John Hamilton

Biography

John Hamilton was an American actor who spent years in Broadway plays and touring companies before he made his first film in 1930. He was born in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and chose a stage career instead of teaching. On screen he usually played authority figures, among them judges, lawyers, politicians, commissioners, doctors and military officers. Across the 1930s and 1950s, he accumulated credits in over 300 movies, serials and television shows. His parts included the DA who quizzes Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart, in The Maltese Falcon (1941); a judge sentencing James Cagney in The Roaring Twenties (1939); a police inspector in John Huston's In This Our Life (1942); and Professor Gordon in the serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940). He also appeared with Donald Meek in Warner Brothers shorts adapted from S.S. Van Dine mysteries, and from 1952 to 1958 he played the blustery Daily Planet editor Perry White on Adventures of Superman.

71years old at death

Born January 16, 1887Shippensburg
Died October 15, 1958Glendale
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Also credited as John Rummel Hamilton

Movie Career

Films: 22
Career span: 16 years1938 to 1954

Genres

Drama50%, 11 films
Crime32%, 7 films
Romance23%, 5 films
Comedy18%, 4 films
Mystery18%, 4 films

First and latest

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First role
After becoming an actor, Hamilton spent years in touring theatrical companies and Broadway plays before he made his movie debut in 1930.

John Hamilton movies on Netflix

Sitting Bull1954IMDb rating 5.8as Ulysses S. Grant
Donovan's Brain1953IMDb rating 5.9as Mr. McNish
Bells of Coronado1950IMDb rating 5.9as Mr. Linden, Insurance Company Official
The Reformer and the Redhead1950IMDb rating 6.2as Police Captain
Canadian Pacific1949IMDb rating 6.0as Pere Lacomb
The Brute Man1946IMDb rating 4.5as Professor Cushman
Strange Illusion1945IMDb rating 6.2as Bill Allen - Bank President
The Great Flamarion1945IMDb rating 6.5as Coroner
The Naughty Nineties1945IMDb rating 7.0as Sheriff of Ironville
Voice of the Whistler1945IMDb rating 6.3as Doctor
Army Wives1944IMDb rating 5.8as Gen. Lowry
Zorro's Black Whip1944IMDb rating 6.3as Mr. Walsh
Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8as Court-Martial President
In This Our Life1942IMDb rating 7.3as Police Inspector Millett
The Big Shot1942IMDb rating 6.7as Judge
I Killed That Man1941IMDb rating 5.8as District Attorney
The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9as Bryan
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe1940IMDb rating 6.6as Professor Gordon [Chs. 1, 4]
Johnny Apollo1940IMDb rating 6.9as Night Court Judge
The Roaring Twenties1939IMDb rating 7.9as Judge
The Spirit of Culver1939IMDb rating 6.8as Maj. White
Mr. Moto's Gamble1938IMDb rating 6.6as Philip Benton

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Maltese Falcon1941 Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery, Romanceas Bryan
IMDb rating 7.9175K votes
The Roaring Twenties1939 Crime, Drama, Film-Noiras Judge
IMDb rating 7.918K votes
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe1940as Professor Gordon [Chs. 1, 4]
IMDb rating 6.61.7K votes
Across the Pacific1942as Court-Martial President
IMDb rating 6.85.9K votes
Sitting Bull1954as Ulysses S. Grant
IMDb rating 5.81.1K votes
In This Our Life1942as Police Inspector Millett
IMDb rating 7.35.8K votes
Mr. Moto's Gamble1938as Philip Benton
IMDb rating 6.6913 votes
Canadian Pacific1949as Pere Lacomb
IMDb rating 6.01.2K votes

Most often with

John Huston directed three of these films, Raoul Walsh two and Jean Yarbrough two. Humphrey Bogart appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Humphrey Bogart

