John Emery (May 20, 1905 – November 16, 1964) was an American actor.

Early years

Born in New York City, Emery was the son of stage actors Edward Emery (c. 1861 – 1938) and Isabel Waldron (1871–1950). He was educated at Long Island's

La Salle Military Academy La Salle Military Academy was a Catholic school with middle school/junior high school and high school divisions located in Oakdale, New York. It closed in 2001, and the school's extensive campus is now owned by St. John's University, located in ...

Film

Through the late 1930s to the early 1960s Emery appeared in supporting roles in many Hollywood films, beginning with

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Frankenstein'' (1931), '' The O ...

's '' The Road Back'' (1937) and ranging from Alfred Hitchcock's '' Spellbound'' to ''

Rocketship X-M ''Rocketship X-M'' (a.k.a. ''Expedition Moon'' and originally ''Rocketship Expedition Moon'') is a 1950 American black-and-white science fiction film from Lippert Pictures, the first outer space adventure of the post-World War II era. The film wa ...

''.

Stage

Cornell-Flemyng-Emery in The Constant Wife

Emery appeared on Broadway in ''John Brown'' (1934), '' Romeo and Juliet'' (1934-1935), ''

The Barretts of Wimpole Street ''The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' is a 1930 play by the Dutch/English dramatist Rudolf Besier, based on the romance between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, and her father's unwillingness to allow them to marry. The play gave actress Kat ...

'' (1935), ''Flowers of the Forest'' (1935), ''Parnell'' (1935-1936), ''Alice Takat'' (1936), ''Sweet Aloes'' (1936), ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1936-1937), '' Antony and Cleopatra'' (1937), ''Save Me the Waltz'' (1938), '' The Unconquered'' (1940), ''

Liliom ''Liliom'' is a 1909 play by the Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár. It was well known in its own right during the early to mid-20th century, but is best known today as the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 musical ''Carousel''. P ...

'' (1940), ''Retreat to Pleasure'' (1940-1941), '' Angel Street'' (1941-1944), ''Peepshow'' (1944), ''

The Relapse ''The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger'' is a Restoration comedy from 1696 written by John Vanbrugh. The play is a sequel to Colley Cibber's '' Love's Last Shift, or, The Fool in Fashion''. In Cibber's ''Love's Last Shift'', a free-living Rest ...

'' (1950), '' The Royal Family'' (1951), ''

The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A “sparkling comedy o ...

'' (1951-1952), ''Anastasia'' (1954-1955), ''Hotel Paradiso'' (1957), and ''Rape of the Belt'' (1960). ''Peepshow'' was the first production in which Emery and his third wife,

Tamara Geva Tamara Geva (russian: Тамара Жева, born Tamara Levkievna Zheverzheeva, russian: Тамара Левкиевна Жевержеева; 17 March 1906 – 9 December 1997) was a Soviet and later an American actress, ballet dancer, and c ...

, appeared together.

Television and radio

Emery was also known for his television work, appearing on programs like ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'' and '' Have Gun Will Travel''. In 1946 he starred in a radio program as detective

Philo Vance Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish— ...

Personal life

Emery married Patricia Calvert in 1926, ending in divorce in 1929. He married

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...

on August 31, 1937, in Jasper, Alabama (her only marriage), divorcing on June 13, 1941, in Reno, Nevada. The two remained friendly after their marriage. In 1942, Emery married dancer

, divorcing in 1963. Emery had started a long-term relationship with actress

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

in 1961, who cared for him through his final illness and death in 1964. Due to their resemblance, Emery often was rumoured to be the illegitimate child of

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

. As a child, Emery roomed for a while with Barrymore and his first wife, Katherine Corri.''John Barrymore: A Bio-Bibliography'' c.1995 by Martin Norden

Death

Emery died on November 16, 1964, in New York City, aged 59.

Selected filmography

* '' The Road Back'' (1937) - Captain Von Hagen * '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941) - Tony Abbott * ''

The Corsican Brothers ''The Corsican Brothers'' (french: Les Frères corses) is a novella by Alexandre Dumas, père, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, though separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It h ...

