Allyn Joslyn (July 21, 1901 – January 21, 1981) was an American stage, radio, television and film actor, known for his roles playing aristocratic wealthy snobs.

Biography

Allyn Joslyn was born in

Milford, Pennsylvania Milford is a borough in Pike County, Pennsylvania and the county seat. Its population was 1,103 at the 2020 census. Located on the upper Delaware River, Milford is part of the New York metropolitan area. History The area along the Delaware R ...

, the son of a

mining engineer Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, and ...

. On stage from age 17, Joslyn scored as a

leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...

in such

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

productions as '' Boy Meets Girl'' (1936) and '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1941), appearing in the latter as beleaguered theatrical critic Mortimer Brewster. Apart from a single appearance in a 1930

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...

movie short, Joslyn confined his work to the stage until moving to Hollywood in 1937. Hollywood didn't see Joslyn as a leading-man type. Thus, he spent most of his film career playing comic character roles: obnoxious reporters, weaklings, and formless "other men" who never got the girl, while stars such as

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

took the roles he originated on Broadway. Among his more notable film appearances were as the tough pilot in ''

Only Angels Have Wings ''Only Angels Have Wings'' is a 1939 American adventure drama film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, and is based on a story written by Hawks. Its plot follows the manager of an air freight company in a remote South ...

'' (1939); George in ''

The Great McGinty ''The Great McGinty'' is a 1940 political satire comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff and featuring William Demarest and (in her final screen appearance) Muriel Angelus. It was Sturges's fir ...

'' (1940); the opportunistic wastrel in ''

If I Had My Way ''If I Had My Way'' is a 1940 musical comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean. Based on a story by David Butler, the film is about a construction worker who takes charge of the daughter of a friend killed i ...

'' (1940); the caustic director in ''

No Time for Comedy ''No Time for Comedy'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film based on the play of the same name by S. N. Behrman, starring James Stewart, Rosalind Russell, Genevieve Tobin and Charlie Ruggles. Plot summary Gaylord Esterbrook (Stewart), a reporte ...

'' (1940); the reporter in ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (a ...

'' (1942); Albert Van Cleve,

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...

's cousin and snobbish rival for the affections of

Gene Tierney Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, 1920 – November 6, 1991) was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, she became established as a leading lady. Tierney was best known for her portrayal of the title character in the ...

in '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1943); an eccentric poet in ''

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim ''The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film in Technicolor written and directed by George Seaton and starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes. The screenplay, based on a story by Ernest Maas and Frederica Maas, focuses on ...

''; the flippant crime-fiction author in ''

Dangerous Blondes ''Dangerous Blondes'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and written by Richard Flournoy and Jack Henley.The film stars Allyn Joslyn and Evelyn Keyes, and was released by Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries ...

'' (1943); the wise sheriff in ''

Moonrise Moonrise and moonset are times when the upper limb of the Moon appears above the horizon and disappears below it, respectively. The exact times depend on the lunar phase and declination, as well as the observer's location. As viewed from out ...

'' (1948); the card shark disguised as a woman in ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...

'' (1953), and the star-struck father of a showgirl in ''

I Love Melvin ''I Love Melvin'' is a 1953 American Technicolor musical romantic comedy film directed by Don Weis, starring Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds. According to MGM records, the film earned $1,316,000 in the United States and Canada and $654,000 ...

'' (1953). He played the occasional lead on screen, including in '' Strange Affair'' (1944) opposite

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar Do ...

, and the sprightly B picture ''

It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog'' is a 1946 American comedy crime film starring Carole Landis, Allyn Joslyn and Margo Woode, and directed by Herbert I. Leeds.Fleming p.270 Synopsis After returning from World War II, a journalist is assigned by h ...

'' (1946), as

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

's love interest. A prolific radio and television performer, Joslyn was a co-star of the 1953–1954

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

sitcom ''

Where's Raymond? ''Where's Raymond?'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC, starring Ray Bolger. The series aired from October 1953 to April 22, 1955. The series' title was spurred by Bolger's Broadway stage hit '' Where's Charley?''. In the 1954–1955 seas ...

'', in which he played Jonathan Wallace, brother of the title character Raymond Wallace, the role of Ray Bolger. Betty Lynn played June Wallace, Joslyn's young wife in the series. Joslyn and Lynn left the series in the 1954–1955 series, when it was renamed '' The Ray Bolger Show''. In 1957, Joslyn co-starred in eight episodes as literary agent George Howell in the short-lived

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

sitcom ''

The Eve Arden Show ''The Eve Arden Show'' is a 26-episode American sitcom which aired during the 1957–1958 season on CBS, alternately sponsored by Lever Brothers and Shulton, Inc. (Old Spice). Overview The show, starring Eve Arden, centers on Liza Hammond, a wi ...

