John Craven (June 22, 1916 – November 24, 1995) was an American actor in films and plays and on television.

Biography

Craven was born on June 22, 1916, in New York City. He was a third-generation actor, following in the profession of his father,

Frank Craven Frank Craven (August 24, 1875September 1, 1945) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's ''Our Town''. Early years Craven's parents, John T ...

, and his grandfather, John T. Craven. His mother, Mary Blythe, was an actress prior to marriage. Craven originated the role of George Gibbs in the original stage version of ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...

'', in which his father played the stage manager. Craven was overlooked in the movie version, however, with the part going to the then-unknown

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

. Other Broadway shows in which Craven appeared included ''They Knew What They Wanted'' (1949), ''Spring Again'' (1941), ''Village Green'' (1941), ''Delicate Story'' (1940), ''Two On An Island'' (1940), ''Aries Is Rising'' (1939), and ''The Happiest Days'' (1939). Craven was stationed in Naples during World War II and put on shows for the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

. Though born in New York City, he attended

Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...

, in the early 1930s. His stage family had a long history of alternating generations of men named John with subsequent generations of men named Frank. On November 24, 1995, Craven died at his home in

Salt Point, New York Salt Point is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Pleasant Valley, Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 202. It lies northeast of Poughkeepsie following New York ...

.(27 November 1995)
Actor John Craven Dies at 79
''Buffalo News''

Filmography

* ''

Over the Goal ''Over the Goal'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Noel M. Smith and written by William Jacobs and Anthony Coldeway. The film stars June Travis, William Hopper, Johnnie Davis, Gordon Oliver, William Harrigan and Willard Parker. The f ...

'' (1937) * '' The Human Comedy'' (1943) * ''

Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case ''Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case'' is a 1943 film in the Dr. Kildare series. Based on characters created by Max Brand. The third of MGM's Dr. Gillespie series (6 in all) to dispense with the services of Dr. Kildare (Lew Ayres) (8 in all) after '' ...

'' (1943) * ''

Someone to Remember ''Someone to Remember'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and written by Frances Hyland. The film stars Mabel Paige, Harry Shannon, John Craven, Dorothy Morris, Charles Dingle and David Bacon. The film was released on Aug ...

'' (1943)

Selected Television

References

External links

* *
Obituary
in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' *
Our Town
presented on '' The Campbell Playhouse'', with

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

and guest star John Craven (May 12, 1939) {{DEFAULTSORT:Craven, John 1916 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors Male actors from New York City