John Warburton (actor)

John Warburton (June 18, 1903 - October 27, 1981)[1] was a British actor who appeared in numerous Hollywood films in the 1930s to 1960s.

Born in Drogheda, Ireland,[2] Warburton studied for the ministry at Oxford University and served in the British military beginning in 1916.[3] He came to the United States as a stowaway on a freighter and began acting on stage in New York.[4]

On Broadway, Warburton portrayed Cyril Beverley in Bird in Hand (1930).[5] His film career began with RKO's Secrets of the French Police (1932).[6] His work on television included performing on 35 episodes of Fireside Theater.[7] He also guest starred in television series such as Perry Mason[6] and the Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror".[8]

In 1933, Warburton was in the center of legal trouble in Los Angeles. A grand jury indicted two men for beating and robbing Warburton in revenge for his alleged beating of actress Alice White. She testified that an argument at a party led to Warburton's battery, which resulted in her spending four days in bed to recover.[9]

Among Warburton's five wives were Ruth Selwyn and Lucille Morrison.[7]

He died of cancer in Sherman Oaks, California at age 78.[4]