John Wray (born John Griffith Malloy; February 13, 1887 – April 5, 1940) was an American character actor of stage and screen.

Career

Wray was one of the many Broadway actors to descend on

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

in the aftermath of the sound revolution, and quickly appeared in a variety of substantial character roles, such as the

Arnold Rothstein Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 4, 1928), nicknamed "The Brain", was an American racketeer, crime boss, businessman, and gambler in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athleti ...

-like gangster in '' The Czar of Broadway'' (1930); Himmelstoss, the sadistic drill instructor in ''

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma d ...

'' (1930); and as the contortionist the Frog in the remake of '' The Miracle Man'' (1932), in the role previously played by

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

in the 1919 original. Wray's roles grew increasingly smaller as the decade progressed but he was very visible as the starving farmer threatening to kill

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

's Longfellow Deeds in

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

's classic '' Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' (1936) and as the warden in

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

's '' You Only Live Once'' (1937). On Broadway, Wray performed in ''Achilles Had a Heel'' (1935), ''Tin Pan Alley'' (1928), ''Nightstick'' (1927), ''Broadway'' (1926), ''The Enemy'' (1925), ''Silence'' (1924), ''Polly Preferred'' (1923), ''The Nightcap'' (1921), ''The Ouija Board'' (1920), ''Richelieu '' (1917), ''The Weavers'' (1915), ''When the Young Vine Blooms'' (1915), ''Hamlet'' (1913), and ''The Merchant of Venice'' (1913).

Partial filmography

* '' New York Nights'' (1929) - Joe Prividi * ''

All Quiet On The Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (german: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit=Nothing New in the West) is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma d ...

'' (1930) - Himmelstoss * '' The Czar of Broadway'' (1930) - Morton Bradstreet * '' Quick Millions'' (1931) - Kenneth Stone * ''

Silence Silence is the absence of ambient audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be extended to apply to the c ...

'' (1931) - Harry Silvers * '' Safe in Hell'' (1931) - Egan * ''

The Woman from Monte Carlo ''The Woman from Monte Carlo'' is an American pre-Code film produced by Warner Bros. subsidiary First National Pictures (with the Vitaphone logo) in 1931 and released on January 9, 1932. It was directed by Michael Curtiz and gave top billing t ...

'' (1932) - Cmdr. Brambourg * ''

High Pressure In science and engineering the study of high pressure examines its effects on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure. By ''high pressure'' is usually meant pressures of th ...

'' (1932) - Jimmy Moore * '' The Miracle Man'' (1932) - The Frog * ''

The Mouthpiece ''The Mouthpiece'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film starring Warren William and directed by James Flood and Elliott Nugent. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros.''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1931-40'' ...

'' (1932) - Mr. Barton * ''

The Rich Are Always with Us ''The Rich Are Always with Us'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, and Bette Davis. The screenplay by Austin Parker is based on the novel of the same ...

'' (1932) - Clark Davis * ''

Miss Pinkerton ''Miss Pinkerton'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy mystery film about a nurse who becomes involved in a murder investigation. It stars Joan Blondell, George Brent and Ruth Hall. Cast * Joan Blondell as Nurse Adams aka "Miss Pinkerton" * ...

'' (1932) - Hugo * '' Doctor X'' (1932) - Dr. Haines * '' I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'' (1932) - Nordine (uncredited) * ''

The Death Kiss ''The Death Kiss'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film starring David Manners as a crusading studio writer, Adrienne Ames as an actress, and Bela Lugosi as a studio manager. The thriller features three leading players from the previous ye ...

'' (1932) - Detective Lieut. Sheehan * ''

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

'' (1932) - Robert Smiley * '' The Match King'' (1932) - Foreman of Janitors * '' After Tonight'' (1933) - Mitika, the Gypsy Contact * ''

Lone Cowboy ''Lone Cowboy: Live & Solo'' is the twenty-ninth album by American singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey, his first solo album, and his third live album. The album was recorded live in October 2008 at the Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in C ...

