
John Alvin
John Alvin, born John Alvin Hoffstadt was an American film, stage and television actor. Alvin was signed with Warner Brothers Studios for an exclusive four-year contract during the World War II era, although he was "borrowed" by 20th Century Fox to appear in 1944's Oscar-nominated The Fighting Sullivans. He appeared in more than 25 Warner Brothers films during this time, including Northern Pursuit (which starred Errol Flynn), The Beast with Five Fingers, The Very Thought of You, and Objective, Burma!. His pictures after the contract period included Irma la Douce, Inside Daisy Clover, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, and Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie. However, it was his role in the 1943 film Destination Tokyo, in which he co-starred with John Garfield and Cary Grant, that left the largest impression on Alvin. Years later, in a 2006 interview, Alvin credited Grant with having a major impact on his career path: "I learned more about show business from him than from anyone. He was very attentive and helpful." Alvin later enjoyed a separate television career, which spanned from the 1950s to the 1980s. His television credits included various roles on Leave It to Beaver, All in the Family, Lou Grant, Dragnet, General Hospital, Murder, She Wrote, Starsky and Hutch, The Incredible Hulk and I Spy. Alvin's also appeared in numerous television commercials advertising for such products as Mattel, H&R Block, McDonald's, Porsche and Audi. Alvin's theater repertoire included Send Me No Flowers, The Student Prince, The Chicago Conspiracy Trial and The Cradle Will Rock. He also appeared in a production of Rain, which was directed by Charlie Chaplin. He largely retired from acting in the 1990s; his final film appearance was in 1994's Milk Money. During his retirement, Alvin often showed his movies for audiences at the Conejo Valley Senior Concerns, an organization for senior citizens based in Thousand Oaks, California.
99 acting credits
Acting · 99

Perry Mason
1957

Murder, She Wrote
1984

M*A*S*H
1972

Dragnet
1951

The Rifleman
1958

Get Smart
1965

The Beverly Hillbillies
1962

Petticoat Junction
1963

Climax!
1954

My Three Sons
1960

Cheyenne
1955

Hart to Hart
1979
Four Star Playhouse
1952

The Incredible Hulk
1977

Starsky & Hutch
1975

The Lucy Show
1962

Leave It to Beaver
1957

Amazing Stories
1985

All in the Family
1971

The Lone Ranger
1949

The Munsters
1964

One Step Beyond
1959

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964

Family Affair
1966

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957

The Millionaire
1955

Bronco
1958
Navy Log
1955

Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
1950

Cain's Hundred
1961

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959

87th Precinct
1961

Racket Squad
1951

Hopalong Cassidy
1952

Wire Service
1956
The Whistler
1954
Hey, Jeannie!
1956

Dangerous Assignment
1952

The Second Hundred Years
1967

Occasional Wife
1966

The Lone Wolf
1954

The Cara Williams Show
1964

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle
1955

Milk Money
1994

Somewhere in Time
1980

The Fountainhead
1949

The Living Christ
1951

Irma la Douce
1963
Bringing Up Buddy
1960

Marnie
1964

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
1970

Nora Prentiss
1947

Pretty Baby
1950

The Organization
1971

Objective, Burma!
1945

The Iron Mistress
1952

Destination Tokyo
1943

San Antonio
1945

Illegal
1955

The Shanghai Story
1954

Romance on the High Seas
1948

Three Strangers
1946

Bright Leaf
1950

The Legend of Lizzie Borden
1975

Northern Pursuit
1943

The Legend of Lylah Clare
1968

The Quest: The Longest Drive
1976

The Breaking Point
1950

Dennis the Menace
1987

Carrie
1952

Deep Valley
1947

The McConnell Story
1955

Return to Green Acres
1990

Cheyenne
1947

A Bullet for Joey
1955

The Unknown Man
1951

Deep in My Heart
1954

Passions
1984

Come Fill the Cup
1951

Kentucky Rifle
1956

The Shanghai Chest
1948

The Fighting Sullivans
1944

Sweet, Sweet Rachel
1971

Stallion Road
1947

This Side of the Law
1950

The Beast with Five Fingers
1947

April in Paris
1952
Train to Alcatraz
1948

Open Secret
1948

Shadow of a Woman
1946

Missing Women
1951

Crackle of Death
1976

Under Colorado Skies
1947

Rocky
1948

The Bold Frontiersman
1948

The Very Thought of You
1944

Love and Learn
1947

Two Guys from Texas
1948