Harmon, John

Actor John Harmon was born Johann Hermann Legler, son of Alexander Legler & Eva Voos, on 30 June 1905 in Ritzville, Washington.

He was often typecast as villains, henchmen, white-collared workers, aristocrats, gigolos, con-artists, gamblers, doctors, politicians, salesmen, retail clerks, curmudgeons, landlords, neighbors, salesmen, chauffeurs, retail clerks, doormen, bellhops, waiters, bankers, boyfriends, soldiers, husbands, fathers, eccentrics, and patriarchs.

He is best remembered for his portrayal of the outspoken Pete Kimmel in "Homicide" (1949). He had first appeared in "3 Kids and a Queen" (1935) and went on to appear in over 250 features as a character actor: "Rendezvous" (1935), "One Rainy Afternoon" (1936), "The Missing Guest" (1938), "Arsene Lupin Returns" (1938), "King of the Underworld" (1939), "A Fugitive from Justice" (1940), "Two in a Taxi" (1941), "I Was Framed" (1942), "Call of the Canyon" (1942), "White Savage" (1943), "Silent Partner" (1944), "Incendiary Blonde" (1945), "Cross My Heart" (1946), "Louisiana" (1947), "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), "Whiplash" (1948), "Moonrise" (1948), "Flaxy Martin" (1949), "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1950), "Tales of Robin Hood" (1951), "The Fighter" (1952), "Run for the Hills" (1953), "Tangier Incident" (1953), "Three Young Texans" (1954), "The Man from Bitter Ridge" (1955), "Canyon River" (1956), "Looking for Danger" (1957), "Badman's Country" (1958), "Sylvia" (1965), "Funny Girl" (1968), and "Malibu High" (1979).

On television, he became a familiar face appearing in numerous syndicated sitcoms: "Duffy's Tavern," "Four Stay Playhouse," "Topper," "The Man Behind the Badge," "Public Defender," "The Loretta Young Show," "It's a Great Life," "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre," "Panic!," "Whirlybirds," "Mike Hammer," "The Millionaire," "Goodyear Theatre," "Jefferson Drum," "Buckskin," "Trackdown," "The Donna Reed Show," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "The Real McCoys," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Zane Grey Theatre," "Bronco," "M Squad," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Johnny Ringo," "Riverboat," "Maverick," "U.S. Marshall," "Rawhide," "The Dick Powell Theatre," "Alcoa Premiere," "Going My Way," "The Twilight Zone," "Temple Houston," "Perry Mason," "Gunsmoke," "Laredo," "Green Acres," "Star Trek," "The Lucy Show," "I Dream of Jeannie," "Mod Squad," "The Big Valley," "Bewitched," "Ironside," "Lassie," "The Virginian," "Lancer," "Bonanza," "Sarge," "McCloud," "Emergency!," and "The Odd Couple".

He retired from acting in 1983 and died in Southern California on 20 August 1985.

John Harmon's Volga German ancestors came from the daughter colony of Neu-Bauer.