John Lawrence Russell (January 3, 1921 – January 19, 1991) was an American film and television actor, most noted for his starring role as Marshal Dan Troop in the

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 ...

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 ...

television series '' Lawman'' from 1958 to 1962 and his lead role as international adventurer Tim Kelly in the syndicated TV series '' Soldiers of Fortune'' from 1955 to 1957.

Early life

Born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to insurance company executive John Henry Russell and his wife, Amy Requa, John Lawrence Russell was the eldest of three children. He attended the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...

(UCLA) as a student athlete. Following the start of World War II, he joined the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, though he was initially rejected because of his height (). He was commissioned as a 2d Lieutenant on November 11, 1942, and was assigned to the 6th Marine Regiment. His division was sent to Guadalcanal, where he served as an assistant

intelligence officer An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a rank, used in the same way ...

. He contracted

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

and returned home with a medical discharge.

Career

John Russell-Penny Edwards in The Dalton Girls

Warner Brothers television westerns stars 1959

Russell signed a contract with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

in 1945 and made his first film appearance as a guard in '' A Royal Scandal''. He played several supporting parts while at Fox, acting the role of a junior law partner in the Clifton Webb comedy '' Sitting Pretty'' (1948) as well as a navy pilot in ''

Slattery's Hurricane ''Slattery's Hurricane'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell and Veronica Lake. It is based on a story submitted by Herman Wouk, who also coauthored the screenplay and published a no ...

'' (1949). He primarily played secondary roles, often in

western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

s, including

William A. Wellman William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in crime, adventure, and action genre films, often focusing on avi ...

's 1948 ''

Yellow Sky ''Yellow Sky'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Gregory Peck, Richard Widmark, and Anne Baxter. The story is believed to be loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's '' The Tempest''. The screenplay ...

.'' Later, however, he signed with Republic Pictures, where he was cast in a starring role opposite

Judy Canova Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 – August 5, 1983),Although one source gives her birth date as November 20, 1916, (DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland ...

in ''

Oklahoma Annie ''Oklahoma Annie'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Jack Townley and Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Judy Canova, John Russell, Grant Withers, Roy Barcroft, Emmett Lynn and Frank Ferguson. The film ...

'' (1952). In 1955, Russell landed the lead role in a television drama series called '' Soldiers of Fortune''. This half-hour syndicated adventure show placed him and his sidekick (played by Chick Chandler) in a dangerous setting each week. While the show proved popular with young boys, it did not draw enough adult viewers to its prime slot and was canceled in 1957. That same year, he returned to films briefly to appear as a corrupt agricultural magnate in the

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

low-budget exploitation film ''

Untamed Youth ''Untamed Youth'' is a 1957 American teen film directed by Howard W. Koch, written by John C. Higgins and Stephen Longstreet, and starring Mamie Van Doren and Lori Nelson as two starstruck sisters who are sentenced to farm labor. Plot Sisters ...

''. A year later he returned to the small screen as gunslinger Matt Reardon, in "The Empty Gun" episode of the

/ Warners western series, ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'', starring

Clint Walker Norman Eugene "Clint" Walker (May 30, 1927 – May 21, 2018) was an American actor. He played cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the ABC/ Warner Bros. western series ''Cheyenne'' from 1955 to 1963. Early life Clint Walker was born Norman Eugene W ...

. In 1958 Russell appeared as Saylor Hornbook on ''Cheyenne'' in the episode titled "Dead to Rights". In 1958, Russell was cast in his best-known role: the stolid, taciturn Marshal Dan Troop, the lead character in '' Lawman'', an ABC/Warners hit western series that ran for four years. Co-starring alongside Peter Brown, who played Deputy Johnny McKay, and

Peggie Castle Peggie Castle (December 22, 1927 – August 11, 1973) was an American actress who specialized in playing the "other woman" in B-movies. Castle was Miss Cheesecake in 1949. Early life Castle was born as Peggy Thomas Blair in Appalachia, Wis ...

as Birdcage Saloon owner Lily Merrill, Russell portrayed a US frontier peace officer mentoring his younger compatriot. At the same time that ''Lawman'' premiered, Russell played an outlaw, along with

Edd Byrnes Edward Byrne Breitenberger (July 30, 1932 – January 8, 2020), known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the television series '' 77 Sunset Strip.'' He also was featured in the 1978 film '' Gr ...

and Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., in the 1958 season premiere episode of ''

Sugarfoot ''Sugarfoot'' is an American Western television series that aired for 69 episodes on ABC from 1957-1961 on Tuesday nights on a "shared" slot basis – rotating with ''Cheyenne'' (first season); ''Cheyenne'' and ''Bronco'' (second season); and ...

'', another ABC/WB hit western, with

Will Hutchins Will Hutchins (born Marshall Lowell Hutchason; May 5, 1930) is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster, in the Western television series ''Sugarfoot'', which aired on ABC from 1957 to 1961 for ...

in the title role. Russell also appeared in other motion pictures for Warner Bros., notably as a Sioux chieftain in '' Yellowstone Kelly'' (1959), as well as a rich, corrupt cattle rancher, Nathan Burdette, in the highly successful Howard Hawks western '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), starring John Wayne. At the same time, Russell guest-starred in an episode of

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 ...