''. He also guest-starred in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series '' The Californians''. In 1959, he was cast as Quag in the episode "Gold Sled" of the ABC/

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

series ''

The Alaskans ''The Alaskans'' is a 1959–1960 ABC/Warner Bros. western television series set during the late 1890s in the port of Skagway, Alaska. The show features Roger Moore as "Silky Harris" and Jeff York as "Reno McKee", a pair of adventurers int ...

'', starring Roger Moore. In the 1960–1961 season, Joslyn guest-starred on

Pat O'Brien Pat O'Brien may refer to: Politicians * Pat O'Brien (Canadian politician) (born 1948), member of the Canadian House of Commons *Pat O'Brien (Irish politician) (c. 1847–1917), Irish Nationalist MP in the United Kingdom Parliament Others *Pat O'Br ...

's ABC sitcom ''

Harrigan and Son ''Harrigan and Son'' is an ABC sitcom about a father-and-son team of lawyers, played by Pat O'Brien as Jim Harrigan Sr. and Roger Perry as Jim Jr.. In supporting roles, as secretaries, are Georgine Darcy as Gypsy and Helen Kleeb Helen Kleeb ...

''. He played a pompous colonel in the 1962 TV

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

McKeever And The Colonel ''McKeever and the Colonel'' is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from September 23, 1962 to June 16, 1963 on Sunday nights at 6:30 P.M. Eastern Time. Its setting was a fictional military academy known as Westfield. Dick Powell's Four S ...

''. That same year, he guest-starred in ABC's

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

series '' Target: The Corruptors'' with

Stephen McNally Stephen McNally (born Horace Vincent McNally; July 29, 1911 – June 4, 1994) was an American actor remembered mostly for his appearances in many Westerns and action films. He often played hard-hearted characters, criminals, bullies, and othe ...

and

Robert Harland Robert John Yurgatis is an American stage and television actor. He is known for playing Jack Flood in the American crime drama television series '' Target: The Corruptors!''. Harland attended St. James High School for Boys, later graduating i ...

. He was featured as well in some episodes of ABC's ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

'' as the beleaguered Sam L. Hilliard, whose efforts as a school administrator and politician were continually undone by the Addams family.

Personal life

In 1935, he married Dorothy Yockel. They remained married until her death in 1978 and had one daughter.

Death

On January 21, 1981, Allyn Joslyn died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

at the

Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and me ...

in Woodland Hills in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, at the age of 79. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...

of Los Angeles.''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries''
/ref>

Partial filmography

*''

They Won't Forget ''They Won't Forget'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, Edward Norris, and Lana Turner, in her feature debut. It was based on a novel by Ward Greene called ''Death in the Deep Sou ...

'' (1937) - Bill Brock *''

Expensive Husbands ''Expensive Husbands'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Bobby Connolly and written by Lillie Hayward, Jean Negulesco and Jay Brennan. The film stars Patric Knowles, Beverly Roberts, Allyn Joslyn, Gordon Oliver, Vladimir Sokoloff and E ...

'' (1937) - Joe Craig *''

Hollywood Hotel The Hollywood Hotel was a famous hotel, society venue of early Hollywood, and landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible fr ...

'' (1937) - Bernie Walton *''

The Shining Hour ''The Shining Hour'' is a 1938 American romantic drama film directed by Frank Borzage, based on the 1934 play '' The Shining Hour'' by Keith Winter, and starring Joan Crawford and Margaret Sullavan. The supporting cast of the MGM film feature ...

'' (1938) - Roger Q. Franklin *'' Sweethearts'' (1938) - Dink *''

Cafe Society A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

'' (1939) - Sonny De Witt *''

'' (1939) - Les Peters *''

Fast and Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a ...

'' (1939) - Ted Bentley *''

'' (1940) - Jarvis Johnson *''

'' (1940) - George *''

'' (1940) - Morgan Carrell *''

Spring Parade ''Spring Parade'' is a 1940 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin. It is a remake of the 1934 film. Plot Based on a story by Ernst Marischka, the film is about a Hungarian woman who attends a Viennese ...

'' (1940) - Count Zorndorf *'' This Thing Called Love'' (1940) - Harry Bertrand *''

I Wake Up Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (originally titled ''Hot Spot'') is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of G ...

'' (1941) - Larry Evans *''

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockm ...

'' (1941) - William Dudley *''

The Wife Takes a Flyer ''The Wife Takes a Flyer'' (aka ''Highly Irregular'', UK title: ''A Yank in Dutch'') is a 1942 romantic comedy film made by Columbia Pictures, directed by Richard Wallace. The film stars Joan Bennett and Franchot Tone. The screenplay of ''The Wif ...

'' (aka ''A Yank In Dutch'') (1942) - Major Zellfritz *''

The Affairs of Martha ''The Affairs of Martha'', also known as ''Once Upon a Thursday'', is a 1942 American romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin and written by Isobel Lennart Isobel Lennart (May 18, 1915 – January 25, 1971) was an award-winning American ...

