S. John Launer

S. John Launer was an American actor who appeared in a wide range of film and television roles, many of them uncredited. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he made his first screen appearance in the television series Meet Corliss Archer in 1954 and later ended his career with the film Billionaire Boys Club in 1987. His film credits included The Werewolf (1956), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), Jailhouse Rock, The Crowded Sky, Marnie (1964), and Pendulum. In 1956 he performed in the play End as a Man, written by Calder Willingham, at the Players Ring Gallery in West Hollywood; a Valley Times reviewer said his performance was at times too philosophical but praised his closing speech. On television he appeared in Father Knows Best, The Twilight Zone, Dragnet, and Gunsmoke, among other series. He was best known for playing a criminal court judge on Perry Mason for nine years.