John Payne

John Payne (May 28, 1912 – December 6, 1989) was an American actor and singer.

 Career 
John Payne began his career playing a small role in the William Wyler movie Dodsworth (1936). In 1938 he got a role in the comedy College Swing, directed by Raoul Walsh. He appeared on Broadway from 1935 to 1939. His first starring role was playing a boxer Steve Nelson in Kid Nightingale (1939), directed by George Amy. John Payne work with Randolph Scott and Maureen O'Hara in the war movie To the Shores of Tripoli (1942), directed by H. Bruce Humberstone. 

In 1946 he got the role co-starring in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), directed by George Seaton. Another great movie starring Payne was Kansas City Confidential (1952), directed by Phil Karlson. In this movie Payne plays an ex-convict trying to become a part of society who people think robbed many armored car. 

He has also been a regular performer in Westerns movies El Paso (1949), The Eagle and the Hawk (1950) and Passage West (1951) directed by Lewis R. Foster, The Vanquished (1953), directed by Edward Ludwig, Silver Lode (1954), directed by Allan Dwan, Rails Into Laramie (1954) directed by Jesse Hibbs, Santa Fe Passage (1955) directed by William Witney, The Road to Denver (1955), directed by Joseph Kane, Tennessee's Partner (1955), where he worked with Ronald Reagan, directed by Allan Dwan, and Rebel in Town (1956) by Alfred L. Werker.

 Television 
John Payne also had success in television. He was the star of western The Restless Gun. It was a television series broadcast on NBC between 1957 and 1959, Payne starred as Vint Bonner, a lone cowboy and former Confederate soldier. He also made appearances in Zane Grey Theater (1957), The Dick Powell Show (1962), The Name of the Game (1968), Gunsmoke (1970), Cade's County (1971), and Columbo (1975).

 References 
Best Western Movies: Winning Pictures, Favorite Films and Hollywood B Entries, by John Howard Reid
Movie Mystery & Suspense, by John Howard Reid

 Other websites 


 John Payne in Lux Radio Theater: Miracle on 34th Street (1948)  (Downloadable mp3 and streaming audio)

Category:1912 births
Category:1989 deaths
Category:American movie actors
Category:American television actors
Category:Singers from Virginia
Category:Actors from Virginia
Category:People from Roanoke, Virginia