'' (1942) - Joel Archer *''

'' (1942) - Chic Clark *''

Immortal Sergeant ''Immortal Sergeant'' is a 1943 American war film directed by John M. Stahl for 20th Century Fox. Set in the North African desert during World War II, it stars Henry Fonda as a corporal lacking in confidence in both love and war, Maureen O'Hara ...

'' (1943) - Cassidy *''

Young Ideas ''Young Ideas'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin and starring Susan Peters, Herbert Marshall and Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American ...

'' (1943) - Adam Trent *'' Heaven Can Wait'' (1943) - Albert Van Cleve *''

'' (1943) - Barry Craig *'' The Impostor'' (1944) - Bouteau *''

Bride by Mistake ''Bride by Mistake'' (1944) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Alan Marshal and Laraine Day. The screenplay is by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, based on a story by Norman Krasna, and is a remake of ...

'' (1944) - Phil Vernon *'' Sweet and Low-Down'' (1944) - Lester Barnes *'' Strange Affair'' (1944) - Bill Harrison *''

The Horn Blows at Midnight ''The Horn Blows at Midnight'' is a 1945 comedy fantasy film directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring Jack Benny. Following its poor box-office, Benny often exploited the film's failure for laughs over the next 20 years in his radio and television c ...

'' (1945) - Second Trumpeter / Osidro *''

Junior Miss ''Junior Miss'' is a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by Sally Benson first published in ''The New Yorker''. Between 1929 and the end of 1941, the prolific Benson published 99 stories in ''The New Yorker'', some under her pseudonym of ...

'' (1945) - Harry Graves *''

Colonel Effingham's Raid ''Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (UK title: ''Man of the Hour'') is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Irving Pichel. It is also known as ''Berry Fleming's Colonel Effingham's Raid'', ''Everything's Peaches Down in Georgia'' and ''Rebel Yell''. ...

'' (1946) - Earl Hoats *''

'' (1946) - Henry Barton *'' The Thrill of Brazil'' (1946) - John Habour *''

'' (1947) - Leander Woolsey *'' If You Knew Susie'' (1948) - Mike Garrett *''

'' (1948) - Sheriff Clem Otis *''

The Lady Takes a Sailor ''The Lady Takes a Sailor'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Jane Wyman, Eve Arden and Dennis Morgan. Plot Jennifer Smith, the head of the Buyer's Research Institute, is in need of additional funding to keep the ins ...

'' (1949) - Ralph Whitcomb *''

Harriet Craig ''Harriet Craig'' is a 1950 American drama film starring Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Anne Froelick and James Gunn was based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1925 play '' Craig's Wife'', by George Kelly. The film was directed by Vincent She ...

'' (1950) - Billy Birkmire *''

As Young as You Feel ''As Young as You Feel'' is a 1951 American comedy film starring Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, and David Wayne, with Marilyn Monroe in a small role. It was directed by Harmon Jones. Plot When printer John R. Hodges is forced to retire at age 65 ...

'' (1951) - George Hodges *''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...

'' (1952) - George Miller *''

'' (1953) - Frank Schneider *''

'' (1953) - Earl Meeker *'' Island in the Sky'' (1953) - J.H. Handy *''

The Fastest Gun Alive ''The Fastest Gun Alive'' is a 1956 MGM Western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, and Broderick Crawford directed by Russell Rouse. Plot Son of a notorious fast-drawing sheriff, George Kelby Jr. (Ford) and his wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) ...

'' (1956) - Harvey Maxwell *''

You Can't Run Away from It ''You Can't Run Away from It'' is a 1956 musical comedy directed and produced by Dick Powell and starring June Allyson and Jack Lemmon. The film is a remake of the 1934 Academy Award-winning film ''It Happened One Night''. The supporting cast ...

'' (1956) - Joe Gordon, Editor *''

Public Pigeon No. 1 ''Public Pigeon No. 1'' is a 1957 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Red Skelton and Vivian Blaine. It is the theatrical feature-length remake of the ''Climax!'' television episode "Public Pigeon #1" that also starred Red Skelton, ...

'' (1957) - Harvey Baker *'' Nightmare in the Sun'' (1965) - Rock Club leader *''

The Brothers O'Toole ''The Brothers O'Toole'' is a 1973 comedy Western film starring John Astin, Pat Carroll, and Lee Meriwether. The film was Astin's next film after the success of ''Evil Roy Slade'', another comedy Western. It was Charles Sellier's first successful ...

'' (1973) - Sheriff Ed Hatfield (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Joslyn, Allyn 1901 births 1981 deaths People from Milford, Pennsylvania Male actors from Pennsylvania American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Chestnut Hill Academy alumni