Howard St. John

Howard St. John
St. John in 711 Ocean Drive (1950 film)
Born	(1905-10-09)October 9, 1905 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	March 13, 1974(1974-03-13) (aged 68) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1926–1972
Spouse(s)	Lois Bolton ​ (m. 1939)​

Howard St. John (October 9, 1905 – March 13, 1974) was a Chicago-born character actor who specialized in unsympathetic roles. His work spanned Broadway, film and television. Among his best-remembered roles are the bombastic General Bullmoose in the stage and screen versions of the 1956 musical Li'l Abner,^[1] and his supporting roles in the classic comedies Born Yesterday (1950) and One, Two, Three (1961).

On stage[]

Howard St. John made his Broadway debut in 1926 in the comedy The Blonde Sinner, and subsequently starred or co-starred in more than 20 Broadway productions including Someone Waiting and The Highest Tree.

St. John's most high-profile role was that of General Bullmoose in the hit musical Li'l Abner. As Bullmoose he introduced the song "Progress is the Root of All Evil." His final Broadway role came in 1968's Tiger at the Gates.

In film[]

St. John began film work in the early 1930s and made an impression in Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train in 1951.^[2] He continued in stuffy, rigid or authoritarian roles for most of his career, including memorable ones in The Tender Trap and Born Yesterday. He also re-created his stage role in the film version of Li'l Abner.

St. John had the title role in the film David Harding, Counterspy and continued in the role in the sequel Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard (1950).^[3]

Death[]

St. John died of a heart attack in New York City at age 68 in 1974 and was survived by his widow.^[4]

Partial filmography[]

References[]

External links[]

• Howard St. John at IMDb
• Howard St. John at the Internet Broadway Database