Allyn Joslyn (July 21, 1901 – January 21, 1981) was an American stage, radio, television and film actor, known for his roles playing aristocratic wealthy snobs.

Biography

Allyn Joslyn was born in Milford, Pennsylvania, the son of a

mining engineer Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, a ...

. On stage from age 17, Joslyn scored as a leading man in such Broadway productions as '' Boy Meets Girl'' (1936) and '' Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1941), appearing in the latter as beleaguered theatrical critic Mortimer Brewster. Apart from a single appearance in a 1930 Vitaphone movie short, Joslyn confined his work to the stage until moving to Hollywood in 1937. Hollywood didn't see Joslyn as a leading-man type. Thus, he spent most of his film career playing comic character roles: obnoxious reporters, weaklings, and formless "other men" who never got the girl, while stars such as

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

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 of ...

took the roles he originated on Broadway. Among his more notable film appearances were as the tough pilot in ''

Only Angels Have Wings ''Only Angels Have Wings'' is a 1939 American adventure drama film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, and is based on a story written by Hawks. Its plot follows the manager of an air freight company in a remote South ...

'' (1939); George in '' The Great McGinty'' (1940); the opportunistic wastrel in '' If I Had My Way'' (1940); the caustic director in '' No Time for Comedy'' (1940); the reporter in ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (an ...

'' (1942); Albert Van Cleve,

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, stock, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 1930s, which ...

's cousin and snobbish rival for the affections of Gene Tierney in '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1943); an eccentric poet in '' The Shocking Miss Pilgrim''; the flippant crime-fiction author in '' Dangerous Blondes'' (1943); the wise sheriff in ''

Moonrise Moonrise and moonset are times when the upper limb of the Moon appears above the horizon and disappears below it, respectively. The exact times depend on the lunar phase and declination, as well as the observer's location. As viewed from outsid ...

'' (1948); the card shark disguised as a woman in ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...

'' (1953), and the star-struck father of a showgirl in '' I Love Melvin'' (1953). He played the occasional lead on screen, including in '' Strange Affair'' (1944) opposite Evelyn Keyes, and the sprightly B picture '' It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog'' (1946), as

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

's love interest. A prolific radio and television performer, Joslyn was a co-star of the 1953–1954 ABC sitcom '' Where's Raymond?'', in which he played Jonathan Wallace, brother of the title character Raymond Wallace, the role of

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

Betty Lynn Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn (August 29, 1926 – October 16, 2021) was an American actress. She played Thelma Lou, Deputy Barney Fife's girlfriend, on ''The Andy Griffith Show''. During the 1940s and 1950s, she appeared in many films, including ...

played June Wallace, Joslyn's young wife in the series. Joslyn and Lynn left the series in the 1954–1955 series, when it was renamed '' The Ray Bolger Show''. In 1957, Joslyn co-starred in eight episodes as literary agent George Howell in the short-lived CBS sitcom '' The Eve Arden Show''. He also guest-starred in the NBC western series '' The Californians''. In 1959, he was cast as Quag in the episode "Gold Sled" of the ABC/

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 ...

western series '' The Alaskans'', starring Roger Moore. In the 1960–1961 season, Joslyn guest-starred on Pat O'Brien's ABC sitcom '' Harrigan and Son''. He played a pompous colonel in the 1962 TV

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

McKeever And The Colonel ''McKeever and the Colonel'' is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from September 23, 1962 to June 16, 1963 on Sunday nights at 6:30 P.M. Eastern Time. Its setting was a fictional military academy known as Westfield. Dick Powell's Four St ...

''. That same year, he guest-starred in ABC's

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

series '' Target: The Corruptors'' with Stephen McNally and Robert Harland. He was featured as well in some episodes of ABC's '' The Addams Family'' as the beleaguered Sam L. Hilliard, whose efforts as a school administrator and politician were continually undone by the Addams family.

Personal life

In 1935, he married Dorothy Yockel. They remained married until her death in 1978 and had one daughter.

Death

On January 21, 1981, Allyn Joslyn died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, at the age of 79. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Un ...

of Los Angeles.''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries''
/ref>

Partial filmography

*'' They Won't Forget'' (1937) - Bill Brock *'' Expensive Husbands'' (1937) - Joe Craig *'' Hollywood Hotel'' (1937) - Bernie Walton *''

The Shining Hour ''The Shining Hour'' is a 1938 American romantic drama film directed by Frank Borzage, based on the 1934 play '' The Shining Hour'' by Keith Winter, and starring Joan Crawford and Margaret Sullavan. The supporting cast of the MGM film features ...

'' (1938) - Roger Q. Franklin *'' Sweethearts'' (1938) - Dink *'' Cafe Society'' (1939) - Sonny De Witt *''

'' (1939) - Les Peters *'' Fast and Furious'' (1939) - Ted Bentley *'' If I Had My Way'' (1940) - Jarvis Johnson *'' The Great McGinty'' (1940) - George *'' No Time for Comedy'' (1940) - Morgan Carrell *'' Spring Parade'' (1940) - Count Zorndorf *'' This Thing Called Love'' (1940) - Harry Bertrand *'' I Wake Up Screaming'' (1941) - Larry Evans *''

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockma ...

