John Dehner
Actor
John Dehner Rank
About John Dehner
John Dehner was an American performer who was known for his work with Walt Disney Studios in the early 1940s. He made appearances in over 125 feature films and short films over his five-decade career. He also performed in a number of theatrical films including “Tension at Table Rock”, and played the lead role in the 1957 Western film “Revolt at Fort Laramie”. He also founded his own production company in the 1960s.
Family
He was the second child of his parents Ella Susana, a musician, and Ralph LeRoy Forkum, a skilled artist, and he had two siblings. The actor married Roma Leonore Meyers in 1941 and they had two daughters, Kirsten and Sheila. After the couple got divorced in October 1970, Dehner married Evelyn Elliot. The marriage lasted until the actor’s death.
Education
In 1935, he enrolled at the University of California in Berkeley.
Career
After leaving Berkeley, he decided to return to New York where he started professional acting and trained with a theatrical group associated with the Moscow Art Theatre (MAT). Now an established actor, Swedish dramatist, August Strindberg cast him in “The Bridal Crown” in 1901 in New York. The play premiered on Broadway at the Vanderbilt Theatre in New York on 5th February 1938.
Time at Disney Studios
The actor returned to California but moved to Los Angeles County where there were better career opportunities for trained actors. He moved in with his father Roy Forkum who worked with Walt Disney Studios as a “Story artist”. Dehner was employed at Walt Disney Studios in 1940 as an apprentice and assisted in producing animations for Disney’s 1940 animated classic “Fantasia”, “Bambi”, and “The Reluctant Dragon”. He worked at Disney for a year and moved into military service in March 1941, where he volunteered for the United States Army nine months before WWII. After being diagnosed with a stomach ulcer he had to be disqualified from military service by the end of 1941.
Films
After he was discharged from the military, he made his first film appearances in the early 1940s, playing uncredited bit parts while also focusing on radio. He also gained some experience from Warner Bros, RKO, and Twentieth Century - Fox studios and featured in “Tarzan’s Desert Mystery”, a production by Solo Lesser in 1943.
He also played roles in films such as “Club Havana”, “Twice Blessed”, “Captain Eddie”, and “Christmas In Connecticut” in the mid-1940s.
Death
Dehner died of complications from emphysema and diabetes in Santa Barbara, California at the age of 76.
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F.A.Q. about John Dehner
When is his birthday?
John Dehner's birthday is on November 23, 1915.
In how many days is his birthday?
John's birthday is in 212 days
How old was John when he died?
He was 76 years old.
When did he die?
He died in February 4, 1992.
How old would he be today?
John Dehner would be 108 years old if he was alive today.
Where was John from?
He was born in Staten Island, New York, U.S..