Johnny Arthur (born John Lennox Arthur Williams; May 20, 1883 – December 31, 1951) was an American stage and motion picture actor.
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Johnny Arthur |
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 From a 1925 magazine |
| Born | John Lennox Arthur Williams
(1883-05-20)May 20, 1883
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| Died | December 31, 1951(1951-12-31) (aged 68)
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| Resting place | Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery |
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| Years active | 1923-1947 |
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Born in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, Arthur was a veteran of 25 years on stage before he made his screen debut in 1923's The Unknown Purple. Arthur's screen personality was nebulous enough to allow him to play the romantic lead in the Lon Chaney vehicle The Monster (1925).
With the coming of sound, Arthur developed his first comedic image, an effeminate character in films such as The Desert Song (1929), She Couldn't Say No (1930), Penrod and Sam (1931) and The Ghost Walks (1934). When the Production Code took effect on July 1, 1934, the overtly homosexual characters played by Arthur were toned down in Hollywood movies. He spent the rest of the 1930s playing fussy characters. This served him well in low-budget films like The Natzy Nuisance, Ellis Island and Danger on the Air, as well as big budget pictures like Crime and Punishment and Road to Singapore.
Arthur is perhaps most remembered for his appearances as Darla Hood's father in Hal Roach's Our Gang shorts. Most of his later roles were unbilled bits, with the notable exception of the 1942 serial, The Masked Marvel.
Arthur died on December 31, 1951, at the Motion Picture Country Home. He was buried at the charitable expense of the Motion Picture Fund in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery, but left in an unmarked grave for 60 years until the Friends of Dearly Departed Tours and Findadeath.com raised the funds for a gravestone and placed one in November 2012.
- The Unknown Purple (1923) - Freddie Goodlittle
- Mademoiselle Midnight (1924) - Carlos de Quiros
- Daring Love (1924)
- The Monster (1925) - The Under Clerk
- The Tourist (1925, Short)
- Cleaning Up (1925, Short) - The Husband
- My Stars (1926, Short) - Johnny
- Home Cured (1926, Short) - The Hypochondriac
- Honest Injun (1926, Short) - Johnny Peppercorn
- Open House (1926, Short) - Mr. Brown
- The Humdinger (1926, Short) - Johnny - the Small Town Boob
- Close Shaves (1926, Short) - The Barber
- Wedding Yells (1927, Short) - The Groom
- The Draw-Back (1927, Short) - Horace Hayseed
- Her Husky Hero (1927, Short) - The Henpecked Husband
- Live News (1927, Short) - The Young Reporter
- Scared Silly (1927, Short)
- Wildcat Valley (1928, Short)
- Visitors Welcome (1928, Short) - The Husband
- Blondes Beware (1928, Short)
- Wedded Blisters (1928, Short)
- On Trial (1928) - Stanley Glover
- The Eligible Mr. Bangs (1929, Short) - Tom
- The Desert Song (1929) - Benny Kidd
- Hot Lemonade (1929, Short) - The Lothario
- The Gamblers (1929) - George Cowper
- Lovers' Delight (1929, Short)
- Divorce Made Easy (1929) - Percy Deering
- A Hint to Brides (1929, Short) - The Newlywed Husband
- Adam's Eve (1929, Short)
- The Show of Shows (1929) - Hero - Performer in 'The Pirate'
- The Aviator (1929) - Hobart
- Personality (1930) - Sandy Jenkins
- She Couldn't Say No (1930) - Tommy Blake
- Scrappily Married (1930, Short)
- Down with Husbands (1930, Short) - Henry Sweet
- Paper Hanging with Johnny Arthur (1930, Short) - Johnny
- Cheer Up and Smile (1930) - Andy
- Going Wild (1930) - Simpkins
- It's a Wise Child (1931) - Otho Peabody
- Penrod and Sam (1931) - Mr. Bassett
- Should Crooners Marry (1933, Short)
- Easy Millions (1933)
- Convention City (1933) - Leonard Travis
- Registered Nurse (1934) - Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
- Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) - Norma Hanson's Secretary
- Many Happy Returns (1934) - Davis
- Dames (1934) - Billings - Ounce's Secretary
- The Ghost Walks (1934) - Homer Erskine
- Hell in the Heavens (1934) - Clarence Perkins
- Anniversary Trouble (1935, Short) - John Spanky's Father
- Traveling Saleslady (1935) - Melton
- Doubting Thomas (1935) - Ralph Twiller
- Here Comes the Band (1935) - Audience Member (uncredited)
- It's in the Air (1935) - Jones, Photographer
- Rendezvous (1935) - Code Room Clerk (uncredited)
- Crime and Punishment (1935) - Clerk
- Too Tough to Kill (1935) - Willie Dent
- The Bride Comes Home (1935) - Otto
- The Murder of Dr. Harrigan (1936) - Mr. Wentworth
- Freshman Love (1936) - Mr. Fields
- All-American Toothache (1936, Short) - Dental Professor
- The King Steps Out (1936) - Chief of the Secret Police
- The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) - Mr. Frankenstein, Process Server (uncredited)
- Stage Struck (1936) - Oscar Freud
- Our Relations (1936) - Denker's Beer Garden / Nightclub Customer (uncredited)
- Ellis Island (1936) - Kip Andrews
- Under Cover of Night (1937) - Dr. Busby - Coroner
- The Hit Parade (1937) - Success-Story Teller (uncredited)
- It Happened Out West (1937) - Thad Crookshank
- Pick a Star (1937) - Newlywed
- Night 'n' Gales (1937, Short) - Arthur Hood, Darla's father
- Make a Wish (1937) - Antoine
- Fit for a King (1937) - Plotter (uncredited)
- Something to Sing About (1937) - Mr. Daviani
- Blossoms on Broadway (1937) - P.J. Quinterfield Jr.
- Amateur Crook (1937) - Pedestrian (uncredited)
- Every Day's a Holiday (1937) - Bit Part (uncredited)
- Exiled to Shanghai (1937) - Poppolas
- Feed 'em and Weep (1938, Short) - Johnny Hood, Darla's Father
- One Wild Night (1938) - Murgatroyd (uncredited)
- Danger on the Air (1938) - Aiken
- Half-way to Hollywood (1938, Short) - Johnny
- You Can't Take It with You (1938) - Kirby's Office Aide (uncredited)
- Fugitives for a Night (1938) - Tootsies - Car Rental Man (uncredited)
- Jeepers Creepers (1939) - Peabody
- Road to Singapore (1940) - Timothy Willow (uncredited)
- Scatterbrain (1940) - (uncredited)
- Li'l Abner (1940) - Montague
- Road Show (1941) - Mr. N - Asylum Inmate (uncredited)
- Tight Shoes (1941) - Chapel Manager (uncredited)
- Mountain Moonlight (1941) - Holbrook
- Always Tomorrow: The Portrait of an American Business (1941) - Larry Larabee
- Shepherd of the Ozarks (1942) - Doolittle
- A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen (1942) - Riley - Reporter (uncredited)
- Moonlight Masquerade (1942) - Minor Role (uncredited)
- Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1943) - Hotchkiss (uncredited)
- That Nazty Nuisance (1943) - Suki Yaki
- The Masked Marvel (1943) - Mura Sakima
- This Is the Life (1944) - Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
- Take It Big (1944) - Desk Clerk (uncredited)
- It's in the Bag! (1945) - Finley (uncredited)
- Follow That Woman (1945) - Jeweler (uncredited)
- It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) - Apartment Manager (uncredited)
- I Want You (1951) - (uncredited)
