John Alderman was a multifaceted and prolific actor, renowned for his versatility and range in a wide array of low-budget exploitation features. Throughout his extensive career, spanning over three decades, he appeared in a diverse range of films, from 1960s softcore items to 1970s drive-in fare to 1980s hardcore porn.
Born on June 12, 1934, in Syracuse, New York, Alderman was the son of a prominent lawyer. He attended Syracuse University as a theater major, where he began to hone his acting skills. His early career in both films and television shows started in the late 1950s, with alternating lead and co-starring roles.
Some of his most memorable parts include the pathetic heroin addict Jimmy Devlin in the 1973 film "The Hard Road," the antsy hoodlum Lattimer in "This Is a Hijack" (1973),and the stuttering drug dealer Cockroach in "The Black Godfather" (1974). He also played the role of Dr. Baxter, an uptight all-girls school principal, in the 1975 film "Delinquent School Girls," and Dr. Frank Rogers, a coldly rational researcher, in the 1978 sci-fi thriller "The Alpha Incident."
Alderman worked with legendary schlockmeister David F. Friedman on four softcore movies: "Starlet!" (1969),"Thar She Blows!" (1968),"The Erotic Adventures of Zorro" (1972),and "Trader Hornee" (1970). Although he primarily worked in independent cinema productions, he did make appearances in the occasional mainstream film, such as "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (1971) and "The Stunt Man" (1980).
In the early 1980s, Alderman acted in a handful of hardcore X-rated porn films under the pseudonym Frank Hallowell, directed by Gary Graver. He also appeared in various television shows, including "Hunter" (1984),"Dynasty" (1981),"The Fall Guy" (1981),"Starsky and Hutch" (1975),"Iron Horse" (1966),"12 O'Clock High" (1964),"The Lieutenant" (1963),"Checkmate" (1960),"Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958),"Hawaiian Eye" (1959),"Wagon Train" (1957),and "Gunsmoke" (1955).
Alderman's directing credits include the crime opus "Lisa's Folly" (1970),and he co-wrote the script for the lowbrow comedy romp "C.B. Hustlers" (1976).
Sadly, John Alderman passed away at the age of 52 on January 12, 1987, due to an apparent heart attack in Hollywood, California.