's adventure series ''

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...

''. In 1969, Russell appeared in five episodes of the

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

series, '' It Takes a Thief'': "Guess Who's Coming To Rio?" (January 9, 1969), "Saturday Night In Venice" (September 25, 1969), "The Blue, Blue Danube" (October 30, 1969), "Payoff In The Piazza" (November 13, 1969) and "A Friend In Deed" (November 27, 1969). Throughout the remainder of his movie career, he played secondary roles in more than 20 films, including several A.C. Lyles westerns and three films directed by his friend Clint Eastwood, most notably as Marshal Stockburn, the chief villain in Eastwood's 1985 film ''

Pale Rider ''Pale Rider'' is a 1985 American Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the lead role. The title is a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the pale horse's ghost rider (Eastwood) represents Deat ...

''. Russell also appeared in the second season of the

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...

children's science-fiction series ''

Jason of Star Command ''Jason of Star Command'' is a 1978-1979 live action television series by Filmation. The series revolves around the exploits of space adventurer Jason (Craig Littler) and his colleagues, including Professor E.J. Parsafoot (Charlie Dell) and the ...

''. He played Commander Stone, a blue-skinned alien from Alpha Centauri. He replaced

James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series '' Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottis ...

, who had played the commander in the previous season, but left to start working on '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979).

Death

Russell died of complications from emphysema in 1991 and was interred in the

Los Angeles National Cemetery The Los Angeles National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the Sawtelle unincorporated community of the West Los Angeles neighborhood in Los Angeles County, California. Geography The entrance to the cemetery is located at 950 Sou ...

, a

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

cemetery in Los Angeles. He married Renata Titus in 1943. They had three children, and divorced in 1965. He married again in 1970 to Lavergne Warner Pearson but was divorced the following year.

Complete filmography

*'' A Royal Scandal'' (1945) – Guard (uncredited) *''

A Bell for Adano ''A Bell for Adano'' (1945) is a film directed by Henry King and starring John Hodiak and Gene Tierney. It was adapted from the 1944 novel of the same title by John Hersey, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1945. In his review of t ...

'' (1945) – Capt. Anderson (uncredited) *''

Within These Walls ''Within These Walls'' is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison. Unlike later women-in-prison TV series, ...

'' (1945) – Rogers *''

The Dark Corner ''The Dark Corner'' is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix and Mark Stevens.. The film was not a commercial success but has since been described as a "Grade A exampl ...

'' (1946) – Policeman at Tony's Apartment (uncredited) *'' Somewhere in the Night'' (1946) – Marine Captain (uncredited) *''

Three Little Girls in Blue ''Three Little Girls in Blue'' is a 1946 Technicolor musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring June Haver along with George Montgomery, Vivian Blaine, Celeste Holm, and Vera-Ellen. The 20th Century-Fox film was adapted from S ...

'' (1946) – Young Man at Party (uncredited) *'' Forever Amber'' (1947) – Black Jack Mallard *'' Sitting Pretty'' (1948) – Bill Philby *''

'' (1948) – Lengthy *''

'' (1949) – Lt. 'Hobbie' Hobson *''

The Gal Who Took the West ''The Gal Who Took the West'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Frederick de Cordova starring Yvonne De Carlo, Charles Coburn, Scott Brady and John Russell. It was nominated for an award by the Writers Guild of America 1950. Plot ...

'' (1949) – Grant O'Hara *''

The Story of Molly X ''The Story of Molly X'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Crane Wilbur and starring June Havoc, John Russell and Dorothy Hart. The screenplay concerns a woman who tries to reform after being sent to prison, but faces obstacles ...

'' (1949) – Cash Brady *'' Undertow'' (1949) – Danny Morgan *'' Saddle Tramp'' (1950) – Rocky *'' Frenchie'' (1950) – Lance Cole *'' The Fat Man'' (1951) – Gene Gordon *''

Fighting Coast Guard ''Fighting Coast Guard'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Joseph Kane and written by Kenneth Gamet. The film stars Brian Donlevy, Forrest Tucker, Ella Raines, John Russell, Richard Jaeckel, William Murphy and Martin Milner. The ...

'' (1951) – Barney Walker *''

The Barefoot Mailman ''The Barefoot Mailman'' is a comedy-adventure film starring Robert Cummings and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 1951. The film was based on the 1943 novel ''The Barefoot Mailman'' by Theodore Pratt. Filmed in Super Cinecolor on location i ...

'' (1951) – Theron *'' Man in the Saddle'' (1951) – Hugh Clagg *''

'' (1952) – Dan Fraser *'' Hoodlum Empire'' (1952) – Joe Gray *''

The Sun Shines Bright ''The Sun Shines Bright'' is a 1953 American Comedy-Drama Western film directed by John Ford, based on material taken from a series of Irvin S. Cobb "Judge Priest" short stories featured in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' in the 1910s, specifica ...

