John Grant Mitchell Jr. (June 17, 1874 – May 1, 1957) was an American actor. He appeared on Broadway from 1902 to 1939 and appeared in more than 125 films between 1930 and 1948.

Early years

Mitchell was born John Grant Mitchell Jr. on June 17, 1874, in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, the only son of

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

general John G. Mitchell. His paternal grandmother, Fanny Arabella Hayes, was the sister of President Rutherford B. Hayes. He attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, where he served as feature editor of campus humor magazine ''

The Yale Record ''The Yale Record'' is the campus humor magazine of Yale University. Founded in 1872, it became the oldest humor magazine in the world when ''Punch'' folded in 2002."History", The Yale Record, March 10, 2010. http://www.yalerecord.com/about/histo ...

''. Like his father, he became an attorney, graduating from the

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

. However, by his mid-to-late 20s, he tired of his legal practice and turned a long term dream into a reality by becoming an actor on Broadway. He played lead roles in plays such as ''It Pays to Advertise'', ''The Whole Town's Talking'', ''The Champion'', and ''The Baby Cyclone''. Mitchell was a brother of the

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fift ...

fraternity (Phi chapter).

Stage

Mitchell's Broadway credits include ''Tide Rising'' (1936), ''All the King's Men'' (1928), ''One of the Family'' (1925), ''Spooks'' (1925), ''The Habitual Husband'' (1924), ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (1923), ''The School for Scandal'' (1923), ''Kempy'' (1921), ''The Hero'' (1920), ''The Champion'' (1920), and '' A Tailor-Made Man'' (1917).

Film

In film, Mitchell initially made an appearance in 1916 and one or two other silents amidst his theater work, but Mitchell's screen career really took off with the advent of sound. His first starring role was in the film '' Man to Man'' (1930) from director

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was ...

. Grant Michell often played the father of the heroine, businessmen, bank clerks or school principals.Grant Mitchell
at Allmovie He usually played supporting characters, but also had a rare lead role in the B film comedy '' Father Is a Prince'' (1940). He made many notable appearances in high-profile films such as '' Dinner At Eight'' (1933

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. E ...

film), ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...

'' (1935, as Egeus), ''

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' is a 1939 American Political drama, political Comedy drama, comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold (actor), Edward Arnold. ...

'' (1939, as a Washington senator), '' The Man Who Came to Dinner'' (1942, as the Stanley family's father), and '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1944, as

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 ...

's father-in-law Reverend Harper). He was also notable as

Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (, also , ; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A key figure of the Independent Radicals, he was ...

in the Oscar-winning film biography ''

The Life of Emile Zola ''The Life of Emile Zola'' is a 1937 American biographical film about the 19th-century French author Émile Zola starring Paul Muni and directed by William Dieterle. It premiered at the Los Angeles Carthay Circle Theatre to great critical and ...

'' (1937). In

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's film classic '' The Grapes of Wrath'' (1940), based on John Steinbeck's book, Mitchell played the friendly caretaker of a migrant campground. Grant Mitchell retired from the film business in 1948 and died a bachelor on May 1, 1957. He was buried next to his father, mother, and stepmother at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

Complete filmography

*'' The Misleading Lady'' (1916) as Stephen Weatherbee *''

Radio-Mania ''The Man from M.A.R.S.'' is a 1922 silent U.S. science fiction film. It is notable for using the 3-D process called Teleview, similar to today's alternating frame 3-D systems. Shown in 3-D only at the Selwyn Theater in New York City, it was ...

