John Trent (born LaVerne Ward Browne, December 5, 1906 – May 12, 1966) was an aviator-turned-actor-turned-aviator, best known as an actor for the "Tailspin Tommy" adventure film series in the 1930s. From 1931 to 1941, under the stage name John Trent, Browne appeared in 16

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) * Hollywood, ...

films. While flying was a natural for him, acting was not, and he eventually turned his back on his Hollywood career, resuming his career in aviation, as a

test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...

Early life

Born in Orange, California, as the third child of Edwin J. Browne, a farm worker, and Phebe Alice Proctor Browne. His first focus was in the legal field. Attending the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

(USC), he switched career aspirations only after completing his law studies.

Aviation

Browne attended the Hancock School of Aeronautics and Flying School, Santa Maria, California. He found steady work as a commercial pilot for Transcontinental & Western Airways flying the

Douglas DC-2 The Douglas DC-2 is a 14-passenger, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Company starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which b ...

airliner, just entering service. He was also commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps Reserve.

Film career

When the pilot was noticed by

B. P. Schulberg B. P. Schulberg (born Percival Schulberg, January 19, 1892 – February 25, 1957) was an American pioneer film producer and film studio executive. Biography Born Percival Schulberg in Bridgeport, Connecticut, he took the name Benjamin from the ...

, a

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

executive, who happened to be a passenger on one of his

TWA Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...

DC-2 flights, Browne was encouraged to try acting. Heading for Los Angeles, he did a screen test, was put on contract, and given the name, John Trent.Wagner, Bill
"Oh, Doctor Browne."
''TWA Skyliner Magazine'' January 1, 1937. Retrieved: July 9, 2019. There was one stipulation Trent made with TWA before signing with Paramount... that the airline would put him on reserve in case things didn't work out. They agreed,Brumburgh Gar
"John Trent Biography."
''IMDb'', 2019. Retrieved: July 9, 2019. paying him $1 per month as he remained on reserve status. TWA press agent Bill Wagner writing in the ''TWA Skyliner Magazine'' described the first days for Trent in Hollywood. "On the set and off, Brownie is universally well-liked by his fellow workers, and your correspondent can assure you from personal knowledge that a great sigh of relief has gone up from the Schulberg lot, because John Trent has not 'gone Hollywood'. Three months ago, Brownie alighted in Hollywood to be greeted by the usual 'gag' pictures arranged by the studio, after which we thought he would be forgotten to a greater or lesser degree. But Mr. Schulberg had taken such a liking to Brownie that he began an immediate 'build-up' of the former TWA pilot. Brownie became 'JOHN TRENT' for the screen and was immediately given a good part in ''

John Meade's Woman ''John Meade's Woman'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Richard Wallace and written by John Bright, Vincent Lawrence, Herman J. Mankiewicz and Robert Tasker. The film stars Edward Arnold, Francine Larrimore, Gail Patrick, George Banc ...

'', starring Edward Arnold." With no training and few natural instincts in the art of performing, Trent started off slowly in bit parts. As his visibility grew, he still remained pretty much overlooked in most as the second lead or supporting "B" movie roles presented to him at the time."Crack airman finds acting like flying."
''The Portsmouth Times, Portsmouth, Ohio'', May 2, 1937, p. 48. Retrieved: July 9, 2019. He gained a popular following in ''

Badge of Honor The Badge of Honor novel series is a series of novels written by W.E.B. Griffin about the Philadelphia Police Department. Although the books were originally set in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the characters have only aged a few years (Matt Payn ...

'' (1934), ''

A Doctor's Diary ''A Doctor's Diary'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor and written by David Boehm and Samuel Ornitz. The film stars George Bancroft, Helen Burgess, John Trent, Ruth Coleman, Ronald Sinclair and Molly Lamont. The film was ...

'' (1937), ''

The Great Gambini ''The Great Gambini'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Charles Vidor and written by Frederick J. Jackson, Frank Partos and Howard Irving Young. The film stars Akim Tamiroff, Marian Marsh, John Trent, Genevieve Tobin, Reginald Den ...

'' (1937) and ''

Blossoms on Broadway ''Blossoms on Broadway'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Richard Wallace and written by Theodore Reeves. The film stars Edward Arnold, Shirley Ross, John Trent, Rufe Davis, Joe Weber, and Lew Fields. The film was released on Novembe ...

'' (1937). Paramount cast him opposite Ann Dvorak in the comedy, ''

She's No Lady ''She's No Lady'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Ann Dvorak, John Trent and Harry Beresford Harry J. Beresford (4 November 1863 – 4 October 1944) was an English-born actor on the American stage and ...

'' (1937) but he proved to be a "rather wooden leading man".

Tailspin Tommy

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

cast him in four films based on the comic strip aviator, "

Tailspin Tommy ''Tailspin Tommy'' was an air adventure comic strip about a youthful pilot, "Tailspin" Tommy Tomkins (sometimes spelled Tompkins). Originally illustrated by Hal Forrest and initially distributed by John Neville Wheeler's Bell Syndicate and the ...

." Trent was a natural for the part of the obsessed youthful pilot who became the focus of a popular comic strip years back during the Charles Lindbergh craze of the late 1920s. He would be supported by co-star

Marjorie Reynolds Marjorie Reynolds (née Goodspeed; August 12, 1917 – February 1, 1997) was an American film/television actress and dancer, who appeared in more than 50 films, including the 1942 musical ''Holiday Inn'', in which she and Bing Crosby introdu ...

as girlfriend Betty Lou and

Milburn Stone Hugh Milburn Stone (July 5, 1904 – June 12, 1980) was an American actor, best known for his role as "Doc" (Dr. Galen Adams) on the CBS Western series ''Gunsmoke''. Early life Stone was born in Burrton, Kansas, to Herbert Stone and the forme ...

as best buddy "Skeeter". The four films Trent starred in for Monogram were: ''

Mystery Plane ''Mystery Plane'' (aka ''Sky Pilot'' and ''Sky Pirate'') is a 1939 American action film directed by George Waggner and written by Paul Schofield and George Waggner. The film is based on the comic strip ''Tailspin Tommy'' by Hal Forrest and Glenn ...

