John Craven (actor)

Frank Craven, Martha Scott and John Craven in the original Broadway production of Our Town (1938)

John Craven (June 22, 1916 – November 24, 1995) was an American actor, and the son of noted character actor Frank Craven. He appeared in films and numerous plays and had many TV roles, but was best remembered for originating the role of George Gibbs in the original stage version of Our Town, in which his father played the role of the Stage Manager. Craven was overlooked in the movie version, however, with the part going to the then-unknown William Holden.

Though born in New York City, he attended Beverly Hills High School, in the early 1930s. His stage family had a long history of alternating generations of men named John with subsequent generations of men named Frank.

Filmography

• Over the Goal (1937)
• The Human Comedy (1943)
• Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case (1943)
• Someone to Remember (1943)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1943	For God and Country	Danny Brewer	Short
1944	The Purple Heart	Sgt. Martin Stoner
1944	Meet the People	John Swanson
1944	In the Meantime, Darling	Sleeping Soldier	Uncredited
1946	Flight to Nowhere	Claude Forrest
1946	Swell Guy	Mike O'Connor
1953	Count the Hours!	George Braden
1954	Security Risk	Dr. Lanson
1955	The Green Mountain Boys	Remeber Baker	TV movie
1955	Battle Stations	Cmdr. James Matthews
1956	Navy Wife	Dr. Carter
1956	Hold Back the Night	Maj. Bob MacKay
1956	Friendly Persuasion	Band Leader	Uncredited
1958	Revolt in the Big House	Guard	Uncredited
1960	Ocean's 11	Cashier	Uncredited
1960	Let's Make Love	Comstock	Uncredited
1964	The Brass Bottle	2nd Psychiatrist	Uncredited
1970	The Wild Scene	Morton

External links

• John Craven at IMDb
• John Craven at the Internet Broadway Database
• Obituary in The New York Times
• "Our Town" presented on The Campbell Playhouse, with Orson Welles and guest star John Craven (May 12, 1939)