John Payne was a talented actor who maintained that his favorite movie of all time was Miracle on 34th Street (1947),a film that reflected his strong and spiritual belief system. Born John Howard Payne on May 28, 1912, he was the middle son of three boys, with parents who were quite well-to-do and came from a rich heritage.
John was named after an ancestor who wrote the song "Home, Sweet, Home." The boys grew up privileged on a Roanoke, Virginia estate complete with equestrian stables and swimming pools. At his mother's request, John took singing lessons to curb his extreme shyness problem. During his teens, he was shipped off to Mercersburg Academy, a prep school in Pennsylvania, and later studied at Roanoke College before his father's death forced him to give up his studies to help support his family.
John worked as a male nurse and a radio singer at a local station before eventually enrolling at the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia University. He continued to find work as a singer and even earned extra cash as a boxer and wrestler.
The tall, dark, and handsome Payne eventually turned to the stage and was spotted by Samuel Goldwyn during a performance in the musical "At Home Abroad." He made his film debut with a minor role in Dodsworth (1936) and went on to appear in a starring role opposite Stella Adler in Love on Toast (1937) and teamed up vocally with Betty Grable on a radio show.
Payne met actress Anne Shirley during this time and married her in August 1937. They had a daughter, Julie Payne, who would become an actress in her own right. The couple divorced in 1943.
In 1937, Paramount took over the actor's interest with a featured part in Bob Hope's College Swing (1938). Warner Bros. then signed him up briefly, allowing him a third-billed role in the Busby Berkeley musical Garden of the Moon (1938) starring Pat O'Brien and Margaret Lindsay.
After co-starring with former radio partner Betty Grable in Springtime in the Rockies (1942),John served a two-year hitch with the Army. Upon his discharge, he went right back to courting Betty Grable in the musical film The Dolly Sisters (1945) and met 18-year-old singer/actress Gloria DeHaven during its shoot.
The twosome wed in 1945 and a daughter and son were born within three years. Problems arose when Gloria insisted on continuing her career and the couple, after on and off separations, finally divorced in 1950.
John's early post-WWII work offered some of his finest roles with significant non-singing parts coming in the form of Sentimental Journey (1946) with Maureen O'Hara, the glossy epic The Razor's Edge (1946) co-starring Gene Tierney, Miracle on 34th Street (1947),again paired up magically with O'Hara, and Larceny (1948) with Joan Caulfield.
After John left 20th Century-Fox, his film vehicles grew more routine, with crimers, war drama, and westerns becoming the norm. However, a smart and lucrative business arrangement with action producers William H. Pine and William C. Thomas compensated greatly.
John appeared in El Paso (1949),Tripoli (1950),Passage West (1951),Kansas City Confidential (1952),99 River Street (1953),Silver Lode (1954),and ended the deal with Slightly Scarlet (1956). A shrewd businessman, Payne also obtained rights to these films in the aftermath.
In 1953, he entered into his third and final marriage to Alexandra ("Sandy") Crowell Curtis, the former wife of actor Alan Curtis. In addition to returning to his singing roots with Las Vegas showroom engagements, John went on to star in his own western TV series The Restless Gun (1957) which lasted two seasons.
A very serious 1961 accident, however, in which John was hit by a car in New York City, slowed him down considerably. It took well over two years for him to recover enough from his leg fractures and facial/scalp wounds to return to acting.
In 1964, he co-starred on Broadway with Lisa Kirk in the Broadway musical "Here's Love". A decade later he returned to the arms of Alice Faye when they reunited on stage with a Broadway revival of "Good News". Unfortunately, he had to leave the show prematurely as the dancing required was re-aggravating his leg pain.
His 70s career ended with TV roles on such shows as "Gunsmoke," "Cade's Country" and "Columbo". Retiring in 1975, John focused quietly on reading, writing short stories, flying, and cooking.
In addition to daughter Julie, two of his grandchildren went on to become actresses as well -- Katharine Towne and