'' (1941) - Tomasso * ''

Two Yanks in Trinidad ''Two Yanks in Trinidad'' is a 1942 American comedy spy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Pat O'Brien, Brian Donlevy and Janet Blair. The film was in production when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, leading to America's en ...

'' (1942) - Chicago Hagen * ''

Ship Ahoy ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical-comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...

'' (1942) - Dr. Farno * ''

Eyes in the Night ''Eyes in the Night'' is a 1942 American crime mystery directed by Fred Zinnemann, based on Baynard Kendrick's 1941 novel ''The Odor of Violets'' and starring Edward Arnold, Ann Harding and Donna Reed. The film was followed by a sequel (also ...

'' (1942) - Paul Gerente * '' George Washington Slept Here'' (1942) - Clayton Evans * ''

Assignment in Brittany ''Assignment in Brittany'' is a 1943 war film directed by Jack Conway and starring French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Swedish actress Signe Hasso, both in their American film debuts. Also starring was American actress Susan Peters. The film w ...

'' (1943) - Capt. Deichgraber * '' Mademoiselle Fifi'' (1944) - Jean Cornudet * ''

Blood on the Sun ''Blood on the Sun'' is a 1945 American war film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring James Cagney and Sylvia Sidney. The film is based on a fictional history behind the Tanaka Memorial document. The film won the Academy Award for Best Art Di ...

'' (1945) - Premier Giichi Tanaka * ''

The Spanish Main ''The Spanish Main'' is a 1945 American adventure film starring Paul Henreid, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak and Binnie Barnes, and directed by Frank Borzage. It was RKO's first all-Technicolor film since ''Becky Sharp'' ten years before. Cin ...

'' (1945) - Capt. Mario Du Billar * '' Spellbound'' (1945) - Dr. Fleurot * '' The Voice of the Turtle'' (1947) - George Harrington * '' Let's Live Again'' (1948) - Larry Blake * '' The Woman in White'' (1948) - Sir Percival Glyde * '' The Gay Intruders'' (1948) - John Newberry * ''

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

'' (1948) - Jean, Duke d'Alençon, cousin of Charles VII * ''

Dakota Lil ''Dakota Lil'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Maurice Geraghty. The film stars George Montgomery, Rod Cameron, Marie Windsor, John Emery, Wallace Ford and Jack Lambert. The film was released on Fe ...

'' (1950) - Vincent * ''

'' (1950) - Dr. Karl Eckstrom * '' Frenchie'' (1950) - Clyde Gorman * '' Double Crossbones'' (1951) - Gov. Elden * '' Joe Palooka in Triple Cross'' (1951) - 'Professor' * ''

The Mad Magician ''The Mad Magician'' is a 1954 American horror film in 3D, directed by John Brahm starring Vincent Price, Mary Murphy and Eva Gabor. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, with a release in 3-D to build on the craze started by ...

'' (1954) - The Great Rinaldi * '' A Lawless Street'' (1955) - Cody Clark * '' Forever, Darling'' (1956) - Dr. Edward R. Winter * ''

The Girl Can't Help It ''The Girl Can't Help It'' is a 1956 American musical comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield in the titular role, Tom Ewell, Edmond O'Brien, Henry Jones, and Julie London. The picture was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenpl ...

'' (1956) - Wheeler * '' Kronos'' (1957) - Dr. Hubbell Eliot * ''

Ten North Frederick ''Ten North Frederick'' is a novel by John O'Hara, published by Random House in 1955. It tells the story of Joseph Chapin, an ambitious man who desires to become president of the United States, and his relationships with his patrician wife, tw ...

'' (1958) - Paul Donaldson * '' Youngblood Hawke'' (1964) - Georges Peydal (final film role)

Selected television

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Emery, John 1905 births 1964 deaths American male film actors American male radio actors American male television actors Male actors from New York City American male stage actors 20th-century American male actors