CINEFILER

John Crawford

Born
September 13, 1920
Died
September 21, 2010
Burly, handsome and rugged character actor John Crawford appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows combined in a career that spanned over 40 years, usually cast as tough and/or villainous characters. Crawford was born Cleve Richardson on September 13, 1920, in Colfax, Washington. He was discovered by a Warner Bros. scout while attending the University of Washington's School of Drama. Although he failed his screen test, Crawford nonetheless joined RKO as a laborer. He then got a job building sets at Circle Theater in Los Angeles, and eventually persuaded the producers to cast him in some of their plays. He was soon signed to Columbia Pictures to act in secondary roles in westerns. In the late 1950s he graduated to bigger parts in such films as Ordre de tuer  (1958), La clé (1958) and Un homme pour le bagne (1960), all of which were made in the UK. Crawford returned to America in the early 1960s and began a prolific career in both movies and TV series, up until 1986. His most memorable film roles include the ill-fated chief engineer inL'aventure du Poséidon (1972), the hearty Tom Iverson in La fugue (1975), the bumbling mayor of San Francisco in L'inspecteur ne renonce jamais (1976), hard-nosed police chief Buzz Cavanaugh in Un couple en fuite (1977) and amiable old mine hand Brian Deerling in The Boogens (1981). John had recurring parts as Sheriff Ep Bridges inLa famille des collines (1971) and Capt. Parks on Sergent Anderson (1974). Among the many TV shows he made guest appearances in are The Lone Ranger (1949), Superman(1952), Les espions (1965), La quatrième dimension (1959), Les incorruptibles (1959),La grande caravane (1957), Le fugitif (1963), Star Trek (1966), Perdus dans l'espace(1965), Bonanza (1959), Stalag 13 (1965), Mission impossible (1966), Gunsmoke(1955), Super Jaimie (1976), Dallas (1978) and Dynastie (1981). Crawford died at age 90 following complications from a stroke on September 21, 2010, in Thousand Oaks, California. He's survived by his ex-wife Ann Wakefield, four daughters and two grandchildren. - IMDb Mini Biography
Known For
Solomon and Sheba
(1959)
Joab
The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965)
Alexander
The Enforcer
(1976)
The Mayor
The Big Heat
(1953)
Al - Bannion's Brother-in-Law (uncredited)
Jason and the Argonauts
(1963)
Polydeuces (uncredited)
Exodus
(1960)
Capt. Hank Schlosberg
The Towering Inferno
(1974)
Callahan
The Poseidon Adventure
(1972)
Chief Engineer
The Longest Day
(1962)
Col. Caffey (uncredited)
Night Moves
(1975)
Tom Iverson
The 300 Spartans
(1962)
Agathon the Spartan Spy
The Asphalt Jungle
(1950)
Reporter (uncredited)
Mystery Street
(1950)
Reporter (uncredited)
Duel at Diablo
(1966)
Clay Dean
The Key
(1958)
American Captain
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
(1979)
Captain Sherick
Full Filmography
Acting
The Phantom of 42nd Street
(1945)
John Carraby
The Time of Their Lives
(1946)
Dandy at Party (uncredited)
Without Reservations
(1946)
Soldier (uncredited)
Adventures of Frank and Jesse James
(1948)
Amos Ramsey
Sons of Adventure
(1948)
George Norton
Dangers of the Canadian Mounted
(1948)
