John Hoyt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Hoyt
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Hoyt in The Big Combo (1955)
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| Born |
John McArthur Hoysradt
October 5, 1905 Bronxville, New York, U.S.
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| Died | September 15, 1991 (aged 85) Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
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| Other names | John Hoysradt |
| Education | Yale University (BA, MA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930–1987 |
| Spouse(s) |
Marion Virginia Burns
(m. 1935; div. 1960)Dorothy Marion Oltman
(m. 1961) |
| Children | 1 |
John Hoyt (born John McArthur Hoysradt; October 5, 1905 – September 15, 1991) was a talented American actor. He started his career on the Broadway stage, which is a famous theater district in New York City. Later, he became well-known for appearing in many movies and TV shows.
He is remembered for his roles in films like When Worlds Collide (1951), Julius Caesar (1953), and Spartacus (1960). He also appeared in popular TV series such as The Outer Limits and Gimme a Break!.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John McArthur Hoysradt was born in Bronxville, New York. His father, Warren J. Hoysradt, worked as an investment banker. John went to the Hotchkiss School and then to Yale University.
At Yale, he was part of the team that created the campus humor magazine, The Yale Record. He earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree from Yale. Before becoming an actor, he taught history at the Groton School for two years.
Stage Career
John Hoyt made his first appearance on Broadway in 1931 in a play called Overture. Throughout the early 1930s, he performed in several other Broadway shows. He also worked with different theater groups in various regions.
In 1937, he joined Orson Welles's famous Mercury Theatre group. He stayed with them until 1945, when he moved to Hollywood after serving in the army. During the 1930s and 1940s, Hoyt continued to act regularly in Broadway productions. He appeared in plays like Valley Forge (1934) and Caesar (1937). He was also a stand-up comedian, sometimes doing both acting and comedy on the same day!
Film Roles
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In 1945, John Hoyt shortened his last name. The next year, he made his film debut in O.S.S.. He became a familiar face in "film noir," which are dark and moody crime movies.
He played the strict Principal Warneke in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, which starred Glenn Ford. In 1951, he appeared as an industrialist in the science fiction film When Worlds Collide. John Hoyt also acted in a Shakespearean film, Julius Caesar (1953). In this movie, he played Decius Brutus, a role he had performed before in the 1937 Mercury Theatre play. He also had important roles in big historical movies from the 1960s, like Spartacus and Cleopatra.
Television Appearances
John Hoyt was a familiar face on television, appearing in many different shows.
Regular TV Roles
He had several ongoing roles in TV series:
- He played Colonel Barker on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.
- He was Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!, playing the father of Dolph Sweet's character.
- He appeared as J.L. Patterson on Hey, Mulligan.
- He played Martin Peyton in Return to Peyton Place.
- He was Dr. Kievoy on Tom, Dick and Mary.
Guest Star Roles
Hoyt made many guest appearances on popular TV shows:
- On Gunsmoke in 1957, he played Rex Propter, a government agent.
- He appeared five times on Perry Mason, often playing a defendant or another important character.
- In 1958, he was a rancher named Clete Barron on Frontier Doctor.
- He also appeared on Leave It To Beaver in the episode "Wally's New Suit."
- On Laramie in 1959, he played a troubled military officer.
- He was in an episode of The Rifleman in 1959, playing Gus Fremont, a cruel uncle. He returned to The Rifleman in 1960 as a Civil War veteran.
- He appeared on The Untouchables in 1960.
- Hoyt guest-starred on sitcoms like Bringing Up Buddy, Hogan's Heroes, and Petticoat Junction.
- He played Dr. Philip Boyce in the very first episode of Star Trek called "The Cage".
- He appeared twice on The Twilight Zone, including the famous episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" where he played the main character.
- He was a KAOS agent on Get Smart, General Beeker on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and Dr. Mendoza on The Monkees.
- He also appeared on The Beverly Hillbillies and The Munsters.
- In 1964, Hoyt was in three episodes of The Outer Limits, notably "The Bellero Shield." In this episode, he played an alien with large eyes who said a memorable line: "In all the universes, in all the unities beyond the universes, all who have eyes have eyes that speak."
- He was a guest on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, where his serious character often reacted humorously to Gracie Allen's antics.
- In the late 1970s, he played famous thinkers like Bertrand Russell and Voltaire on the PBS series Meeting of Minds.
- He also appeared in an episode of Battlestar Galactica.
Personal Life
John Hoyt was married two times. His first marriage was to Marian Virginia Burns from 1935 to 1960, and they had one child. He later married Dorothy Oltman Haveman in 1961. They remained married until his death. John Hoyt passed away on September 15, 1991, in Santa Cruz, California, from lung cancer.
Images for kids
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Hoyt in The Big Combo (1955)
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Hoyt as Decius Brutus in the Mercury Theatre production of Caesar (1937)
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Gail Russell and John Hoyt (center) in The Great Dan Patch (1949)
