John Payne

Biography

John Payne was an American actor who became known for 20th Century Fox musicals and film noir crime stories. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, he studied drama at Columbia University and voice at Juilliard before a Shubert talent scout hired him in 1934. He moved to Hollywood in 1936 for his first screen role in Dodsworth (1936) and later signed with Fox, where he appeared in musicals such as Sun Valley Serenade (1941). His most familiar part was attorney Fred Gailey in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). After leaving Fox he played tough guys in noirs including Kansas City Confidential (1952), 99 River Street (1953), and Slightly Scarlet (1956), and in Westerns such as Silver Lode (1954) and Tennessee's Partner (1955). He also starred as Vint Bonner in the NBC Western series The Restless Gun from 1957 to 1959 and directed They Ran for Their Lives (1968). He died in 1989.

77years old at death

Born May 23, 1912Roanoke
Died December 6, 1989Malibu
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Also credited as John Howard Payne

Movie Career

Films: 12
Career span: 20 years1936 to 1956

Genres

Drama58%, 7 films
Romance42%, 5 films
Crime33%, 4 films
Comedy25%, 3 films
Western25%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
In 1955, Payne took a nine-month option on the Ian Fleming James Bond novel Moonraker, paying $1,000 a month. He dropped it after discovering he could not keep the rights to the whole book series.
Early training
While at Columbia University in New York City, Payne took drama classes and studied voice at Juilliard. To earn money, he held various odd jobs, among them boxing as "Tiger Jack Payne" and wrestling as "Alexei Petroff, the Savage of the Steppes".
Behind the camera
Payne starred in the 1952 noir Kansas City Confidential, which Phil Karlson directed, and he owned 25% of the film.

John Payne movies on Netflix

Slightly Scarlet1956IMDb rating 6.5as John Grace
Tennessee's Partner1955IMDb rating 6.5as Tennessee
Silver Lode1954IMDb rating 6.8as Dan Ballard
99 River Street1953IMDb rating 7.4as Ernie Driscoll
Kansas City Confidential1952IMDb rating 7.3as Joe Rolfe
El Paso1949IMDb rating 5.9as Clay Fletcher
The Crooked Way1949IMDb rating 6.6as Eddie Rice / Eddie Riccardi
Miracle on 34th Street1947IMDb rating 7.9as Fred Gailey
The Razor's Edge1946IMDb rating 7.3as Gray Maturin
Hello, Frisco, Hello1943IMDb rating 6.5as Johnny Cornell
Sun Valley Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1as Ted Scott
Dodsworth1936IMDb rating 7.7as Harry

Best known for

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

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Miracle on 34th Street1947 Comedy, Drama, Familyas Fred Gailey
IMDb rating 7.960K votes
Kansas City Confidential1952 Crime, Drama, Film-Noiras Joe Rolfe
IMDb rating 7.39.3K votes
99 River Street1953as Ernie Driscoll
IMDb rating 7.44.1K votes
Silver Lode1954as Dan Ballard
IMDb rating 6.82.7K votes
The Crooked Way1949as Eddie Rice / Eddie Riccardi
IMDb rating 6.61.8K votes
The Razor's Edge1946as Gray Maturin
IMDb rating 7.37.5K votes
Sun Valley Serenade1941as Ted Scott
IMDb rating 7.12.2K votes
Slightly Scarlet1956as John Grace
IMDb rating 6.51.5K votes

Most often with

Allan Dwan directed three of these films, Phil Karlson two and H. Bruce Humberstone two. Eleven actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Chet Brandenburg

Morris Ankrum

Fred Aldrich

Hal Baylor

Rhonda Fleming

Lynn BariAllan DwanDirector, 3 films Phil KarlsonDirector, 2 films H. Bruce HumberstoneDirector, 2 films

Films together

Chet Brandenburg2 films together, 1952 to 1955
Chet Brandenburg's page
- Tennessee's Partner1955IMDb rating 6.5Payne as TennesseeBrandenburg as Dock Worker
- Kansas City Confidential1952IMDb rating 7.3Payne as Joe RolfeBrandenburg as Robbery Spectator
Morris Ankrum2 films together, 1954 to 1955
Morris Ankrum's page
- Tennessee's Partner1955IMDb rating 6.5Payne as TennesseeAnkrum as Judge Parker
- Silver Lode1954IMDb rating 6.8Payne as Dan BallardAnkrum as Zachary Evans
Fred Aldrich2 films together, 1955 to 1956
Fred Aldrich's page
- Slightly Scarlet1956IMDb rating 6.5Payne as John Grace
- Tennessee's Partner1955IMDb rating 6.5Payne as TennesseeAldrich as Townsman
Hal Baylor2 films together, 1949 to 1953
Hal Baylor's page
- 99 River Street1953IMDb rating 7.4Payne as Ernie Driscoll
- The Crooked Way1949IMDb rating 6.6Payne as Eddie Rice / Eddie RiccardiBaylor as Coke
Rhonda Fleming2 films together, 1955 to 1956
Rhonda Fleming's page
- Slightly Scarlet1956IMDb rating 6.5Payne as John GraceFleming as June Lyons
- Tennessee's Partner1955IMDb rating 6.5Payne as TennesseeFleming as Elizabeth 'Duchess' Farnham
Lynn Bari2 films together, 1941 to 1943
Lynn Bari's page
- Hello, Frisco, Hello1943IMDb rating 6.5Payne as Johnny CornellBari as Bernice Croft
- Sun Valley Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1Payne as Ted ScottBari as Vivian Dawn
Allan DwanDirector, 3 films, 1954 to 1956
All films by Allan Dwan
- Slightly Scarlet1956IMDb rating 6.5Payne as John Grace
- Tennessee's Partner1955IMDb rating 6.5Payne as Tennessee
- Silver Lode1954IMDb rating 6.8Payne as Dan Ballard
Phil KarlsonDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1953
All films by Phil Karlson
- 99 River Street1953IMDb rating 7.4Payne as Ernie Driscoll
- Kansas City Confidential1952IMDb rating 7.3Payne as Joe Rolfe
H. Bruce HumberstoneDirector, 2 films, 1941 to 1943
All films by H. Bruce Humberstone
- Hello, Frisco, Hello1943IMDb rating 6.5Payne as Johnny Cornell
- Sun Valley Serenade1941IMDb rating 7.1Payne as Ted Scott
Also two films together5 more actors
- Coleen GrayTennessee's Partner (1955) and Kansas City Confidential (1952)
- Myron HealeySlightly Scarlet (1956) and Tennessee's Partner (1955)
- Roy GordonSlightly Scarlet (1956) and Silver Lode (1954)
- George BarrowsTennessee's Partner (1955) and El Paso (1949)
- Albert CavensSlightly Scarlet (1956) and Tennessee's Partner (1955)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

One award and honor.

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John Payne's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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