'' (1933) - Bill O'Neal * '' Bombay Mail'' (1934) - Giovanni Martini * '' The Big Shakedown'' (1934) - Higgins * '' The Crosby Case'' (1934) - Giovanni Martini * '' The Most Precious Thing in Life'' (1934) - Carter * '' The Love Captive'' (1934) - Jules Glass * '' Green Eyes'' (1934) - Inspector Crofton * '' The Defense Rests'' (1934) - Michael Cooney * '' Fifteen Wives'' (1934) - Jason Getty * '' The Cat's-Paw'' (1934) - Man on Street (uncredited) * '' Embarrassing Moments'' (1934) - Slug * '' The Captain Hates the Sea'' (1934) - Mr. Jeddock * '' I'll Fix It'' (1934) - Fletcher * '' I Am a Thief'' (1934) - Antonio Porricci * '' The Whole Town's Talking'' (1935) - Henchman Harry (uncredited) * '' The Great Hotel Murder'' (1935) - Feets Moore * '' Stranded'' (1935) - Mike Gibbons * '' Men Without Names'' (1935) - Sam 'Red' Hammond * '' Atlantic Adventure'' (1935) - Mitts Coster * '' Ladies Love Danger'' (1935) - Lieutenant Roberts * '' Bad Boy'' (1935) - Fred Larkin * '' Frisco Kid'' (1935) - The Weasel * '' Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' (1936) - Farmer * '' Poor Little Rich Girl'' (1936) - Flagin * '' A Son Comes Home'' (1936) - Gas Station Owner * ''

Sworn Enemy Sworn Enemy is an American crossover thrash band from New York City. Biography The band formed as "Downfall" and later on as "Mindset", a product of the extremely expansive and influential New York hardcore scene. At its original inception ...

'' (1936) - Lang, a Gangster * ''

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) - Priest (uncredited) * '' The President's Mystery'' (1936) - Shane * '' Valiant Is the Word for Carrie'' (1936) - George Darnley * '' A Man Betrayed'' (1936) - Sparks * '' We Who Are About to Die'' (1937) - Jerry Daley * '' You Only Live Once'' (1937) - Warden Wheeler * '' Outcast'' (1937) - Hank Simmerson * '' Circus Girl'' (1937) - Roebling * '' The Devil Is Driving'' (1937) - Joe Peters * '' On Such a Night'' (1937) - Guard Rumann * '' The Women Men Marry'' (1937) - Brother Nameless * '' The Black Doll'' (1938) - Walling * '' Making the Headlines'' (1938) - Herbert Sandford * '' Gangs of New York'' (1938) - Maddock * ''

Reformatory A reformatory or reformatory school is a youth detention center or an adult correctional facility popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Western countries. In the United Kingdom and United States, they came out of social concerns ...

'' (1938) - Guard (uncredited) * ''

Professor Beware ''Professor Beware'' is a 1938 comedy film starring Harold Lloyd and directed by Elliott Nugent. It was Phyllis Welch MacDonald's first and only film. Plot Three thousand years after ancient Egyptian Neferus's death, Professor Dean Lambert (who ...

'' (1938) - Head Lawyer (uncredited) * '' Tenth Avenue Kid'' (1938) - Joe Turner * '' Spawn of the North'' (1938) - Dr. Sparks * '' Boys Town'' (1938) - Weasel (uncredited) * '' Crime Takes a Holiday'' (1938) - Howell * '' A Man to Remember'' (1938) - Tom Johnson * '' Pacific Liner'' (1939) - Metcalfe * ''

Risky Business ''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. Best known as Cruise's breakout film, ''Risky Business'' was a critica ...

'' (1939) - Silas * '' Almost a Gentleman'' (1939) - 'Crack' Williams * ''

Each Dawn I Die ''Each Dawn I Die'' is a 1939 gangster film directed by William Keighley and starring James Cagney and George Raft. The plot of ''Each Dawn I Die'' involves a crusading reporter who is unjustly thrown in jail and befriends a famous gangster. The ...

'' (1939) - Pete Kassock * '' Winter Carnival'' (1939) - Poultry Truck Driver (uncredited) * '' Smuggled Cargo'' (1939) - Chris Hays * '' Golden Boy'' (1939) - Chocolate Drop's Manager (uncredited) * ''

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to f ...

'' (1939) - Diggs * '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1939) - Hendricks * ''

The Amazing Mr. Williams ''The Amazing Mr. Williams'' is a 1939 American screwball comedy film produced by Everett Riskin for Columbia Pictures and directed by Alexander Hall. The film stars Melvyn Douglas, Joan Blondell and Clarence Kolb. It was written by Dwight Tayl ...

'' (1939) - Stanley * '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) - prison gang overseer (uncredited) * '' Remember the Night'' (1940) - Hank * '' Swiss Family Robinson'' (1940) - Ramsey * '' The Man from Dakota'' (1940) - Mr. Carpenter * ''Outside the Three-Mile Limit'' (1940) - Ship's Captain (uncredited) * ''

The Doctor Takes a Wife ''The Doctor Takes a Wife'' is a 1940 screwball comedy film starring Loretta Young and Ray Milland as a best-selling author and medical school instructor, respectively, who find it convenient to pretend to be married, even though they initially l ...

'' (1940) - Joe - Farmer (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wray, John 1887 births 1940 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Philadelphia