Men Of Character Character Actors
John Litel
Nancy Drew Mysteries/ Carson Drew
They Drive By Night/ Harry McNamara
Dodge City/ Matt Cole
Flight To Mars/ Dr.Lane
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
Sturdy, dark haired, softly spoken, reliable looking American six footer with careworn eyes.
John Beach Litel was born at Albany, WI in 1892.
Mr. Litel was one of the prolific character actors in the 1930's through the end of the 1950's. His no nonsense demeanor on screen was not entirely an act. He enlisted in the French army during World War One and was decorated twice for bravery.
After the war, Litel enrolled in the Academy Of Dramatic Arts and toured with varuious stage companies.
He made his film debut in 1929 in a short and was considered one of Warner Brothers Stock Company.
Some of the films of John Litel were:
On The Border (1930) as Dave
Wayward (1932) as Bob Daniels
Fugitive In The Sky (1936) as Mike Phelan aka Roger Johnson
Black Legion (1937) as Tommy Smith
Midnight Court (1937) as Victor Shanley
Marked Woman (1937) as Gordon
Slim (1937) as Wyatt Ranstead
The Life Of Emile Zola (1937) as Charpentier
Back In Circulation (1937) as Dr. Eugene Forde
Alcatraz Island (1937) as Gat Brady
Missing Witnesses (1937) as Inspector Lane
Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) as Ralph Ferris
A Slight Case Of Murder (1938) as Post
Jezebel (1938) as Jean La Cour
Love Honor And Behave (1938) as Jim Blake
Over The Wall (1938) as Father Neil Connor
Little Miss Thoroughbred (1938) as Nails Morgan
My Bill (1938) as Mr. Rudlin
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) as Prosecuting Attorney
Valley Of The Giants (1938) as Hendricks
Broadway Musketeers (1938) as Stan Dowling
Nancy Drew Detective (1938) as Carson Drew
Comet Over Broadway (1938) as Bill Appleton
Wings Of The Navy (1939) as Commander Clark
Nancy Drew Reporter (1939) as Carson Drew
Secret Service In The Air (1939) as Saxby
You Can't Get Away With Murder (1939) as Attorney Carey
On Trial (1939) as Robert Strickland
Dodge City (1939) as Matt Cole
Nancy Drew Trouble Shooter (1939) as Carson Drew
Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase (1939) as Carson Drew
Dust Be My Destiny (1939) as Prosecutor
On Dress Parade (1939) as Colonel Michael Riker
One Hour To Live (1939) as Rudolph Spain
The Return Of Doctor X (1939) as Dr. Franklin Flagg
A Child Is Born (1939) as Dr. Brett
The Fighting 69th (1940) as Captain Mangan
Castle On The Hudson (1940) as Chaplain
Virginia City (1940) as Marshall
It All Came True (1940) as Mr. Roberts
An Angel From Texas (1940) as Quigley
Flight Angels (1940) as Dr. Barclay
Men Without Souls (1940) as Rev. Thomas Storm
Murder In The Air (1940) as Saxby
Gambling On The High Seas (1940) as U S District Attorney
The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) as D. A. Dickson
They Drive By Night (1940) as Harry McNamara
Knute Rockne All American (1940) as Committee Chairman
Father Is A Prince (1940) as Dr. Mark Stone
Lady With Red Hair (1940) as Charles Bryant
Santa Fe Trail (1940) as Martin
The Trial Of Mary Dugan (1941) as Mr. West
The Great Mr. Nobody (1941) as John Wade
The Big Boss (1941) as Bob Dugan
Thieves Fall Out (1941) as Tom Gordon
Henry Aldrich For President (1941) as Mr. Aldrich
They Died With Their Boots On (1941) as General Phil Sheridan
Don Winslow Of The Navy (1942) as Spencer Merlin
Mississippi Gambler (1942) as Jim Hadley aka Francis Carvet
Kid Gloves Killer (1942) as matty
Mystery Of Marie Roget (1942) as M. Henri Beauvois
A Desperate Chance For Ellery Queen (1942) as Norman Hadley
Henry And Dizzy (1942) as Mr. Aldrich
Men Of Texas 1942) as Col. Colbert Scott
Invisible Agent (1942) as John Gardner
Henry Aldrich, Editor (1942) as Mr. Aldrich
The Boss Of Big Town (1942) as Michael Lynn
Madame Spy (1942) as Peter Rolf
Murder In Times Square (1943) as Dr. Blaine
Henry Aldrich Gets Glamour (1943) as Mr. Aldrich
Crime Doctor (1943) as Emelio Caspari
Henry Aldrich Swings It (1943) as Mr. Aldrich
Submarine Base (1943) as Jim Taggart
So Proudly We Hail (1943) as Dr. Harrison
Henry Aldrich Haunts A House (1943) as Mr. Aldrich
Where Are Your Children? (1943) as Judge Edmonds
