1938) with Pat O'Brien and Penny Singleton
College Swing (1938) with George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bob Hope, and Martha Raye
Love on Toast (1938)
Hats Off (1937) with Mae Clarke
Fair Warning (1937) with Betty Furness
Dodsworth (1936) with Walter Huston, Mary Astor, David Niven, and Spring Byington
TELEVISION SERIES
Death Valley Days, 1952-1975 TV series. Payne hosted this series during its final run, from 1972-1975
The Restless Gun, 1957-1959 TV series. Payne portrayed Vint Bonner. A total of 78 episodes were produced by Payne's company Window Productions.
TELEVISION APPEARANCES
Columbo, episode Forgotten Lady, originally aired 1975.
Cade's County, episode Requiem for Miss Madrid, originally aired December 12, 1971.
Gunsmoke, episode Gentry's Law, originally aired October 12, 1970.
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, episode The Restless Gun, originally aired March 29, 1957. This show served as the pilot for Payne's series of the same name.
Zane Grey Theater, episode Until the Man Dies, originally aired January 25, 1957.
The Best of Broadway, episode The Philadelphia Story, originally aired December 8, 1954.
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