John Beach Litel[citation needed] (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor.

John Litel
Litel in Submarine Base (1943)
Born
John Beach Litel

(1892-12-30)December 30, 1892
DiedFebruary 3, 1972(1972-02-03) (aged 79)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1919–1967

Early life

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Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin.[1] During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. Back in the U.S. after the war, Litel enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began his stage career.[citation needed]

Career

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His Broadway credits include Sweet Aloes (1935), Hell Freezes Over (1935), Life's Too Short (1935), Strange Gods (1932), Before Morning (1932), Lilly Turner (1932), Ladies of Creation (1931), Back Seat Drivers (1928), The Half Naked Truth (1926), The Beaten Track (1925), Thoroughbreds (1924), and Irene (1919).[2]

In 1929, he began appearing in films. Part of the "Warner Bros. Stock Company" beginning in the 1930s, he appeared in dozens of Warner Bros. films and was in over 200 films during his entire career. He often played supporting roles such as hard-nosed cops and district attorneys. He was Nancy Drew's (Bonita Granville) attorney father, Carson Drew, in four films in 1938 and 1939. Among his other films are They Drive by Night (1940); Knute Rockne, All American (1940); They Died with Their Boots On (1941); and Scaramouche (1952). His final film role was in Nevada Smith (1966).

In the second season of the Disney series Zorro, he played the governor of California in several episodes. During 1960 and 1961, he was seen as Dan Murchison in nine episodes of the ABC Western television series, Stagecoach West, starring Wayne Rogers and Robert Bray.[3]

He appeared in many other series as well, including the role of Captain David Rowland in the episode "Don't Get Tough with a Sailor" on the ABC/Desilu Western series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O'Brian. In the story line, Rowland, a former captain in the United States Navy, is a wealthy Arizona Territory rancher who operates his own law and private jail near the Mexican border.[4]: 270 

Litel appeared in an episode of I Love Lucy, “Mr. and Mrs. T.V. Show”, airing November 1, 1954.

He appeared as Mr. Crenshaw in the episode "The Giant Killer" of the Western series Sugarfoot.[5]

Litel also appeared as Bob Cummings's boss Mr. Thackery in the TV series The Bob Cummings Show in the early/mid-1950s. Cummings played Robert S. Beanblossom on the show.[6][3]

Death

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Litel died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles in 1972.[1]

Selected filmography

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Selected television

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Year Title Role Notes
1955 Du Pont Cavalcade Theater Dr. William D. Silkworth Season 4 Episode 7 "One Day at a Time"
1958 Wanted Dead or Alive Judge George Healy Season , Episode "Sheriff of Red Rock"
1958 The Restless Gun Season 1 finale "Gratitude"
1959 The Restless Gun Mr. Carter Episode "Incident at Bluefield"
1959 Wanted Dead or Alive Asa Morgan Season , Episode "The Corner"
1960 Wanted Dead or Alive Clint Davis Season 2, Episode 30 "The Inheritance"
1961 Have Gun - Will Travel Sheriff John Armstedder Episode "Ben Jalisco"
1961 Bonanza (TV Series) Mayor George Goshen Episode "The Tin Badge"
1961 Rawhide Jim Rye S3:E18, "Incident of the Running Iron"

References

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  1. ^ a b "John Litel Dies". Independent Press-Telegram. February 5, 1972. p. 2. Retrieved December 31, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ "("John Litel" search results)". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Tucker, David C. (April 19, 2010). Lost Laughs of '50s and '60s Television: Thirty Sitcoms That Faded Off Screen. McFarland. pp. 157, 161. ISBN 978-0-7864-5582-9.
  4. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (1997). Television Westerns Episode Guide: All United States Series, 1949-1996. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-7386-1.
  5. ^ "Sugarfoot". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  6. ^ Miller, Quinlan (April 4, 2019). Camp TV: Trans Gender Queer Sitcom History. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-1-4780-0339-7.
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