John Beal (born James Alexander Bliedung, August 13, 1909 â€" April
26, 1997) was an American actor.Beal was born James Alexander Bliedung
in Joplin, Missouri. His father had a department store and Beal went
to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania "mapped for a
commercial career." While at Wharton, Beal (who enrolled under his
real name, James Alexander Bliedung) spent time drawing cartoons for
the school's humor magazine and singing in productions of the Mask and
Wig club.Soon after graduating from college in 1930, Beal began acting
with the Hedgerow Theatre. Beal originally went to New York to study
at the Art Students League of New York. A chance to understudy in a
play made him change his mind. He went on to appear in Russet Mantle
and She Loves Me. Beal's Broadway credits include Three Men on a Horse
(1993), The Seagull (1992), The Master Builder (1992), A Little Hotel
on the Side (1992), The Crucible (1991), The Changing Room (1973), The
Candyapple (1970), Our Town (1969), In the Matter of J. Robert
Oppenheimer (1969), Billy (1969), Calculated Risk (1962), The Teahouse
of the August Moon (1953), Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952 (1952),
The Voice of the Turtle (1943), Liberty Jones (1941), I Know What I
Like (1939), Miss Swan Expects (1939), Soliloquy (1938), Russet Mantle
(1936), She Loves Me Not (1933), Another Language (1933), Another
Language (1932), Wild Waves (1932), and No More Frontier (1931).Beal
began acting in films with Another Language (1933), in which he
re-created his stage role. He appeared opposite Katharine Hepburn (in
the 1934 RKO film The Little Minister), among others; one of his
notable screen appearances was as Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables
(1935). He continued appearing in films during the war years while
serving in Special Services and the First Motion Picture Unit as actor
and director of Army Air Forces camp shows and training films.
26, 1997) was an American actor.Beal was born James Alexander Bliedung
in Joplin, Missouri. His father had a department store and Beal went
to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania "mapped for a
commercial career." While at Wharton, Beal (who enrolled under his
real name, James Alexander Bliedung) spent time drawing cartoons for
the school's humor magazine and singing in productions of the Mask and
Wig club.Soon after graduating from college in 1930, Beal began acting
with the Hedgerow Theatre. Beal originally went to New York to study
at the Art Students League of New York. A chance to understudy in a
play made him change his mind. He went on to appear in Russet Mantle
and She Loves Me. Beal's Broadway credits include Three Men on a Horse
(1993), The Seagull (1992), The Master Builder (1992), A Little Hotel
on the Side (1992), The Crucible (1991), The Changing Room (1973), The
Candyapple (1970), Our Town (1969), In the Matter of J. Robert
Oppenheimer (1969), Billy (1969), Calculated Risk (1962), The Teahouse
of the August Moon (1953), Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952 (1952),
The Voice of the Turtle (1943), Liberty Jones (1941), I Know What I
Like (1939), Miss Swan Expects (1939), Soliloquy (1938), Russet Mantle
(1936), She Loves Me Not (1933), Another Language (1933), Another
Language (1932), Wild Waves (1932), and No More Frontier (1931).Beal
began acting in films with Another Language (1933), in which he
re-created his stage role. He appeared opposite Katharine Hepburn (in
the 1934 RKO film The Little Minister), among others; one of his
notable screen appearances was as Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables
(1935). He continued appearing in films during the war years while
serving in Special Services and the First Motion Picture Unit as actor
and director of Army Air Forces camp shows and training films.
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