John Carroll (actor)

Carroll was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He performed in several small roles in films under his birth name until 1935, when he first used the name John Carroll in Hi, Gaucho!. He appeared in several Western films in the 1930s, including the role of Zorro in Zorro Rides Again in 1937. He was the male lead in the Marx Brothers' Western comedy Go West in 1940. Probably his best known role was as Woody Jason in the 1942 movie Flying Tigers with John Wayne. He was also notable as a Cajun soldier, aptly nicknamed Wolf, in the 1945 comedy A Letter for Evie.

He interrupted his movie career during World War II and to serve as a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot in North Africa. He broke his back in a crash. He recovered and resumed his acting career.

from the trailer for Fiesta (1947)

John Carroll was a well-established actor and his wife Lucille was a casting director at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). In 1948, the fledgling movie actress Marilyn Monroe moved into their house. They helped support her emotionally and financially during her difficult transition period. Their support was essential in her success as an actress.

Carroll worked steadily through the mid-1950s, but his career began to fade in the latter half of the decade. He did play a memorable role in the 1957 Budd Boetticher western Decision at Sundown as Tate Kimbrough, the evil nemesis of Randolph Scott's character. His last roles were in Ride in a Pink Car in 1974 and in Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind, released in 2018, that he joined in 1975.

Carroll was married twice; first to Steffi Duna (the couple had a daughter, Julianna Benito), and then to Lucille Ryman (until his death).

Carroll died of leukemia at the age of 72 in Hollywood, California. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Carroll.

• John Carroll at IMDb