John Carradine appeared in 326 films and TV movies, more than any other Hollywood actor with starring credits. Mostly as a result of being part of John Ford's "stock company," Carradine appeared in many excellent films, including Les Misérables (1935), Captains Courageous (1937), Stagecoach (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Ten Commandments (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance (1962), and The Shootist (1976). But in addition to being the father of three famous actor sons (David, Keith and Robert) and two actress granddaughters (Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton), he is better remembered for starring or supporting roles in a large number of low-budget horror films, both in the 40s and in his later years. His title as "King of the Grade B Horror Film" is unchallenged, and at one time he was truly the hardest-working actor in town.
Born in New York City as Richmond Reed Carradine on February 5th, 1906, he did not start out to be an actor, instead studying painting and sculpture at the Graphic Arts School. Eventually he moved across the country and at first began working in Hollywood as a set designer for Demille. (He was in fact a very talented artist and sold sketches to support himself during the Depression.) But his great voice and tall, gaunt appearance eventually landed him onscreen, beginning in 1930 with an uncredited appearance in Bright Lights. Originally billed as "Peter Richmond" or "John Peter Richmond," he officially became known as John Carradine in 1935, and by the following year was receiving screen credits at a pretty good clip. One of his most memorable early roles was as the "sand diviner" in The Garden of Allah (1934), in which he played a Persian reading Charle Boyer's fortune with grains of sand, staring at the camera with his piercing blue eyes.
He appeared in 14 films in 1936, then tapered off to an average of only(!) ten a year during the rest of the 30s. By the 40s he was showing up in one horror film after another, most notably Captive Wild Woman (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), Bluebeard (1944 - reportedly one of his favorites), and House of Dracula (1945). In the late 40s he focused on stage work, then returned to Hollywood and TV in the 1950s, appearing in diverse films such as Johnny Guitar (1954), The Court Jester (1956), The Ten Commandments (1956) and The Last Hurrah (1958) before resuming steady horror film work in the 60s. His prolific resume during that period included Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966), The Astro-Zombies (1969), Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969), Five Bloody Graves (1970) and Beast of the Yellow Night (1971), among many others.
But John Carradine appeared in so many different types of films that to type-cast him purely as a horror film star would be a mistake. He was particularly known for his work in Westerns, and was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 2003. He was a big fan of John Wayne (though not a favorite of John Ford's, given both men's well-developed egos) and appeared with him in many films, including The Duke's last, The Shootist. He was also a prolific stage actor, with many classic roles to his credit, including Hamlet and Malvolio.
I hope you enjoy this special tribute on the 100th anniversary of John Carradine's birth.
John Carradine Tributes and Other Pages
Selected Reviews of John Carradine's Best Films
Where To Find Or See John Carradine Films
Books By or About John Carradine
John Carradine Photos/Art On The Web
John Carradine Movie Posters On The Web