Henry Aldrich Boy Scout (1944) as Mr. Aldrich
Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid (1944) as Mr. Aldrich
Henry Aldrich's Little Secret (1944) as Mr. Aldrich
My Buddy (1944) as Father Jim Donnelly
Murder In The Blue Room (1944) as Frank Baldrich
Faces In The Fog (1944) as Dr. Mason
Lake Placid Serenade (1944) as Walter benda
Brewster's Millions (1945) as Swearengen Jones
Salome Where She Danced (1945) as General Lee
The Crime Doctor's Warning (1945) as Inspector Dawes
The Crimson Canary (1945) as Roger Quinn
The Daltons Ride Again (1945) as Mike Bohannon
Northwest Trail (1945) as Sgt. Means
The Enchanted Forest (1945) as Ed Henderson
San Antonio (1945) as Charlie Bell
The Madonna's Secret (1946) as Police Lt. Roberts
Night In Paradise (1945) as Archon
She Wrote The Book (1946) as Dean Fowler
The Return Of Rusty (1946) as Hugh Mitchell
Sister Kenny (1946) as Medical Director
Swell Guy (1946) as Arthur Tyler
Lighthouse (1947) as Hank Armitage
Easy Come, Easy Go (1947) as Tom Clancy
The Beginning Of The End (1947) as K T Keller
The Guilty (1947) as Alex Tremhost
Heaven Only Knows (1947) as Rev. Wainwright
Christmas Eve (1947) as FBI Agent Joe Bland
Cass Timberline (1947) as Webb Wargate
My Dog Rusty (1948) as Hugh Mitchell
Smart Woman (1948) as Clark
I, Jane Doe (1948) as Horton
Pitfall (1948) as District Attorney
Triple Threat (1948) as Coach Snyder
Rusty Leads The Way (1948) as Hugh Mitchell
The Valiant Hombre (1948) as Lon Lansdell
Shamrock Hill (1949) as Ralph Judson
Rusty Saves A Life (1949) as Hugh Mitchell
Outpost In Morocco (1949) as Colonel Pascal
The Gal Who Took The West (1949) as Colonel Logan
Rusty's Birthday (1949) as Hugh Mitchell
Mary Ryan, Detective (1949) as Police Captain Billings
The Sundowners (1950) as John Gall
Woman In Hiding (1950) as John Chandler
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) as Police Chief Sam Tolgate
The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) as Mr. Watkins
Cuban Fireball (1951) as Pomeroy, Sr.
The Groom Wore Spurs (1951) as Uncle George
The Texas Rangers (1951) as Mayor John Jones
Little Egypt (1951) as Shuster
Flight To Mars (1951) as Dr. lane
Jet Job (1952) as Sam Bentley
Scramouche (1952) as Dr. Dubuque
Montana Belle (1952) as Matt Towner
Jack Slade (1953) as Judge Davidson
Sitting Bull (1954) as General Wilford Howell
Double Jeopardy (1955) as Emmett Devery
The Kentuckian (1955) as Pleasant Tuesday Babson
Texas Lady (1955) as Meade Moore
The Wild Dakotas (1956) as Morgan Wheeler
Comanche (1956) as General Nelson Miles
Runaway Daughters (1956) as George Barton
The Hired Gun (1957) as Mace Beldon
Decision At Sundown (1957) as Charles Summerton
Houseboat (1958) as William Farnsworth
Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea (1961) as Vice Admiral Crawford
Pocketful Of Miracles (1961) as Police Inspector McCrary
The Gun Hawk (1963) as Madden'sFather
The Sons Of Katie Elder (1965) as Minister
Nevada Smith (1969) as Doctor
John Litel was active on television appearing in such programs as Four Star Playhouse, City Detective, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, Colt 45, Zane Grey Theater, Cheyenne, Maverick, Hawaiian Eye, Have Gun Will Travel, Bonanza, Hazel, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Rawhide, Wagon Train, Lock Up and The Road West among others.
At times Mr. Litel played leads, but it is as a fine supporting actor that he will be remembered. He has appeared in over 200 films with prosecuting attorneys, district attorneys , police chiefs and inspectors among his most frequent roles.
John Litel played a father in two film series. They were the Nancy Drew series and the Henry Aldrich series.
He was marreid twice. His first wife Rose Pichens died in 1955. He remarried in 1956 to Beatrice West and they were together until his death.
John Litel Passed away in 1972.
Here is another wonderful actor that I liked everything that he appeared in. However my favorite films of this actor were The Nancy Drew series, Black Legion, Dodge City, Virginia City, They Died With Their Boots On, The Kentuckian, Flight To Mars, Jezebel, Decision At Sundown and The Texas Rangers.
Louie The Movie Buff