John Brown
Actor
April 4, 1904 — May 16, 1957 (53 years)
Brown had major roles in several popular radio shows: He was "John Doe" in the Texaco Star Theater's version of Fred Allen's Allen's Alley,[2] played Irma's love interest Al in My Friend Irma, both "Gillis" and Digby "Digger" O'Dell in The Life of Riley, (a role he reprised for the first incarnation of the television show), "Broadway" in The Damon Runyon Theatre, and "Thorny" the neighbor on the radio version of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Perhaps his most memorable piece of work is the ‘Broadway’ role; once heard, many find it impossible to think of the narrator of Damon Runyon’s stories as anyone else. It was a measure of Brown’s talent that this quintessentially American character was portrayed by an Englishman.
Brown appeared in some notable films: as the inebriated professor in Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, uncredited), and The Wild One (1953); he supplied the voice of "Ro-Man" in the 1953 cult science fiction B-film Robot Monster.
Brown appeared in some notable films: as the inebriated professor in Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, uncredited), and The Wild One (1953); he supplied the voice of "Ro-Man" in the 1953 cult science fiction B-film Robot Monster.
Known For
Filmography
| 1956 | |
| 1954 | Dixieland Droopy · as Narrator / Pee Wee Runt (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1954 | The Farm of Tomorrow · as Tomato Narrator |
| 1954 | Casey at the Bat · as Umpire |
| 1953 | The Wild One · as Bill Hannegan |
| 1953 | The BigamistOn Plex |
| 1953 | Crazylegs · as Keller |
| 1953 | Jennifer · as Service Station Attendant (uncredited) |
| 1953 | A Unicorn in the Garden · as Narrator |
| 1953 | Robot Monster · as Ro-Man / Great Guidance (voice) |
| 1953 | T.V. of Tomorrow · as Narrator - Las Vegas Special |
| 1953 | That's My Pup! · as Spike (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Hans Christian Andersen · as SchoolmasterOn Plex |
| 1952 | Biff Baker USA · as Mueller |
| 1952 | Something for the Birds · as Mr. Lund |
| 1952 | Somebody Loves Me · as Auto Salesman |
| 1952 | The Sniper · as Wise |
| 1951 | I Love Lucy · as Mr. Murdoch |
| 1951 | |
| 1951 | The Day the Earth Stood Still · as George Barley |
| 1951 | Strangers on a Train · as Prof. CollinsOn Plex |
| 1951 | The Amos 'n Andy Show · as The Loan Shark |
| 1951 | Symphony in Slang · as The Hipster / Noah Webster (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1951 | The Lemon Drop Kid · as Minor Role |
| 1951 | Three Desperate Men · as Fairwether |
| 1950 | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show · as Harry Morton |
| 1949 | The Life of Riley · as Digger O'dell |
| 1948 | The Life of Riley (1949) · as Digger O'dell |
| 1948 | Make Mine Freedom · as People |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music · as Umpire |
| 1946 | The Stranger · as Passport Photographer (uncredited)On Plex |
| 1946 | A Knight for a Day · as Narrator |
| 1945 | The Horn Blows at Midnight · as Lou The Waiter (uncredited)On Plex |
| 1945 | It's in the Bag! · as Joe - Nightclub Doorman |
| 1944 | Casanova Brown · as Fire Chief |
| 1934 | A Peach of a Pair · as John |