Danton - Henchman
Radar Patrol vs. Spy King
(1949)
Sands
Ghost of Zorro
(1949)
Agent Mulvaney - Ch. 3, 4
Lonely Heart Bandits
(1950)
Stevedore
The Invisible Monster
(1950)
Harris
Mystery Street
(1950)
Reporter (uncredited)
Union Station
(1950)
Hackett (uncredited)
Cyrano de Bergerac
(1950)
Cadet
The Asphalt Jungle
(1950)
Reporter (uncredited)
Northwest Territory
(1951)
LeBeau
Honeychile
(1951)
Marvin McKay
Hollywood Story
(1951)
1st Detective (uncredited)
Raton Pass
(1951)
Sam
A Star Shall Rise
(1952)
Gaspar
Zombies of the Stratosphere
(1952)
Roth
Old Oklahoma Plains
(1952)
Chuck Ramsey
Son of Geronimo
(1952)
Ace Devlin [Chs.1-9]
Blackhawk
(1952)
Chuck
Actors and Sin
(1952)
Movie Hero
Serpent of the Nile
(1953)
Captain Domitius
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
(1953)
Captain Kidd
Slaves of Babylon
(1953)
Avil
Secret of Outlaw Flats
(1953)
King Bradshaw
The Big Heat
(1953)
Al - Bannion's Brother-in-Law (uncredited)
Marshal of Cedar Rock
(1953)
Chris Peters - Henchman
Rebel City
(1953)
Joe Spencer
Star of Texas
(1953)
Texas Ranger Stockton
Prisoners of the Casbah
(1953)
Guard (uncredited)
Battle of Rogue River
(1954)
Capt. Richard Hillman
Trader Tom of the China Seas
(1954)
Bill Gaines
Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl
(1954)
Bonnett
Jesse James vs. the Daltons
(1954)
Intent to Kill
(1958)
Boyd
Floods of Fear
(1958)
Jack Murphy
The Key
(1958)
American Captain
Orders to Kill
(1958)
Kimball
Satan's Satellites
(1958)
Roth
Solomon and Sheba
(1959)
Joab
John Paul Jones
(1959)
George Washington
Hell Is a City
(1960)
Don Starling
Exodus
(1960)
Capt. Hank Schlosberg
Piccadilly Third Stop
(1960)
Joe Preedy
The Man Who Was Nobody
(1960)
South Africa Smith
The Impersonator
(1961)
Sgt. Jimmy Bradford
The Devil's Messenger
(1961)
Donald Powell
The Longest Day
(1962)
Col. Caffey (uncredited)
The 300 Spartans
(1962)
Agathon the Spartan Spy
Jason and the Argonauts
(1963)
Polydeuces (uncredited)
Come Fly with Me
(1963)
Co-Pilot
The Americanization of Emily
(1964)
Chief Petty Officer Paul Adams
The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965)
Alexander
I Saw What You Did
(1965)
Trooper
Duel at Diablo
(1966)
Clay Dean
Spring Night, Summer Night
(1967)
Virgil
Return of the Gunfighter
(1967)
Butch Cassidy
The Ravine
(1969)
Captain Keller
J.W. Coop
(1971)
Rancher
The Poseidon Adventure
(1972)
Chief Engineer
The Severed Arm
(1973)
Doctor Sanders
Message to My Daughter
(1973)
Abortionist
The Towering Inferno
(1974)
Callahan
Strange Homecoming
(1974)
Winston
Night Moves
(1975)
Tom Iverson
Guilty or Innocent: The Sam Sheppard Murder Case
(1975)
Fred Stoner
The Swiss Family Robinson
(1975)
Nate Bidwell
The Enforcer
(1976)
The Mayor
Outlaw Blues
(1977)
Buzz Cavenaugh
Desperate Women
(1978)
The Two-Five
(1978)
Capt. Paul Carter
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
(1979)
Captain Sherick
Tilt
(1979)
Mickey
Hard Knocks
(1979)
Josh
Dreamer
(1979)
Riverboat Captain
Lawman Without a Gun
(1979)
Sgt. Hunt
The Sky Trap
(1979)
Donovan's Kid
(1979)
Thunder City Sheriff
The Boogens
(1981)
Brian Deering
Elvis and the Beauty Queen
(1981)
Vernon Presley
The Other Victim
(1981)
Price
Grave Secrets
(1989)
Homer
Writing
Data provided by TMDB