John Marriott (actor)
John Marriott | |
---|---|
Born | Boley, Indian Territory, United States | January 30, 1893
Died | April 5, 1977 | (aged 84)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1922–76 |
John Marriott (September 30, 1893 – April 5, 1977) was an American actor of the stage, film and screen, whose career spanned five decades. His acting career began on the stage in Cleveland, prior to his moving to New York City, where he was a regular performer on the Broadway stage. In the 1940s he also began to perform in films, when he reprised his role from the hit Broadway play, The Little Foxes, in the William Wyler movie of the same name, starring Bette Davis. While he appeared infrequently in films (only ten during his career), he was quite active in theater, both on Broadway and in regional productions. His final performance was on-screen, in the Al Pacino film, Dog Day Afternoon.
Life and career
1930s and 1940s
Marriott was born in Boley, Indian Territory which is now a part of Oklahoma. He died in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. He began his acting career as a member of the Karamu Players in Cleveland in 1922.[1] He was a member of the Cleveland Playhouse theater company.[2] His first significant role was in the short-lived Broadway production, Too Many Boats, which opened at the Playhouse Theatre on September 11, 1934, but ran for only seven performances.[3] Over the next 40 years he would appear in over 20 Broadway productions. In 1936 he appeared in a production of Sweet River, an adaptation of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin at the 55th Street Theater.[4] In 1939 he originated the role of Cal in The Little Foxes, which opened on February 15 at the National Theatre and ran for 410 performances.[5][6]
As the new decade dawned, Marriott appeared at the Flatbush Theater in a revival of Langston Hughes' melodrama, Mulatto.[7] In 1941 he reprised his role in the William Wyler film version of The Little Foxes, which stars Bette Davis.[8] Marriott was one of five members of the original Broadway cast to appear in the film.[9] After his foray into film, he would return to New York to focus on his stage career over the next decade. In 1941 he appeared in the production of The Pursuit of Happiness, starring Francis Lederer at the Flatbush Theater.[10] In 1942, he originated the role of Rodney in Janie, which ran for 642 performances at five different theaters from 1942 to 1944.[11] The play would be made into a film by Michael Curtiz in 1942, although Marriott was not selected for the film's cast. Marriott would also appear in regional theater productions, as he did in a 1944 version of Elena Miramova's play, Dark Eyes in Stamford, Connecticut.[12] Also in 1944, he appeared in the Broadway production of No Way Out, at the Cort Theater.[13] In 1946 he appeared in the role of Dr. Einstein in the all-Black production of Arsenic and Old Lace, in the debut production of the McKinley Square Players, which starred Abbie Mitchell, Ruby Dee, and Avon Long.[14] Also in 1946 he originated the role of Joe Mott, one of the major parts in the Eugene O'Neill classic, The Iceman Cometh, which opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9.[15][16] Marriott was the only Black member of the cast, and after the play opened he said, "I've enjoyed this part more than any I've ever done. Joe Mott, the character I portray, is a real part in the story. This looks as if, at last, there might be a breaking away from the usual type-casting of butlers or valets Negroes formerly had to do."[17]
Perhaps the height of his career came in 1948, when he had one of the leads in the American production of
1950s, 1960s and 1970s
In 1951, Marriott had a supporting role in a revival of the
In the early 1960s Marriott had several guest performances on television shows including
Marriott appeared in several films during the early 1970s, his final appearance on the big screen was as the asthmatic bank security guard, Howard, in 1975's Dog Day Afternoon, starring Al Pacino.[56] Marriott's final performance was on stage, as Ramsey Eyes in The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia in 1976, also performed at the Broadhurst.[57]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1941 | The Little Foxes | Cal | |
1953 | The Joe Louis Story | Sam Langford | |
1963 | The Cool World | Hurst | |
1964 | Black Like Me | Hodges | |
1972 | Dear Dead Delilah | Marshall | |
1972 | Corky | Junkman | |
1973 | Badge 373 | Superintendent | |
1975 | Dog Day Afternoon | Howard | (final film role) |
References
- ^ "John Marriott papers". New York Public Library Archives and Documents. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Too Many Boats". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Little Foxes". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Little Foxes". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "Janie". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Iceman Cometh". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden and The Respectful Prostitute". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse: Season 2, Episode 4". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Ford Theatre Hour: Season 2, Episode 1". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Green Pastures". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Small Hours". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Ponder Heart". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Orpheus Descending". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "The Miracle Worker". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Bicycle Ride to Nevada". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Arturo Ui". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (April 21, 1964). "Shirley Clarke Scans 'The Cool World'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (26 October 1985). "The Cool World". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "More Stately Mansions". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "More Stately Mansions". eOneill.com. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Weekend". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "Dog Day Afternoon: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ^ "A Texas Trilogy: The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 6, 2015.