JA
John Alvin
Actor
Died February 27, 2009 (91 years)
John Alvin, born John Alvin Hoffstadt was an American film, stage and television actor. Alvin was signed with Warner Brothers Studios for an exclusive four-year contract during the World War II era, although he was "borrowed" by 20th Century Fox to appear in 1944's Oscar-nominated The Fighting Sullivans. He appeared in more than 25 Warner Brothers films during this time, including Northern Pursuit (which starred Errol Flynn), The Beast with Five Fingers, The Very Thought of You, and Objective, Burma!. His pictures after the contract period included Irma la Douce, Inside Daisy Clover, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, and Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie. However, it was his role in the 1943 film Destination Tokyo, in which he co-starred with John Garfield and Cary Grant, that left the largest impression on Alvin. Years later, in a 2006 interview, Alvin credited Grant with having a major impact on his career path: "I learned more about show business from him than from anyone. He was very attentive and helpful."
Alvin later enjoyed a separate television career, which spanned from the 1950s to the 1980s. His television credits included various roles on Leave It to Beaver, All in the Family, Lou Grant, Dragnet, General Hospital, Murder, She Wrote, Starsky and Hutch, The Incredible Hulk and I Spy. Alvin's also appeared in numerous television commercials advertising for such products as Mattel, H&R Block, McDonald's, Porsche and Audi.
Alvin's theater repertoire included Send Me No Flowers, The Student Prince, The Chicago Conspiracy Trial and The Cradle Will Rock. He also appeared in a production of Rain, which was directed by Charlie Chaplin.
He largely retired from acting in the 1990s; his final film appearance was in 1994's Milk Money. During his retirement, Alvin often showed his movies for audiences at the Conejo Valley Senior Concerns, an organization for senior citizens based in Thousand Oaks, California.
Filmography
| 1994 | Milk Money · as Rich Old Guy |
| 1990 | Return to Green Acres · as E. Wilfred |
| 1987 | Dennis the Menace · as Mr. Bonfigli |
| 1987 | The Bold and the Beautiful (TV Series) · as Reverend Fuller |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories (TV Series) · as Professor Rand |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) · as Mr. Tucker |
| 1980 | Somewhere in Time · as Arthur's Father |
| 1979 | Hart to Hart (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1977 | Lou Grant (TV Series) · as Dr. Eastwick |
| 1977 | The Incredible Hulk (TV Series) · as Dr. Patterson |
| 1976 | The Quest: The Longest Drive · as Aames |
| 1976 | The Quest (TV Series) · as Aames |
| 1976 | Monster Squad (TV Series) · as Dr. Fishline |
| 1975 | The Legend of Lizzie Borden · as Dr. Draper |
| 1975 | Starsky & Hutch (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1974 | Police Woman (TV Series) · as Doctor |
| 1974 | Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV Series) · as Dr. Carrie |
| 1972 | M*A*S*H (TV Series) · as Bowman |
| 1971 | The Organization · as Forensic Officer (uncredited) |
| 1971 | All in the Family (TV Series) · as Bailiff |
| 1970 | They Call Me Mister Tibbs! · as Bearded Reporter at Logan Sharpe HQ |
| 1969 | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? · as Prison Doctor |
| 1968 | The Legend of Lylah Clare · as Accountant |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief (TV Series) · as Dr. Warren |
| 1967 | Ironside (TV Series) · as Irv |
| 1967 | Mannix (TV Series) · as actor |
| 1966 | Occasional Wife (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1966 | Family Affair (1966) (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1965 | Days of Our Lives (TV Series) · as Mr, Skipson |
| 1965 | Hank (TV Series) · as Professor Albright |
| 1965 | Get Smart (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1965 | I Spy (TV Series) · as Test Conductor |
| 1964 | Marnie · as Hotel Chauffeur (uncredited) |
| 1964 | The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV Series) · as Doctor |