'' (1939), ''

Stunt Pilot Stunt flying refers to any stunts performed in an aircraft. It encompasses aerobatics, wing walking, and transferring from one airplane to another or to a moving vehicle on the ground, such as an automobile or train, and vice versa. History From th ...

'' (1939), ''

Sky Patrol ''Sky Patrol'' is a 1939 American film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring John Trent (actor), John Trent, along with Marjorie Reynolds, Milburn Stone and Jason Robards Sr. The film also featured actor and comedian Jackie Coogan, who began ...

'' (1939) and '' Danger Flight'' (1939). Still, his wooden performances in other films sealed his fate and, after two more film roles — as a flight instructor in Monogram's '' Wolf Call'' (1939) and in Paramount's ''

I Wanted Wings ''I Wanted Wings'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and based on a book by Lieutenant Beirne Lay Jr. The film stars Ray Milland and William Holden. The supporting cast includes Wayne Morris, Brian Donlevy, Constance Moor ...

'' (1941) (also appearing in the latter in support of

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985. He is remembered for his Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival Award-winning ...

and

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) ...

) — he left Hollywood for good. Trent disparaged his acting, in later years, stating, "It was a pretty good job until politics, sex and long working hours moved in. And when talkies came in, I was finished with my growling voice. Didn‘t go over worth a damn."

Filmography

* ''

The Sky Spider ''The Sky Spider'' (aka ''Spy Spider'') is a 1931 American "youth-oriented" adventure film.Farmer 1984, p. 327. Directed by Richard Thorpe, the film starred Glenn Tryon, Beryl Mercer, Blanche Mehaffey, Pat O'Malley and newcomer John Trent. P ...

'' (1931) as Buddy Morgan * ''

Under-Cover Man ''Under Cover Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime film directed by James Flood and starring George Raft and Nancy Carroll.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Company, 2013, page 34. Plot Criminal Nick Darrow goes under ...

'' (1932) (uncredited) * ''

Springtime for Henry ''Springtime for Henry'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Otto Kruger, Nancy Carroll and Nigel Bruce. It was based on a play of the same name by the British writer Benn W. Levy which enjoyed an eight-month ru ...

'' (1934) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1934) as Harvey Larkin * ''

'' (1937) as "Mike" * ''

'' (1937) as Dr. Dan Norris * ''

'' (1937) as Grant Naylor * ''

'' (1937) as Neil Graham * ''

'' (1937) as Alden Bill"Carter III * ''

'' (1939) as ailspinTommy hompson* ''

'' (1939) as Tailspin Tommy omkins * ''

'' (1939) as Tailspin Tommy ompkins * '' Danger Flight'' (1939) as ailspinTommy omkins* '' Wolf Call'' (1939) as flying instructor (uncredited) * ''Start the Music'' (Short) (1939) as Doctor Reed * ''

'' (1941) as Lieut. Ronson

Aviation career resumed

Using his birth name, LaVerne Browne, he returned to "civilian" life in 1941, finding a job as a test pilot, first with the Fletcher Aviation Corporation, flying the

Fletcher FBT-2 The Fletcher FBT-2 was a military trainer aircraft built in the United States in the early 1940s. Although it was never entered production as a trainer, it was ordered in small numbers as a target drone but when that was cancelled played a small ...

, an experimental "drone controller" on April 26 and 27, 1942. From 1942 to 1957, Browne worked as a

Douglas Aircraft The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas; it then operated as ...

El Segundo, California El Segundo ( , ; ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments. The population was 16,731 as of th ...

. First working as a "production test pilot" in 1942, callsign "Tailspin", assigned to the

Douglas SBD Dauntless The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/div ...

dive bomber program. By 1943, Browne became a project test pilot with his first assignment, the successor to the venerable Dauntless."Hal Forrst and Tailspin Tommy."
''collectair.org'', 2019. Retrieved: July 9, 2019.In March 1945, Browne was appointed Director of Flight Test (chief pilot) of the Douglas El Segundo Flight Test Division.Swopes, Bryan
"LaVerne Ward Browne."
''This Day in Aviation'', 2019. Retrieved: July 9, 2019. Browne made the

maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...

of the first XBT2D-1 (Bu No 09085), later to be re-designated the AD-1 Skyraider from Mines Field, California on March 18, 1945. Browne would retire from Douglas in the 1960s. Friends at the company called him, "Brownie" or "Brown with an 'e'.""LaVerne "Brownie" Browne."
''AAHS Journal'', Vol. 54, No. 3, Fall 2009. Retrieved: July 9, 2019.

Personal life

On January 28, 1926, Browne married Dorothy Leonore Bach at Los Angeles, California. They had one daughter, Barbara May Browne, born December 6, 1926, but later divorced. On June 12, 1933, Browne re-married to Harriette Fitzgerald Dodson at Norfolk, Virginia.

Death

At the age of 59, on May 12, 1966, LaVerne Browne died, of cancer, at his home in Torrance, California."Laverne Browne Obituary."
''newspaperarchive.com'', 2019. Retrieved: July 9, 2019.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Beck, Simon D. ''The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and Television Companion''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. . * Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies.'' Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

John Trent Biography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trent, John 1906 births 1966 deaths American male film actors Male actors from California American aviators 20th-century American male actors Douglas Aircraft Company American test pilots