'' (1922) as Arthur Wyman *'' Man to Man'' (1930) as John Martin Bolton - Barber *'' The Star Witness'' (1931) as Pa Leeds *'' The Famous Ferguson Case'' (1932) as Martin Collins *'' Week-End Marriage'' (1932) as Doctor *'' Big City Blues'' (1932) as Station Agent *'' A Successful Calamity'' (1932) as Conners, Wilton's Butler *'' Three on a Match'' (1932) as Mr. Gilmore *'' If I Had a Million'' (1932) as Prison Priest (uncredited) *'' No Man of Her Own'' (1932) as Charlie Vane *''

20,000 Years in Sing Sing ''20,000 Years in Sing Sing'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film set in Sing Sing Penitentiary, the maximum security prison in Ossining, New York, starring Spencer Tracy as an inmate and Bette Davis as his girlfriend. It was directed by Mi ...

'' (1932) as Tester of Convicts' IQ (uncredited) *'' Our Betters'' (1933) as Thorton Clay *'' He Learned About Women'' (1933) as Appleby *''

Central Airport Central Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Central, in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Commercial service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. As per Federal Aviation Administration ...

'' (1933) as Mr. Blaine *'' Lilly Turner'' (1933) as Dr. Hawley *'' Tomorrow at Seven'' (1933) as Austin Winters *'' Heroes for Sale'' (1933) as George Gibson *'' I Love That Man'' (1933) as Dr. Crittenden - Dentist *'' The Stranger's Return'' (1933) as Allen Redfield *'' Dinner at Eight'' (1933) as Ed Loomis *''

Wild Boys of the Road ''Wild Boys of the Road'' is a 1933 pre-Code Depression-era American drama film directed by William Wellman and starring Frankie Darro, Rochelle Hudson, and Grant Mitchell. It tells the story of several teens forced into becoming hobos. The scr ...

'' (1933) as Mr. James Smith *'' Saturday's Millions'' (1933) as Ezra Fowler *'' Dancing Lady'' (1933) as Jasper Bradley, Sr. * '' Shadows of Sing Sing'' (1933) as Joe Martel *''

King for a Night ''King for a Night'' is a 1933 American pre-Code crime film directed by Kurt Neumann starring Chester Morris and Helen Twelvetrees.Quinlan p.470 Plot A prizefighter is convicted of a murder that was actually committed by his sister. Cast * C ...

'' (1933) as Rev. John Williams *'' Convention City'' (1933) as J. B. Honeywell *'' The Poor Rich'' (1934) as Tom Hopkins *'' The Show-Off'' (1934) as Mr. "Pa" *'' Twenty Million Sweethearts'' (1934) as Chester A. Sharpe *''

We're Rich Again ''We're Rich Again'' is a 1934 American comedy-drama film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Edna May Oliver, Billie Burke, and Marian Nixon. It is based on the play ''And Who Will Be Clever'' by Alden Nash. Plot In Santa Barbara, Califo ...

'' (1934) as Wilbur Page *'' The Cat's-Paw'' (1934) as Silk Hat McGee *'' One Exciting Adventure'' (1934) as Fussli *'' The Case of the Howling Dog'' (1934) as Claude Drumm *'' Gridiron Flash'' (1934) as Howard Smith *'' 365 Nights in Hollywood'' (1934) as J. Walter Delmar *'' The Secret Bride'' (1934) as Willis Martin *'' One More Spring'' (1935) as Mr. Sheridan *'' Gold Diggers of 1935'' (1935) as Louis Lamson *'' Straight from the Heart'' (1935) as Austin *'' Traveling Saleslady'' (1935) as Rufus Twitchell *'' Men Without Names'' (1935) as Andrew Webster *'' Broadway Gondolier'' (1935) as E. V. Richards, Radio Producer *'' Redheads on Parade'' (1935) (uncredited) *''

'' (1935) as Egeus *'' It's in the Air'' (1935) as W. R. Gridley *''

In Person In Person may refer to one of several music albums: * ''In Person'' (Bobby Timmons album), 1961 * ''In Person'' (Vince Guaraldi album), 1963 * ''In Person'' (Cannonball Adderley album), 1968 * ''In Person'' (Ike & Tina Turner album), 1969 * ''In Per ...

