John Carradine (February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns.
Carradine was born Richmond Reed Carradine in New York City, the son of Genevieve Winifred (née Richmond), a surgeon, and William Reed Carradine, a correspondent for the Associated Press. He attended the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania and originally planned a career as a painter and sculptor. He began his ...
more
John Carradine (February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns.
Carradine was born Richmond Reed Carradine in New York City, the son of Genevieve Winifred (née Richmond), a surgeon, and William Reed Carradine, a correspondent for the Associated Press. He attended the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania and originally planned a career as a painter and sculptor. He began his career in show business as a Shakespearean dramatic actor and made his cinematic debut in 1930 under the name Peter Richmond. He adopted the stage name "John Carradine" in 1935, and legally took the name as his own two years later.
Beginning with The Prisoner of Shark Island (1934) Carradine appeared in ten John Ford productions, including The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Stagecoach (1939). He also portrayed the Biblical hero Aaron in The Ten Commandments (1956). He did considerable stage work, much of...
less
