See also Biography Index (J) :: Filmography Index (J) :: Discography Index (J)

John Litel`s tough, no-nonsense demeanor on screen was not entirely due to his skill as an actor--when World War I broke out, not wanting to wait until the U.S. entered, he enlisted in the French army and was twice decorated for bravery. Returning to the U.S. after the war, he enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and toured with various stage companies, making his film debut in 1929. He was one of what was called the "Warner Bros. Stock Company" in the 1930s - with such character actors as Ward Bond, Frank McHugh, Joan Blondell, George Tobias, Henry O`Neill and Alan Hale, among others - and he appeared in dozens of films there, often as a tough police captain, hard-nosed district attorney, no-nonsense business executive, and other such authority figures. Always a solid, dependable character actor, Litel appeared in more than 200 films, sometimes playing leads, but mainly as a supporting actor.