John Litel's tough, no-nonsense demeanor on screen was not entirely an act; in World War I, 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 ...
show all John Litel's tough, no-nonsense demeanor on screen was not entirely an act; in World War I, 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 and Alan Hale among others - appearing in dozens of films there, often as a tough police captain or hard-nosed district attorney. Always a solid, dependable character actor, Litel appeared in more than 200 films, sometimes playing leads, but mainly as a supporting actor.
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