Murray Alper

Roland Drew

Ward Bond

Peter Lorre

J. Carrol Naish

John HustonDirector, 3 films

Raoul WalshDirector, 2 films Jean YarbroughDirector, 2 films

Films together

Humphrey Bogart4 films together, 1939 to 1942
Humphrey Bogart's page
- Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8Hamilton as Court-Martial PresidentBogart as Rick Leland
- The Big Shot1942IMDb rating 6.7Hamilton as JudgeBogart as Joseph 'Duke' Berne
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as BryanBogart as Samuel Spade
- The Roaring Twenties1939IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as JudgeBogart as George Hally
Murray Alper3 films together, 1941 to 1944
Murray Alper's page
- Army Wives1944IMDb rating 5.8Hamilton as Gen. LowryAlper as Mike
- The Big Shot1942IMDb rating 6.7Hamilton as JudgeAlper as Quinto, a Convict
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as BryanAlper as Frank Richman
Roland Drew3 films together, 1940 to 1942
Roland Drew's page
- Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8Hamilton as Court-Martial PresidentDrew as Capt. Harkness
- The Big Shot1942IMDb rating 6.7Hamilton as JudgeDrew as Faye
- Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe1940IMDb rating 6.6Hamilton as Professor Gordon [Chs. 1, 4]Drew as Prince Barin
Ward Bond2 films together, 1938 to 1941
Ward Bond's page
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as BryanBond as Detective Tom Polhaus
- Mr. Moto's Gamble1938IMDb rating 6.6Hamilton as Philip BentonBond as Biff Moran
Peter Lorre2 films together, 1938 to 1941
Peter Lorre's page
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as BryanLorre as Joel Cairo
- Mr. Moto's Gamble1938IMDb rating 6.6Hamilton as Philip BentonLorre as Kentaro Moto
J. Carrol Naish2 films together, 1949 to 1954
J. Carrol Naish's page
- Sitting Bull1954IMDb rating 5.8Hamilton as Ulysses S. GrantNaish as Sitting Bull
- Canadian Pacific1949IMDb rating 6.0Hamilton as Pere LacombNaish as Dynamite Dawson
John HustonDirector, 3 films, 1941 to 1942
All films by John Huston
- Across the Pacific1942IMDb rating 6.8Hamilton as Court-Martial President
- In This Our Life1942IMDb rating 7.3Hamilton as Police Inspector Millett
- The Maltese Falcon1941IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as Bryan
Raoul WalshDirector, 2 films, 1939 to 1942
All films by Raoul Walsh
- In This Our Life1942IMDb rating 7.3Hamilton as Police Inspector Millett
- The Roaring Twenties1939IMDb rating 7.9Hamilton as Judge
Jean YarbroughDirector, 2 films, 1945 to 1946
All films by Jean Yarbrough
- The Brute Man1946IMDb rating 4.5Hamilton as Professor Cushman
- The Naughty Nineties1945IMDb rating 7.0Hamilton as Sheriff of Ironville
Also two films together22 more actors
- Joseph CrehanThe Brute Man (1946) and The Roaring Twenties (1939)
- Jack ChefeThe Great Flamarion (1945) and The Naughty Nineties (1945)
- Don BrodieDonovan's Brain (1953) and I Killed That Man (1941)
- Joe SawyerThe Naughty Nineties (1945) and The Roaring Twenties (1939)
- Mary AstorAcross the Pacific (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Pierre WatkinStrange Illusion (1945) and The Spirit of Culver (1939)
- Keye LukeAcross the Pacific (1942) and Mr. Moto's Gamble (1938)
- Eddie AcuffIn This Our Life (1942) and The Roaring Twenties (1939)
- Eddy ChandlerIn This Our Life (1942) and The Roaring Twenties (1939)
- Edmund CobbBells of Coronado (1950) and Strange Illusion (1945)
- Lee PatrickIn This Our Life (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Sam HarrisDonovan's Brain (1953) and The Great Flamarion (1945)
- Sydney GreenstreetAcross the Pacific (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- William HopperSitting Bull (1954) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Eddie DunnArmy Wives (1944) and The Spirit of Culver (1939)
- Herbert RawlinsonI Killed That Man (1941) and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
- Michael MarkThe Great Flamarion (1945) and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
- Gladys GeorgeThe Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Roaring Twenties (1939)
- Chester GanAcross the Pacific (1942) and The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Tom ChattertonZorro's Black Whip (1944) and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
- Duke GreenBells of Coronado (1950) and Zorro's Black Whip (1944)
- Jimmy ClarkThe Brute Man (1946) and Strange Illusion (1945)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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