| 1964 | The Munsters (TV Series) · as Mr. Franklin |
| 1963 | Irma la Douce · as Customer #2 |
| 1963 | My Favorite Martian (TV Series) · as Colonel |
| 1963 | Petticoat Junction (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1962 | The Beverly Hillbillies (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1962 | The Lucy Show (TV Series) · as Director |
| 1961 | Follow The Sun (TV Series) · as The Doctor |
| 1961 | The Joey Bishop Show (TV Series) · as Attorney Harper |
| 1960 | Thriller (TV Series) · as Detective Joe |
| 1960 | My Three Sons (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1959 | Rawhide (TV Series) · as Officer |
| 1959 | One Step Beyond (TV Series) · as Bradley |
| 1959 | Shotgun Slade (TV Series) · as Quint Packer |
| 1958 | Bronco (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1958 | Rescue 8 (TV Series) · as Albert Crotty |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) · as Sylvia's Husband |
| 1958 | The Texan (TV Series) · as Sheriff of Triple Creek |
| 1958 | The Rifleman (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1957 | Perry Mason (TV Series) · as Sam Walsh |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as Joe Rivers |
| 1957 | Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1955 | A Bullet for Joey · as Constable Dan Percy |
| 1955 | Illegal · as Court Clerk |
| 1955 | Kentucky Rifle · as Luke Thomas |
| 1955 | Cheyenne (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1954 | Lucky Me · as Clerk |
| 1954 | Deep in My Heart · as Mr. Mulvaney (uncredited) |
| 1954 | The Shanghai Story · as John Warren |
| 1954 | Climax! (TV Series) · as Sir Roscoe Crosby |
| 1954 | Father Knows Best (TV Series) · as Lloyd |
| 1954 | Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (TV Series) · as Dorton |
| 1954 | Lassie (TV Series) · as Don Robertson |
| 1954 | The Whistler (TV Series) · as actor |
| 1953 | Dream Wife · as Reporter |
| 1952 | April in Paris · as Tracy |
| 1952 | Carrie · as Stage Manager |
| 1952 | The Iron Mistress · as Impatient Man in Tailor's Shop |
| 1952 | Torpedo Alley · as Professor |
| 1952 | Death Valley Days (TV Series) · as Dr. Brown |
| 1952 | Mr. & Mrs. North (TV Series) · as Ernest Chadwick |
| 1952 | Hopalong Cassidy (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America (TV Series) · as Mr. Brown |
| 1952 | Rebound (TV Series) · as actor |
| 1952 | Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) · as Clerk |
| 1951 | Home Town Story · as Jimmy |
| 1951 | Three Guys Named Mike · as Flight Dispatcher Brown |
| 1951 | Close to My Heart · as Prospective Adoptive Father |
| 1951 | Sky King (TV Series) · as Carter |
| 1951 | Dragnet (1951) (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1951 | Mark Saber (TV Series) · as Paul Weeks |
| 1950 | The Breaking Point · as Reporter (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Bright Leaf · as Poker Player (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Pretty Baby · as Danny (uncredited) |
| 1950 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (TV Series) · as Reporter #1 |
| 1950 | Dangerous Assignment (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1950 | Racket Squad (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1950 | The Jack Benny Program (TV Series) · as Juror |
| 1949 | The Fountainhead · as Young Intellectual (uncredited) |
| 1949 | The Story of Seabiscuit · as Announcer |
| 1949 | A Kiss in the Dark · as Tenant |
| 1949 | The Lone Ranger (TV Series) · as Sid |
| 1948 | Romance on the High Seas · as Charles - Travel Agent (uncredited) |
| 1948 | The Babe Ruth Story · as Reporter |
| 1948 | Open Secret · as Ralph |
| 1947 | Dark Passage · as Blackie |
| 1947 | Cheyenne · as Single Jack |
| 1946 | Three Strangers · as Junior Clerk |
| 1946 | The Beast with Five Fingers · as Donald Arlington |
| 1946 | Night and Day · as Petey |
| 1945 | San Antonio · as Pony Smith |
| 1945 | Objective, Burma! · as Hogan |
| 1944 | The Fighting Sullivans · as Madison Abel 'Matt' Sullivan |
| 1943 | Destination Tokyo · as Sound Man |
| 1943 | Northern Pursuit · as Orderly (uncredited) |