Biography
John Merton (born Myrtland F. LaVarre; February 18, 1901 – September 19, 1959) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1927 and 1959, mostly as a villain. He was the brother of filmmaker André de la Varre and William LaVarre, the grandfather of actress Diane Delano, and the great uncle of academic Hollis Robbins. Born and raised in Seattle with three other brothers, Franklin, Claude, and William LaVarre, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War I.He joined the New York Theatre Guild in 1919 and appeared in a variety of shows, including playing the robot Marius in R.U.R. (1922). He made his film debut as a police officer in Running Wild (1927) filmed in Long Island's Astoria Studios. He travelled to Hollywood in 1932 and began a long career of small parts in major films and villain roles in B-movies and film serials. He met Cecil B. DeMille who cast him as a Roman guard in Cleopatra (1934) that led to him appearing in all of DeMille's films up to and including The Ten Commandments (1956). It was DeMille who suggested he change his name to a more masculine John Merton.Merton's wife, Esther, sued him for divorce in 1940. They had six children.
Filmography
all 162
Movies 161
TV Shows 1
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Frontier Gambler (1956)
Timber Country Trouble (1955)
The Big Heat (1953)
Up in Daisy's Penthouse (1953)
Trail Guide (1952)
Gold Raiders (1951)
The Texas Rangers (1951)
Man from Sonora (1951)
A Snitch in Time (1950)
Walk Softly, Stranger (1950)
I Shot Billy the Kid (1950)
Arizona Territory (1950)
Nursie Behave (1950)
Marinated Mariner (1950)
West of Wyoming (1950)
Fence Riders (1950)
Radar Patrol vs. Spy King (1949)
Riders of the Dusk (1949)
Western Renegades (1949)
Thieves' Highway (1949)
The Lone Ranger (1949)
Haunted Trails (1949)
The Lost Tribe (1949)
Outlaw Country (1949)
The Golden Eye (1948)
Red River (1948)
Cheyenne Takes Over (1947)
Raiders of the South (1947)
Shadows on the Range (1946)
Gilda (1946)
The Gay Cavalier (1946)
Hop Harrigan: America's Ace of the Airways (1946)
The Haunted Mine (1946)
Border Bandits (1946)
The Cherokee Flash (1945)
Bandits of the Badlands (1945)
Rustlers' Hideout (1945)
Along Came Jones (1945)
Oregon Trail (1945)
Flame of the West (1945)
Stranger from Santa Fe (1945)
Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945)
Ghost Guns (1944)
Zorro's Black Whip (1944)
Girl Rush (1944)
Land of the Outlaws (1944)
West of the Rio Grande (1944)
Fuzzy Settles Down (1944)
Address Unknown (1944)
Mystery Man (1944)
Valley Of Vengeance (1944)
Texas Masquerade (1944)
Drums of Fu Manchu (1943)
Devil Riders (1943)
Bullets and Saddles (1943)
Black Market Rustlers (1943)
Destroyer (1943)
Fighting Valley (1943)
The Law Rides Again (1943)
Hitler's Madman (1943)
Cowboy Commandos (1943)
For God and Country (1943)
Sagebrush Law (1943)
Fugitive of the Plains (1943)
Land of Hunted Men (1943)
The Mysterious Rider (1942)
The Lone Prairie (1942)
Along the Sundown Trail (1942)
Prairie Pals (1942)
Sheriff of Sage Valley (1942)
Law and Order (1942)
Invisible Agent (1942)
Down Texas Way (1942)
Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns (1942)
The Wife Takes a Flyer (1942)
Boot Hill Bandits (1942)
Arizona Terrors (1942)
Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. (1941)
A Missouri Outlaw (1941)
South of Tahiti (1941)
Sea Raiders (1941)
The Gunman From Bodie (1941)
Under Fiesta Stars (1941)
Our Wife (1941)
White Eagle (1941)
The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1940)
The Trail Blazers (1940)
North West Mounted Police (1940)
Billy the Kid in Texas (1940)
Melody Ranch (1940)
Queen of the Yukon (1940)
Billy the Kid Outlawed (1940)
The Return of Wild Bill (1940)
Frontier Crusader (1940)
Covered Wagon Days (1940)
Dark Command (1940)
Hi-Yo Silver (1940)
Drums of Fu Manchu (1940)
Northwest Passage (1940)
Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)
The Great Commandment (1939)
Renegade Trail (1939)
The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)
Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939)
Three Texas Steers (1939)
Union Pacific (1939)
Rough Riders' Round-up (1939)
Two Gun Troubador (1939)
In Old Montana (1939)
Four Girls in White (1939)
Code of the Fearless (1939)
Gang Bullets (1938)
Land of Fighting Men (1938)
Where the Buffalo Roam (1938)
Marie Antoinette (1938)
Dick Tracy Returns (1938)
Riders of the Black Hills (1938)
Songs and Saddles (1938)
The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938)
Phantom Ranger (1938)
Gunsmoke Trail (1938)
Knight of the Plains (1938)
Two Gun Justice (1938)
Female Fugitive (1938)
The Lone Ranger (1938)
Arizona Gunfighter (1937)
Roaring Six Guns (1937)
The Rangers Step In (1937)
Headline Crasher (1937)
Slaves in Bondage (1937)
Galloping Dynamite (1937)
Range Defenders (1937)
Blazing Sixes (1937)
Drums of Destiny (1937)
Law of the Ranger (1937)
The Law Commands (1937)
Gunsmoke Ranch (1937)
Valley of Terror (1937)
Fury Below (1936)
Wild Horse Round-Up (1936)
The Gun Ranger (1936)
A Tenderfoot Goes West (1936)
The Three Mesquiteers (1936)
The Vigilantes Are Coming (1936)
The Crooked Trail (1936)
The Lion's Den (1936)
Wildcat Trooper (1936)
Aces and Eights (1936)
Wolves of the Sea (1936)
Sharad of Atlantis (1936)
Lightnin' Bill Carson (1936)
Call of the Prairie (1936)
Border Caballero (1936)
Bar 20 Rides Again (1935)
The Eagle's Brood (1935)
Hop-a-long Cassidy (1935)
Broadway Bill (1934)
The Red Rider (1934)
Running Wild (1927)
Knockout Reilly (1927)
The Quarterback (1926)
Ratings
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1901-02-18
Deathday1959-09-19 (58 years old)
Birth NameMyrtland F. LaVarre
Birth PlaceWashington, D.C., United States of America
ChildrenLane Bradford
SiblingsAndré de la Varre, William La Varre
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsMyrtland LaVarre, Myrtland F. LaVarre
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