'' (1935) as Judge Thaddeus Parks *''

Seven Keys to Baldpate Seven Keys to Baldpate may refer to: * '' Seven Keys to Baldpate'', a novel by Earl Derr Biggers * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (play), a 1913 play by George M. Cohan based on the novel * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1916 film), a 1916 Australian si ...

'' (1935) as Thomas Hayden *'' The Garden Murder Case'' (1936) as Inspector Markham *'' Her Master's Voice'' (1936) as Horace J. Twilling *'' Next Time We Love'' (1936) as Michael Jennings *''

Moonlight Murder ''Moonlight Murder'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf. The film stars Chester Morris, Madge Evans, Leo Carrillo, Frank McHugh, Benita Hume, Grant Mitchell, Kath ...

'' (1936) as Dr. Adams *''

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford ''The Ex-Mrs. Bradford'' is a 1936 American comedy-mystery film. William Powell and Jean Arthur star as a divorced couple who investigate a murder at a racetrack. This was the last film directed by Stephen Roberts before his untimely death from ...

'' (1936) as John Sumers *'' Parole!'' (1936) as Marty Crawford *'' My American Wife'' (1936) as Robert Cantillon *'' Piccadilly Jim'' (1936) as Herbert Pitt *''

The Devil Is a Sissy ''The Devil is a Sissy'' is a 1936 American MGM comedy-drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and Rowland Brown. The film stars Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper and Mickey Rooney, three of the biggest child stars of the 1930s. The film premier ...

'' (1936) as Paul Krumpp *''

'' (1937) as Georges Clemenceau *'' Music for Madame'' (1937) as District Attorney Ernest Robinson *'' The Last Gangster'' (1937) as Warden *'' First Lady'' (1937) as Ellsworth T. Banning *'' Hollywood Hotel'' (1937) as B. L. Baulkin *'' Lady Behave!'' (1937) as Burton Williams *'' Women Are Like That'' (1938) as Mr. Snell *'' Reformatory'' (1938) as Arnold Frayne *'' Youth Takes a Fling'' (1938) as Duke *'' That Certain Age'' (1938) as Jeweler *'' The Headleys at Home'' (1938) as Ernest Headley *'' Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus'' (1938) as Henry Peck *'' Juarez'' (1939) as Mr. Harris (scenes deleted) *''

6,000 Enemies ''6,000 Enemies'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Walter Pidgeon as a successful District Attorney who is framed on charge of bribery. Although innocent, he is sent to prison where he fights to clear his na ...

'' (1939) as Warden Parkhurst *'' Hell's Kitchen'' (1939) as Krispin *'' On Borrowed Time'' (1939) as Mr. Pilbeam *''The Monroe Doctrine'' (1939, Short) as John Quincy Adams *''

'' (1939) as Senator MacPherson *'' The Secret of Dr. Kildare'' (1939) as John Xerxes Archley *'' The Grapes of Wrath'' (1940) as Caretaker of trailer park *'' Castle on the Hudson'' (1940) as Dr. Ames (uncredited) *'' It All Came True'' (1940) as Mr. Rene Salmon *'' Edison, the Man'' (1940) as Snade *''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclip ...

'' (1940) as Governor of New Orleans *'' My Love Came Back'' (1940) as Dr. Knobbe *'' We Who Are Young'' (1940) as Jones *'' The Bride Wore Crutches'' (1941) as E.J. Randall *'' Father Is a Prince'' (1940) as John Bower *'' Tobacco Road'' (1941) as George Payne *'' Footsteps in the Dark'' (1941) as Wellington Carruthers *'' The Penalty'' (1941) as Judge *'' The Great Lie'' (1941) as Joshua Mason *'' The Feminine Touch'' (1941) as Dean Hutchinson *'' One Foot in Heaven'' (1941) as Clayton Potter *'' Nothing But the Truth'' (1941) as Mr. Bishop *'' Skylark'' (1941) as Frederick Vantine *'' The Man Who Came to Dinner'' (1942) as Ernest W. Stanley *''

Larceny, Inc. ''Larceny, Inc.'' is a 1942 American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942, by Warner Bros., the film is a cross between comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, the film stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, a ...

