John Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Ireland
Ireland in 1960
Born	John Benjamin Ireland (1914-01-30)January 30, 1914 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died	March 21, 1992(1992-03-21) (aged 78) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Resting place	Santa Barbara Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor film director
Years active	1932–1992
Spouse(s)	Elaine Sheldon Rosen ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1948)​ Joanne Dru ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1957)​ Daphne Myrick Cameron ​ ​ (m. 1962; died 1992)​
Children	4
Relatives	Tommy Noonan (half-brother)

John Benjamin Ireland (born January 30, 1914 – died March 21, 1992) was a talented Canadian actor. He became famous for his role in the movie All the King's Men (1949), which earned him a nomination for an Academy Award. This made him the very first actor born in Vancouver to receive an Oscar nomination!

John Ireland was a familiar face in many Western films. Some of his well-known roles were in My Darling Clementine (1946), Red River (1948), Vengeance Valley (1951), and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). He also appeared in other big movies like A Walk in the Sun (1945), Joan Of Arc (1948), Spartacus (1960), and 55 Days at Peking (1963).

Besides movies, Ireland was also a star on television. He was especially known for the TV series The Cheaters (1960–62). Because of his great work in television, he was honored with a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Adventures

John Ireland was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on January 30, 1914. He moved to New York City when he was very young. John's school days ended after the 7th grade, as he needed to start working to help his family.

He never knew his biological father. His mother, Gracie Ferguson, who was a piano teacher from Scotland, later married Michael Noone. Michael was a performer in vaudeville shows. John had three half-siblings from his mother's second marriage, including a brother named Tommy, who later became the actor and comedian Tommy Noonan. John was never sure how he got the last name "Ireland."

John had some interesting jobs as a young man. He once worked at a water carnival where he even wrestled a dead octopus! He was also a good swimmer and once competed against Johnny Weissmuller, who later became famous for playing Tarzan in movies. John also performed underwater stunts and worked as a barker, calling out to people to come see the shows.

Acting Career

Starting in Theatre

One day, John Ireland walked past the Davenport Free Theater in Manhattan. He thought it was a free show, but instead, he found free acting lessons! He slept in a dressing room and was paid a dollar a day to work behind the scenes while learning his lines.

In 1941, he made his first appearance on Broadway (the famous theatre district in New York City) in a play called Macbeth. He acted alongside well-known stars Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson. After that, he performed in many other Broadway plays.

First Steps in Hollywood

John Ireland signed a contract with 20th Century Fox, a big movie studio. His first movie role was in the 1945 war film A Walk in the Sun. He played Private Windy, a thoughtful soldier who wrote letters.

After that, he appeared in several other films, including Wake Up and Dream (1946) and Behind Green Lights (1946). He also played the character Billy Clanton in the classic Western movie My Darling Clementine (1946), directed by John Ford.

Becoming a Freelance Actor

John Ireland got his first main role in the movie Railroaded! (1947). He then took on supporting roles in films like The Gangster (1947). He also played the lead in Open Secret (1948) and had a supporting part in the crime film Raw Deal (1948).

A very important supporting role for him was as the gunslinger Cherry Valance in Howard Hawks' 1948 Western, Red River. His part in the movie was made a bit smaller during filming. He also played an army captain in the movie Joan of Arc (1948), which starred Ingrid Bergman.

Oscar Nomination for All the King's Men

In April 1948, John Ireland signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his powerful acting in All the King's Men (1949). In the movie, he played Jack Burden, a tough newspaper reporter. This film also won the Oscar for Best Picture. His nomination was a big deal because he was the first actor from Vancouver to be nominated for an Academy Award.

He then played Bob Ford in the movie I Shot Jesse James (1949), which was the first film directed by Sam Fuller. He also played a villain in the Western Roughshod (1949).

Later, John Ireland had some disagreements with Columbia Pictures and even sued the studio. Despite this, he continued to act. He starred in The Return of Jesse James (1950) and appeared with his wife at the time, Joanne Dru, in Vengeance Valley (1951).

During the 1950s, he had some legal issues with television producers who he claimed didn't give him roles they had promised. He received a payment to settle these issues.

He also took on lead roles in several smaller films, including The Basketball Fix (1951) and Little Big Horn (1951). He even directed one of his films, Hannah Lee (1953), which he also starred in with his wife.

Becoming a Director

John Ireland tried his hand at directing with the movie The Fast and the Furious (1954), which was an early film from producer Roger Corman. John also starred in this movie. He then had the main role in the British thriller The Glass Cage (1955) and the war film Hell's Horizon (1955). He acted in another film for Roger Corman called Gunslinger (1956).

In 1957, he played Johnny Ringo in the popular Western Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He also played a mobster in Party Girl (1958).

In 1959, John Ireland appeared in an episode of the NBC Western series Riverboat. He played Chris Slade in an episode called "The Fight Back."

The 1960s

In 1960, John Ireland had a very important role as gladiator Crixus in the huge movie Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas. That same year, he appeared in the Western TV series Rawhide and made a film in England called Faces in the Dark (1960).

From 1960 to 1962, he starred in the British TV series The Cheaters. He played John Hunter, an investigator who looked into insurance fraud cases. He also supported Elvis Presley in the movie Wild in the Country (1961).

In 1962, he returned to Rawhide in an episode called "Incident of the Portrait." He also had supporting roles in big movies filmed in Spain, like 55 Days at Peking (1963) with Charlton Heston and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964).

By the mid-1960s, he was often the star of smaller budget films, such as I Saw What You Did with Joan Crawford. He continued to appear in popular TV Westerns like Gunsmoke and Bonanza. He also appeared with Michael Landon in two episodes of Little House on the Prairie.

He starred in the Western Fort Utah (1967) and traveled to Europe to appear in several international films.

The 1970s and Later Career

In the 1970s, John Ireland continued to act in both movies and TV shows. He appeared in films like The House of Seven Corpses (1974) and Satan's Cheerleaders (1977). He also had roles in bigger movies such as The Adventurers (1970) and played a police lieutenant in the mystery film Farewell, My Lovely (1975).

In 1987, he famously placed an advertisement in newspapers saying, "I'm an actor... let me act." This led to a role in the TV movie Bonanza: The Next Generation, where he played Jonathan Aaron Cartwright. He also appeared in an episode of the TV series War of the Worlds in 1988.

Throughout his career, John Ireland often returned to the stage. He also co-directed two movies in the 1950s: the Western drama Hannah Lee (1953) and the action film The Fast and the Furious (1955).

Personal Life

John Ireland was married three times. His first marriage was to Elaine Sheldon from 1940 to 1949, and they had two sons, John and Peter.

From 1949 to 1957, he was married to actress Joanne Dru. After their divorce in 1957, they had some financial difficulties.

From 1962 until his death, John was married to Daphne Myrick Cameron. They had a daughter named Daphne and a son named Cameron. John had four grandchildren: Pete, Melissa, Jack, and Helios.

In his later years, John Ireland owned a restaurant called Ireland's in Santa Barbara, California. He was a skilled chef and often worked in the kitchen, creating his special "Ireland Stew" with whatever ingredients were available. He also enjoyed spending time at the restaurant's bar, greeting customers and buying drinks for his friends. Unfortunately, the restaurant did not succeed, and in May 1977, John Ireland declared bankruptcy.

John Ireland passed away on March 21, 1992, in Santa Barbara, California, at the age of 78, due to leukemia. He is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery.

For his important contributions to the television industry, John Ireland was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 1610 Vine Street.

Filmography

Images for kids

• 

  A friendly robot

See also

In Spanish: John Ireland (actor) para niños