Occupation Actor TV shows Hank Role Character actor | Name Howard John Years active 1926–1972 | |
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Born October 9, 1905 ( 1905-10-09 ) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Died March 13, 1974, New York City, New York, United States Movies Strangers on a Train, Born Yesterday, One - Two - Three, Strait‑Jacket, Li'l Abner Similar People Melvin Frank, Robert Burks, Jesse Hibbs, Ray Nazarro, Delbert Mann | ||
Howard St. John (October 9, 1905 – March 13, 1974) was a Chicago-born character actor who specialized in unsympathetic roles. His work spanned Broadway, film and television. He is probably best remembered for his bombastic General Bullmoose, which he played in the stage and screen versions of the 1956 musical Li'l Abner.
Contents
On stage
Howard St. John made his Broadway debut in 1926 in the comedy The Blonde Sinner, and subsequently starred or co-starred in more than 20 Broadway productions including Someone Waiting and The Highest Tree.
St. John's most high-profile role was that of General Bullmoose in the hit musical Li'l Abner. As Bullmoose he introduced the song "Progress is the Root of All Evil." His final Broadway role came in 1968's Tiger at the Gates.
In film
St. John began film work in the early 1930s and made an impression in Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train in 1951. He continued in stuffy, rigid or authoritarian roles for most of his career, including memorable ones in The Tender Trap and Born Yesterday. He also re-created his stage role in the film version of Li'l Abner.
Death
St. John died of a heart attack in New York City at age 68 in 1974 and was survived by his widow.
Filmography
Actor
1972
The Corner Bar (TV Series) as
Congressman Bimstock
- Politics (1972) - Congressman Bimstock
1969
Don't Drink the Water as
Ambassador Magee
1968
The Effective Executive: Managing Time (Short) as
Mr. Lansing
1966
The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series) as
Psychiatrist / Burton J. Weaver / Mr. Masterson / ...
- The Honeymooners: Out of Sight, Out of Mind (1967) - Psychiatrist
- The Honeymooners: The People's Choice (1967) - Burton J. Weaver
- The Honeymooners: Ship of Fools (1966) - Mr. Masterson
- The Honeymooners: In Twenty-Five Words or Less (1966) - Robert Masterson
1967
Matchless as
General Shapiro
1967
Banning as
J. Pallister Young
1965
Hank (TV Series) as
Dean Lewis Royal
- Operation Matriculation (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- McKillup's Best Seller (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Ethel Weiss, Won't You Please Come Home (1966) - (credit only)
- Wedding Anyone? (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Maury Wills to the Rescue (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Rah, Rah, Commissar (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- The Ten Letterman (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- His Highness Count Gazzari (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- The Trouble with Tina (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Money, Money Who's Got the Money (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- The Millionth Dollar Baby (1966) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Operation Crackdown (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Four's a Crowd (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- My Fair Co-Ed (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- They're Playing Our Song (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Dean Royal, Matchmaker (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- The Campus Caper (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Somebody Loves This Albatross (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- My Boyfriend, the Doctor (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Farewell Coach Weiss (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Catering Competition (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Candidate (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Cherokee Hank (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Dunsetter for President (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Will the Real Harvey Wheatley Please Stand Up? (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
- Who's Waldo Smith (1965) - Dean Lewis Royal
1965
Strange Bedfellows as
Julius L. Stevens
1965
Profiles in Courage (TV Series) as
Buck Hinrichsen
- John Peter Altgeld (1965) - Buck Hinrichsen
1964
Sex and the Single Girl as
George Randall
1964
Mr. Broadway (TV Series) as
Hagen
- The He-She Chemistry (1964) - Hagen
1964
The Reporter (TV Series)
- Rachel's Mother (1964)
1964
Quick, Before It Melts as
Harvey T. Sweigert
1964
Fate Is the Hunter as
Mark Hutchins
1964
Summer Playhouse (TV Series) as
Uncle Howard
- Apartment in Rome (1964) - Uncle Howard
1962
The Defenders (TV Series) as
Judson Kyle / Charles Goode / James Stanhope
- Blacklist (1964) - Judson Kyle
- Poltergeist (1963) - Charles Goode
- The Naked Heiress (1962) - James Stanhope
1964
Strait-Jacket as
Raymond Fields
1963
The Patriots (TV Movie) as
George Washington
1962
The DuPont Show of the Week (TV Series) as
Mayor / Crazy Horse Kid
- Seven Keys to Baldpate (1962) - Mayor
- The Action in New Orleans (1962) - Crazy Horse Kid
1962
Lafayette as
George Washington
1961
Lover Come Back as
Mr. John Brackett
1961
One, Two, Three as
Wendell P. Hazeltine
1961
Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) as
The Governor
- The Release (1961) - The Governor
1961
Madison Avenue as
J.D. Jocelyn
1961
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (TV Series) as
Albert Gadby
- Brief Encounter (1961) - Albert Gadby
1959
Our American Heritage (TV Series) as
General George Washington / Senator Thomas Hart Benton / George Washington
- The Secret Rebel (1961) - General George Washington
- Not Without Honor (1960)
- Destiny West (1960) - Senator Thomas Hart Benton
- Divided We Stand (1959) - George Washington
1960
Sunday Showcase (TV Series) as
Gen. George Washington / George Washington
- Our American Heritage: The Secret Rebel (1961) - Gen. George Washington
- Our American Heritage: Not Without Honor (1960) - George Washington
1961
Sanctuary as
Governor Drake
1961
Cry for Happy as
Vice Adm. Junius B. Bennett
1960
The Islanders (TV Series) as
John Marston
- Duel of Strangers (1960) - John Marston
1960
Destiny, West! (TV Movie) as
Senator Thomas Hart Benton
1959
Li'l Abner as
General Bullmoose
1956
Omnibus (TV Series) as
James Blake / (segment "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell")
- Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway (1959) - James Blake
- The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (1956) - (segment "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell")
1958
The Gift of the Magi (TV Movie) as
Mr. Spiegel
1958
The Investigator (TV Series) as
Lloyd Prior
- Episode #1.7 (1958) - Lloyd Prior
- Episode #1.2 (1958) - Lloyd Prior
- Episode #1.1 (1958) - Lloyd Prior
1958
The Phil Silvers Show (TV Series) as
Gen. Bertram Whitney
- The Colonel's Reunion (1958) - Gen. Bertram Whitney
1955
The Alcoa Hour (TV Series) as
Mr. Pringle / Mr. Meadows
- Kiss and Tell (1956) - Mr. Pringle
- Thunder in Washington (1955) - Mr. Meadows
1954
Justice (TV Series)
- Sign Right Here (1956)
- The Blackmailer (1954)
1956
World in My Corner as
Harry Cram
1955
Cavalcade of America (TV Series) as
Benjamin Franklin
- Crisis in Paris (1955) - Benjamin Franklin
1955
I Died a Thousand Times as
Doc Banton
1955
The Tender Trap as
Mr. Sayers
1951
Studio One (TV Series) as
Herbert / Mr. Steen / Oil Executive Fordyke
- Private History (1955) - Herbert
- Romney (1954) - Mr. Steen
- International Incident (1952) - Oil Executive Fordyke
- The Little Black Bag (1951)
1955
Illegal as
E.A. Smith
1955
TV Reader's Digest (TV Series) as
Cal Iverson
- The Anatomy of a Graft (1955) - Cal Iverson
1955
Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) as
Judge Ogden
- An Act of Murder (1955) - Judge Ogden
1955
The Big Story (TV Series)
- Williiam Garrett, Williamson, W. Va. Daily News (1955)
1954
Max Liebman Spectaculars (TV Series) as
Dean Reeber
- Best Foot Forward (1954) - Dean Reeber
1954
The United States Steel Hour (TV Series) as
Jim O'Neal / Harry Pope
- The Fifth Wheel (1954) - Jim O'Neal
- Late Date (1954) - Harry Pope
1954
The Best of Broadway (TV Series) as
Mr. Stanley
- The Man Who Came to Dinner (1954) - Mr. Stanley
1954
Center Stage (TV Series) as
Matthew Clayborn
- The Day Before Atlanta (1954) - Matthew Clayborn
1953
The Philco Television Playhouse (TV Series) as
Wilfred / Abbot
- The Catamaran (1954) - Wilfred
- Ernie Barger is 50 (1953) - Abbot
- Double Jeopardy (1953)
1954
Three Coins in the Fountain as
Mr. Burgoyne
1954
The Man Behind the Badge (TV Series) as
Detective John Palmer
- The Boston Story #2 (1954) - Detective John Palmer
1954
Ponds Theater (TV Series)
- Angel Street (1954)
1952
The Web (TV Series) as
George Bannister
- Rock-Bound (1954)
- The Hunted (1954) - George Bannister
- Night Alarm (1952)
1953
Goodyear Playhouse (TV Series) as
Abbot
- Ernie Barger Is 50 (1953) - Abbot
1953
The Doctor (TV Series)
- Desk Job (1953)
1951
Robert Montgomery Presents (TV Series)
- The Outer Limit (1953)
- A Star Is Born (1951)
1952
Stop, You're Killing Me as
Commissioner Mahoney
1951
Starlift as
Steve Rogers
1951
The Big Night as
Al Judge
1951
Fairmeadows, U.S.A. (TV Series) as
John Olcott #1 (1951-1952)
1951
Close to My Heart as
I.O. Frost
1951
Celanese Theatre (TV Series) as
Nat Miller
- Ah, Wilderness! (1951) - Nat Miller
1951
Saturday's Hero as
Belfrage
1951
Strangers on a Train as
Police Capt. Turley
1951
Goodbye, My Fancy as
Claude Griswold
1951
Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (TV Series)
- The Haunted House (1951)
1950
Born Yesterday as
Jim Devery
1950
Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard as
David Harding
1950
The Sun Sets at Dawn as
The Warden
1950
Mister 880 as
Chief
1950
The Men as
Ellen's Father
1950
David Harding, Counterspy as
David Harding
1950
711 Ocean Drive as
Lt. Pete Wright
1950
Customs Agent as
Charles Johnson
1949
The Undercover Man as
Joseph S. Horan
1949
Shockproof as
Sam Brooks
1948
The Ford Theatre Hour (TV Series) as
Justin Laurie
- Night Must Fall (1948) - Justin Laurie
1948
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (TV Series)
- Sham (1948)
Soundtrack
1959
Li'l Abner (performer: "What's Good for General Bullmoose")
Self
1941
Merchant Seamen (Documentary) as
Narrator (american version)
Archive Footage
2018
The Star and the Car (Video documentary short)
References
Howard St. John Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA