Leon Janney (April 1, 1917 â€" October 28, 1980) was an American actor
and radio personality from 1920 to 1980.Born Leon Ramon in Ogden,
Utah, Janney made his first theatrical appearance at age two before an
audience at the Pantages Theatre in his hometown. He spent some years
in vaudeville, and made his first appearance on radio in 1926, making
the leap to legitimate theater soon after.His movie debut came with
Victor Sjöström's The Wind starring Lillian Gish. While he was
working with some of Hollywood's greatest, he used the opportunity to
study the actors, and ask for advice at every chance he could. He
appeared in a string of movies portraying the boyhood incarnations of
actors such as Ricardo Cortez, Reginald Denny, and Conrad Nagel.
Producer Hal Roach took notice of Janney and hired him to appear in
the Our Gang comedy Bear Shooters as "Spud". However, Roach realized
that he was too old to gel with the other members of the gang, and
Bear Shooters marked his only appearance as a Little Rascal. In 1931
he starred in the second film adaptation of Booth Tarkington's Penrod
and Sam.By the mid-1930s, Janney was considered the quintessential
male juvenile star, and was earning more than $100,000 a year. As he
entered his teenage years, he realised that everywhere he went he
would be recognized and surrounded by fans, something he did not care
for. He turned to radio and worked on the series The Parker Family,
playing all-American boy Richard Parker. Although his true love was
theater work, he used his radio work to become a master dialectician.
Janney was a master of using convincing foreign accents, and even more
so at adapting regional dialects of the United States. After serving
in World War II as a translator, he continued working in radio and
theater.
and radio personality from 1920 to 1980.Born Leon Ramon in Ogden,
Utah, Janney made his first theatrical appearance at age two before an
audience at the Pantages Theatre in his hometown. He spent some years
in vaudeville, and made his first appearance on radio in 1926, making
the leap to legitimate theater soon after.His movie debut came with
Victor Sjöström's The Wind starring Lillian Gish. While he was
working with some of Hollywood's greatest, he used the opportunity to
study the actors, and ask for advice at every chance he could. He
appeared in a string of movies portraying the boyhood incarnations of
actors such as Ricardo Cortez, Reginald Denny, and Conrad Nagel.
Producer Hal Roach took notice of Janney and hired him to appear in
the Our Gang comedy Bear Shooters as "Spud". However, Roach realized
that he was too old to gel with the other members of the gang, and
Bear Shooters marked his only appearance as a Little Rascal. In 1931
he starred in the second film adaptation of Booth Tarkington's Penrod
and Sam.By the mid-1930s, Janney was considered the quintessential
male juvenile star, and was earning more than $100,000 a year. As he
entered his teenage years, he realised that everywhere he went he
would be recognized and surrounded by fans, something he did not care
for. He turned to radio and worked on the series The Parker Family,
playing all-American boy Richard Parker. Although his true love was
theater work, he used his radio work to become a master dialectician.
Janney was a master of using convincing foreign accents, and even more
so at adapting regional dialects of the United States. After serving
in World War II as a translator, he continued working in radio and
theater.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.