Allyn Joslyn

Allyn Joslyn
in I Love Melvin (1953)
Born	July 21, 1901(1901-07-21) Milford, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	January 21, 1981(1981-01-21) (aged 79) Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1918–73
Spouse	Dorothy Yockel (1935-78)
Children	1

Allyn Joslyn (July 21, 1901 – January 21, 1981) was an American stage, film and television actor.

Biography

Allyn Joslyn was born in Milford, Pennsylvania, the son of a mining engineer. On stage from age 17, Joslyn scored as a leading man in such Broadway productions as Boy Meets Girl (1936) and Arsenic and Old Lace (1941), appearing in the latter as beleaguered theatrical critic Mortimer Brewster. However, Hollywood didn't see Joslyn as a leading type. Thus he spent most of his film career playing obnoxious reporters, weaklings, and formless "other men" who never got the girl, while stars such as James Cagney and Cary Grant took the roles he originated on Broadway.

Among his more notable film appearances were tough flier Les Peters in Only Angels Have Wings (1939); George in The Great McGinty (1940); the caustic director in No Time for Comedy (1940); reporter Chic Clark in My Sister Eileen (1942); Albert Van Cleve, Don Ameche's snobbish rival for the attentions of Gene Tierney in Heaven Can Wait (1943); an eccentric poet in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947); and the cardshark disguised as a woman in Titanic (1953). He was also in "Broken Sabre" (1965), appearing in new footage that was incorporated into 3 episodes of Branded.

In the sprightly B picture It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1946), Joslyn was for once cast in the lead, even winning heroine Carole Landis at the fade-out. A prolific radio and television performer, Joslyn was a co-star of the 1953-1954 ABC sitcom Where's Raymond?, in which he played Jonathan Wallace, brother of the title character Raymond Wallace, the role of Ray Bolger. Betty Lynn played June Wallace, Joslyn's young wife in the series. Joslyn and Lynn left the series in the 1954-1955 series, when it was renamed The Ray Bolger Show.

In 1957, Joslyn costarred as literary agent George Howell in the short-lived CBS sitcom, The Eve Arden Show. In the 1960-1961 season, Joslyn guest starred on Pat O'Brien's ABC sitcom, Harrigan and Son. He played one-half of the title role on the 1962 TV sitcom McKeever And The Colonel. That same year, he guest starred in ABC's crime drama television series Target: The Corruptors!.

He was featured in some episodes of The Addams Family playing the role of beleaguered Sam L. Hilliard, whose efforts as a school administrator and politician were continually undone by the Addams family.

In 1935, he married Dorthy Yockel Joslyn, and they were married until her death in 1978. They had one daughter.

In 1981, Allyn Joslyn died of heart failure in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California at the age of 79.

Partial filmography

• Bedtime Story (1941)
• Bride by Mistake (1944)

External links

• Allyn Joslyn at the Internet Movie Database
• Allyn Joslyn at the Internet Broadway Database
• Allyn Joslyn at Find a Grave