'' (1941) - William Dudley *'' The Wife Takes a Flyer'' (aka ''A Yank In Dutch'') (1942) - Major Zellfritz *''

The Affairs of Martha ''The Affairs of Martha'', also known as ''Once Upon a Thursday'', is a 1942 American romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin and written by Isobel Lennart based on her story. It stars Marsha Hunt and Richard Carlson. Plot The peace and ...

'' (1942) - Joel Archer *''

'' (1942) - Chic Clark *''

Immortal Sergeant ''Immortal Sergeant'' is a 1943 American war film directed by John M. Stahl for 20th Century Fox. Set in the North African desert during World War II, it stars Henry Fonda as a corporal lacking in confidence in both love and war, Maureen O'Hara ...

'' (1943) - Cassidy *'' Young Ideas'' (1943) - Adam Trent *'' Heaven Can Wait'' (1943) - Albert Van Cleve *'' Dangerous Blondes'' (1943) - Barry Craig *'' The Impostor'' (1944) - Bouteau *''

Bride by Mistake ''Bride by Mistake'' (1944) is an American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Alan Marshal and Laraine Day. The screenplay is by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, based on a story by Norman Krasna, and is a remake of ...

'' (1944) - Phil Vernon *''

Sweet and Low-Down ''Sweet and Low-Down'' is a 1944 film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Benny Goodman and Linda Darnell. The film was a fictionalized version of life with Goodman, his band, and their manager while entertaining at military camps. The song " I ...

'' (1944) - Lester Barnes *'' Strange Affair'' (1944) - Bill Harrison *'' The Horn Blows at Midnight'' (1945) - Second Trumpeter / Osidro *'' Junior Miss'' (1945) - Harry Graves *''

Colonel Effingham's Raid ''Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (UK title: ''Man of the Hour'') is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Irving Pichel. It is also known as ''Berry Fleming's Colonel Effingham's Raid'', ''Everything's Peaches Down in Georgia'' and ''Rebel Yell''. ...

'' (1946) - Earl Hoats *'' It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog'' (1946) - Henry Barton *''

The Thrill of Brazil ''The Thrill of Brazil'', also known as ''Dancing Down to Rio'', is a 1946 American musical film directed by S. Sylvan Simon for Columbia Pictures and starring Evelyn Keyes, Keenan Wynn, and Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille C ...

'' (1946) - John Habour *'' The Shocking Miss Pilgrim'' (1947) - Leander Woolsey *''

If You Knew Susie "If You Knew Susie" is the title of a popular song written by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Meyer. It was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. in 1925. In the largely comic song, a man sings that he knows a certain woman named Susie to be much wilde ...

'' (1948) - Mike Garrett *''

'' (1948) - Sheriff Clem Otis *'' The Lady Takes a Sailor'' (1949) - Ralph Whitcomb *''

Harriet Craig ''Harriet Craig'' is a 1950 American drama film starring Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Anne Froelick and James Gunn was based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1925 play '' Craig's Wife'', by George Kelly. The film was directed by Vincent Sher ...

'' (1950) - Billy Birkmire *''

As Young as You Feel ''As Young as You Feel'' is a 1951 American comedy film starring Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, and David Wayne, with Marilyn Monroe in a small role. It was directed by Harmon Jones. Plot When printer John R. Hodges is forced to retire at age 65 ...

'' (1951) - George Hodges *'' The Jazz Singer'' (1952) - George Miller *'' I Love Melvin'' (1953) - Frank Schneider *''

'' (1953) - Earl Meeker *'' Island in the Sky'' (1953) - J.H. Handy *''

The Fastest Gun Alive ''The Fastest Gun Alive'' is a 1956 MGM Western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, and Broderick Crawford directed by Russell Rouse. Plot Son of a notorious fast-drawing sheriff, George Kelby Jr. (Ford) and his wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) s ...

'' (1956) - Harvey Maxwell *''

You Can't Run Away from It ''You Can't Run Away from It'' is a 1956 musical comedy directed and produced by Dick Powell and starring June Allyson and Jack Lemmon. The film is a remake of the 1934 Academy Award-winning film ''It Happened One Night''. The supporting cast fea ...

'' (1956) - Joe Gordon, Editor *''

Public Pigeon No. 1 ''Public Pigeon No. 1'' is a 1957 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Red Skelton and Vivian Blaine. It is the theatrical feature-length remake of the ''Climax!'' television episode "Public Pigeon #1" that also starred Red Skelton ...

'' (1957) - Harvey Baker *''

Nightmare in the Sun ''Nightmare in the Sun'' is a 1965 film drama directed by Marc Lawrence, and written by George Fass and Fanya Foss, about a murderous affair. Derek starred along with Ursula Andress and Aldo Ray. Smaller roles in the film featured Sammy Davis, ...

'' (1965) - Rock Club leader *''

The Brothers O'Toole ''The Brothers O'Toole'' is a 1973 comedy Western film starring John Astin, Pat Carroll, and Lee Meriwether. The film was Astin's next film after the success of '' Evil Roy Slade'', another comedy Western. It was Charles Sellier's first successfu ...

'' (1973) - Sheriff Ed Hatfield (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Joslyn, Allyn 1901 births 1981 deaths People from Milford, Pennsylvania Male actors from Pennsylvania American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Chestnut Hill Academy alumni