'' (1953) – Ashby Corwin *''

Fair Wind to Java ''Fair Wind to Java'' is a 1953 American adventure film in Trucolor from Republic Pictures, produced and directed by Joseph Kane, that stars Fred MacMurray and Vera Ralston. With special effects by the Lydecker brothers, the film was based on the ...

'' (1953) – Flint *''

Jubilee Trail {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 ''Jubilee Trail'' is a novel written by Gwen Bristow, copyrighted in 1950. It follows the adventures of two strong women in the mid-19th century as they travel across the United States to the then- Mexican terri ...

'' (1954) – Oliver Hale *'' Hell's Outpost'' (1954) – Ben Hodes *'' The Last Command'' (1955) – Lt. Dickinson *''

'' (1957) – Russ Tropp *'' Hell Bound'' (1957) – Jordan *''

The Dalton Girls ''The Dalton Girls'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Merry Anders, Lisa Davis, Penny Edwards, Sue George and John Russell. Plot Two men on horseback are fleeing a posse. Pistol shots are exchanged a ...

'' (1957) – W.T. 'Illinois' Grey *''

Fort Massacre ''Fort Massacre'' is a 1958 Western directed by Joseph M. Newman, starring Joel McCrea, Forrest Tucker, John Russell and Susan Cabot. A possibly mad cavalry commander leads his troops through dangerous Indian territory. Plot An embittered ca ...

'' (1958) – Pvt. Robert W. Travis *'' Rio Bravo'' (1959) – Nathan Burdette *'' Yellowstone Kelly'' (1959) – Gall *''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (1965) – Amos McAleer *''

Apache Uprising ''Apache Uprising'' is a 1965 American Technicolor Western (genre), Western Techniscope film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Max Lamb and Harry Sanford. The film stars Rory Calhoun, Corinne Calvet, John Russell (actor), John Russel ...

'' (1965) – Vance Buckner *''

Hostile Guns ''Hostile Guns'' is a 1967 Western starring George Montgomery, Tab Hunter and Yvonne de Carlo. Plot Cast * George Montgomery as Sheriff Gid McCool *Tab Hunter as Mike Reno *Yvonne De Carlo as Laura Mannon *Brian Donlevy as Marshal Willett * ...

'' (1967) – Aaron Pleasant *''

Fort Utah Fort Utah (also known as Fort Provo) was the original white settlement at Provo, Utah, United States, and was established March 12, 1849. The original settlers were President John S. Higbee and about 30 families or 150 persons that were sent fr ...

'' (1967) – Eli Jonas *'' Buckskin'' (1968) – Patch *'' Fireball Jungle'' (1968) – Nero Solitarius *'' If He Hollers, Let Him Go!'' (1968) – Sheriff *''

Noon Sunday ''Noon Sunday'' is a 1970 action film directed by Terry Bourke about two mercenaries. The film was the first feature produced in Guam. Production Terry Bourke and producer Gordon Mailloux had previously worked on the film ''Sampan'' together, whi ...

'' (1970) – Darmody *''

Cannon for Cordoba ''Cannon for Cordoba'' is a 1970 American Western film. Filmed in Spain, the larger part of the movie takes place in Mexico in 1912. Directed by Paul Wendkos, it stars George Peppard, Pete Duel, Giovanna Ralli, and Raf Vallone, and features a m ...

'' (1970) – John J. Pershing *'' Blood Legacy'' (1971) – Frank Mantee *'' Smoke in the Wind'' (1975) – Cagle Mondier *''Fugitive Lovers'' (1975) – Harris Alexander *''

The Outlaw Josey Wales ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'' is a 1976 American Revisionist Western film set during and after the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood (as Josey Wales), with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldi ...

'' (1976) – Bloody Bill Anderson *''

Where the Wind Dies '' Allá donde muere el viento'' (Where The Wind Dies) is a 1976 Argentine drama film directed by Fernando Siro and written by Enrique Torres. The film stars John Russell, Tippi Hedren and Mala Powers. Other cast * María Aurelia Bisutti * Tom C ...

'' (1976) *''Mission to Glory: A True Story'' (1977) – Capt. Solis *''Uncle Scam'' (1981) – Art *''Six Tickets to Hell'' (1981) *''

Honkytonk Man ''Honkytonk Man'' is a 1982 American comedy-drama musical western film set in the Great Depression. Clint Eastwood, who produced and directed, stars with his son, Kyle Eastwood. Clancy Carlile's screenplay is based on his 1980 novel of the same ...

'' (1982) – Jack Wade *''

'' (1985) – Marshal Stockburn *''Under the Gun'' (1988) – Simon Stone (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Unofficial Lawman Western TV Series Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, John American male film actors American male television actors Male Western (genre) film actors United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Male actors from Los Angeles Warner Bros. contract players Deaths from emphysema 1921 births 1991 deaths Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors