John Archer (actor)

Early life

Archer was born Ralph Bowman in Osceola, Nebraska, the son of Eunice Melba (née Crawford) and Joseph Emmett Bowman. Archer moved to California at the age of five. He attended Hollywood High School and the University of Southern California, where he studied cinematography, expecting work behind the camera.

Radio

When finding work in the field of cinematography proved difficult, Archer drifted into acting, working as a radio announcer and actor, including one year (beginning in 1944) in the starring role of Lamont Cranston in The Shadow.

Stage

Archer appeared on Broadway in The Odds on Mrs. Oakley (1944), One-man Show (1945), A Place of Our Own (1945), The Day Before Spring (1945-1946), This Time Tomorrow (1947), Strange Bedfellows (1948), and Captain Brassbound's Conversion (1950-1951).

Film

He also acted in films for Universal and Republic under his birth name. In a radio contest sponsored by Jesse L. Lasky, he won the top prize, an RKO contract in the name of "John Archer." He appeared in the films: Hello, Frisco, Hello; Guadalcanal Diary; White Heat; Destination Moon; Rock Around the Clock; Ten Thousand Bedrooms; Decision at Sundown; Blue Hawaii; and How to Frame a Figg.

Television

On March 11, 1955, Archer appeared as L.H. Musgrove in the last episode of Jim Davis' show Stories of the Century. He also appeared in television series such as Rescue 8, Science Fiction Theater, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, and The Millionaire, The Loretta Young Show, Private Secretary, The Bob Cummings Show, Mackenzie's Raiders, This Man Dawson, The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The Californians, Sea Hunt, Maverick, The Twilight Zone, The Tall Man, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, Wagon Train, Hawaiian Eye, McHale's Navy, Bonanza, Mannix, and The Name of the Game.

In 1960 Archer was cast as Joe Holman in the episode "Phantom Trail" of the western series Colt .45. He made five guest appearances on Perry Mason. He played Frank Maddox in the show's second episode in 1957, "The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece". In 1958 he played murder victim Maj. Frank Lessing in the episode "The Case of the Sardonic Sergeant", and in 1959 he played murderer J.R. Bradbury in the episode "The Case of the Lucky Legs". He also made seven guest appearances on Lassie and six on Bonanza. He played the outlaw Matt Grundy in a 1962 episode of Laramie, entitled "The Confederate Express".

Personal life

Archer was married twice. From 1941 to 1953, he was married to actress Marjorie Lord. They had two children, including daughter actress Anne Archer. Archer had two children with his second wife, Ann Leddy, to whom he was married from 1956 until his death.

Death

On December 3, 1999, aged 84, Archer died from lung cancer in Redmond, Washington.