John Compton

John Compton

Date of Birth: June 21, 1923
Date of Passing: May 12, 2015
Birthplace: Lynchburg, Tennessee

John Compton was an actor best known for his role in the 1959 television crime series The D.A.’s Man, as Shannon, an ex-private eye who infiltrates the New York mob and reports back to the District Attorney’s office. The series lasted for one season and was produced by Jack Webb.

His other television work included small roles on Studio 57, The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke and The Real McCoys. He also appeared in the 1947 13-chapter theatrical series Jesse James Rides Again.

In the 1945 film Mildred Pierce, starring Joan Crawford, he played the role of Ted Forrester, who is conned by main character, Veda. Additionally, he appeared in the films Pride of the Marines, San Antonio, Night and Day, The Glass Menagerie and the 1956 classic The Ten Commandments, directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

John Compton was an actor best known for his role in the 1959 television crime series The D.A.’s Man, as Shannon, an ex-private eye who infiltrates the New York mob and reports back to the District Attorney’s office. The series lasted for one season and was produced by Jack Webb.

His other television work included small roles on Studio 57, The Cisco Kid, Highway Patrol, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke and The Real McCoys. He also appeared in the 1947 13-chapter theatrical series Jesse James Rides Again.

In the 1945 film Mildred Pierce, starring Joan Crawford, he played the role of Ted Forrester, who is conned by main character, Veda. Additionally, he appeared in the films Pride of the Marines, San Antonio, Night and Day, The Glass Menagerie and the 1956 classic The Ten Commandments, directed by Cecil B. DeMille.

A native of Tennessee, Compton moved to New York to pursue acting and got his start on Broadway in the 1945 comedy The Ryan Girl. He later relocated to Los Angeles, where he signed a contract with Warner Brothers.

Compton died May 12, 2015, in Los Angeles. He was 91.

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