John Litel

Biography: Although an American, he enlisted with the French army during World War Two and was twice decorated for bravery. After returning to the U.S. he studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, going on to tour with several companies. He debuted onscreen in 1929, appearing in only a few films over the next few years; meanwhile, his work on Broadway earned him much praise. In 1937 he moved to Hollywood, and from then on was very busy onscreen as a character actor. He ultimately appeared in 200 films, sometimes playing leads. He specialized as a "lawyer" type, and played Jimmy Lydon's attorney dad in all nine Henry Aldrich films. He was last onscreen in 1966, but often appeared on TV.