'' (1942) as Mr. Aspinwall *'' Meet the Stewarts'' (1942) as Mr. Pierce Goodwin *''

The Gay Sisters ''The Gay Sisters'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, Gig Young (who adopted his character's name as his screen name) and Nancy Coleman. The W ...

'' (1942) as Gilbert Wheeler *''

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

'' (1942) as O.H.P. Boggs *'' Orchestra Wives'' (1942) as Dr. Ward *'' My Sister Eileen'' (1942) as Walter Sherwood *''

The Amazing Mrs. Holliday ''The Amazing Mrs. Holliday'' is a 1943 American comedy drama film produced and directed by Bruce Manning and starring Deanna Durbin, Edmond O'Brien, and Barry Fitzgerald. Based on a story by Sonya Levien, the film is about a young idealistic mis ...

'' (1943) as Edgar Holiday *''

All by Myself "All by Myself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen released in 1975. The verse is based on the second movement (''Adagio sostenuto'') of Sergei Rachmaninoff's circa 1900–1901 ''Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor'', Opus 18. The ...

'' (1943) as J.D. Gibbons *''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...

'' (1943) as Mr. Mason *'' See Here, Private Hargrove'' (1944) as Uncle George *'' Step Lively'' (1944) as Dr. Gibbs *'' Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1944) as Reverend Harper *''

The Impatient Years ''The Impatient Years'' is a 1944 romance film made by Columbia Pictures, directed by Irving Cummings, and written by Virginia Van Upp This was the final film Jean Arthur owed Columbia as part of her long contract which included periods of fight ...

'' (1944) as Hotel Clerk *''

Laura Laura may refer to: People * Laura (given name) * Laura, the British code name for the World War I Belgian spy Marthe Cnockaert Places Australia * Laura, Queensland, a town on the Cape York Peninsula * Laura, South Australia * Laura Bay, a bay on ...

'' (1944) (scenes cut) *'' When the Lights Go On Again'' (1944) as Mr. Arnold Benson *'' And Now Tomorrow'' (1944) as Uncle Wallace *'' Bring on the Girls'' (1945) as Uncle Ralph *'' Crime, Inc.'' (1945) as Wayne Clark *'' A Medal for Benny'' (1945) as Mayor of Pantera *''

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The cha ...

'' (1945) as Mr. Wagonseller (uncredited) *'' Bedside Manner'' (1945) as Mr. Pope *'' Conflict'' (1945) as Dr. Grant *'' Guest Wife'' (1945) as House Detective *''

Leave Her to Heaven ''Leave Her to Heaven'' is a 1945 American psychological thriller film noir melodrama directed by John M. Stahl and starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, and Vincent Price. It follows a socialite who marries a prominent novelist ...

'' (1945) as Carlson (uncredited) *'' Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (1946) as Maj. Anthony T. Hickock (uncredited) *'' Cinderella Jones'' (1946) (scenes deleted) *'' Easy to Wed'' (1946) as Homer Henshaw *''

It Happened on 5th Avenue ''It Happened on 5th Avenue'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Victor Moore, Ann Harding, Don DeFore, Charles Ruggles and Gale Storm. Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani were nominated for the Academy Aw ...

'' (1947) as Farrow *'' Blondie's Holiday'' (1947) as Samuel Breckenridge *''

Honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

'' (1947) as Congressman Crenshaw *'' The Corpse Came C.O.D.'' (1947) as Mitchell Edwards *'' Blondie's Anniversary'' (1947) as Samuel Breckenridge *'' Who Killed Doc Robbin'' (1948) as Judge (final film role)

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Grant 1874 births 1957 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors Mitchell, Grant Harvard Law School alumni Male actors from Columbus, Ohio Rutherford B. Hayes The Yale Record alumni