Quick Facts
| Intro | American film and television actor | ||
| Was | Actor Film actor Television actor Athlete Baseball player | ||
| From | United States of America | ||
| Field | Film, TV, Stage & Radio Sports | ||
| Gender | male | ||
| Birth | 4 October 1914, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA | ||
| Death | 16 October 2005, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, USA (aged 91 years) | ||
| Star sign | Libra | ||
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Biography
John Larch, also known as Harry Larch (October 4, 1914 – October 16, 2005), was an American radio, film, and television actor.
Early years
Larch was born as Harold Aronin on October 4, 1914, in Salem, Massachusetts.
He served four years in the Army during World War II — an experience that left him troubled for years thereafter. In 1965, he reflected on his post-military problems, saying:
What was my hangup then? Just about everything. I was looking for the four years I had lost in service. I was also looking for a rhyme or reason to the mass murders that took place. I was looking for the ideals I had once had. I was disgusted with the world — a world in which civilians acted as though there hadn't been a worldwide holocaust.
Acting career
Film
After his lead role in the radio serial Captain Starr of Space (1953–54), he entered films in 1954. He usually appeared in westerns (How The West Was Won) and action films, including Miracle of the White Stallions as General George S. Patton Jr. (1963), the television film Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur as General Omar Bradley(1976), replacing James Gregory as Mac in the Matt Helm movie The Wrecking Crew(1969) starring Dean Martin, Sharon Tate, and Elke Sommer. An old friend of Clint Eastwood, Larch appeared in Eastwood films, including Dirty Harry and Play Misty for Me (both 1971).
Television
Larch had the role of Captain Ben Foster on the NBC series Convoy (1965-1966).
He guest-starred in Jefferson Drum, Johnny Ringo, Riverboat, Naked City (three episodes), Stoney Burke, Route 66 (three episodes), The Fugitive (two episodes), The Invaders, The Restless Gun (four episodes), Gunsmoke (seven episodes), The Virginian (four episodes), Bonanza, Hawaii Five-0, Mission Impossible (two episodes), The Troubleshooters, Bus Stop, The Law and Mr. Jones, The Rifleman, The Feather and Father Gang, and possibly most famously as the father of Anthony Fremont (played by Bill Mumy) in The Twilight Zone 1961 episode "It's a Good Life". He also appeared in Vegas$ Season 3, in the episode "Deadly Blessing", as well as two other The Twilight Zone episodes playing a psychiatrist in "Perchance to Dream" and the sheriff in "Dust".
With his wife, Vivi Janiss, who was formerly married to actor Bob Cummings, Larch appeared on October 3, 1961, in the premiere episode "No Fat Cops" of Leslie Nielson's The New Breed on ABC. The two played a couple, John and Mary Clark.
Earlier the two had co-starred on November 23, 1959, as Johnny and Elsie in the episode "End of an Era" of NBC's western series Tales of Wells Fargo, starring Dale Robertson; and on May 23, 1960, as Isaiah and Rebecca Macabee in the episode "The Proud Earth" of the half-hour NBC anthology series Goodyear Theatre.
On November 9, 1960, Larch and Janiss appeared as Ben and Sarah Harness in the episode "The Cathy Eckhart Story" of NBC's Wagon Train, with Susan Oliver in the starring role. Then on December 19, 1968, the couple appeared again together in the tenth episode "Yesterday Died and Tomorrow Won't Be Born" of Jack Lord's CBS crime drama Hawaii Five-O.
Larch also played Tom Mead in an episode of The Millionaire in 1956.
Personal life
Larch was married to actress Vivi Janiss from March 26, 1955, until her death on September 7, 1988.
Partial filmography
- Bitter Creek (1954) - Hired Gunman
- This Is My Love (1954) - Police Detective (uncredited)
- Tight Spot (1955) - First Detective (uncredited)
- Seven Angry Men (1955) - Truce Flag-Bearing Sergeant (uncredited)
- 5 Against the House (1955) - Police Detective (uncredited)
- The Phenix City Story (1955) - Clem Wilson
- Gunsmoke (1955) - Clay
- The Naked Street (1955) - Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
- The McConnell Story (1955) - Cy (uncredited)
- Illegal (1955) - District Attorney's Man (uncredited)
- The Killer Is Loose (1956) - Otto Flanders
- Behind the High Wall (1956) - William Kiley
- Seven Men from Now (1956) - Payte Bodeen
- Written on the Wind (1956) - Roy Carter
- Man from Del Rio (1956) - Bill Dawson
- Gun for a Coward (1957) - Stringer
- The Careless Years (1957) - Sam Vernon
- Quantez (1957) - Heller
- Man in the Shadow (1957) - Ed Yates
- From Hell to Texas (1958) - Hal Carmody
- The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958) - Jed Givens
- The Walter Winchell File (1958, "Portrait of A Cop") - LT. Janiss
- Hell to Eternity (1960) - Capt. Schwabe
- Gunsmoke (1961) - Shanks
- How the West Was Won (1962) - Grimes (uncredited)
- Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) - Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
- The Wrecking Crew (1969) - MacDonald
- The Great Bank Robbery (1969) - Sheriff of Friendly
- Hail, Hero! (1969) - Mr. Conklin
- Move (1970) - Mounted Patrolman
- Cannon for Cordoba (1970) - Warner
- Play Misty for Me (1971) - Sgt. McCallum
- Dirty Harry (1971) - Chief
- Women in Chains (1972) - Barney
- Santee (1973) - Banner
- Winter Kill (1974, TV Movie) - Dr. Bill Hammond
- Bad Ronald (1974, TV Movie) - Sgt. Lynch
- Framed (1975) - Bundy
- The Amityville Horror (1979) - Father Nuncio
- Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) - Prosecuting Attorney
