28 May 1912, Roanoke, Virginia, USA

Date of Death

6 December 1989, Malibu, California, USA

Singer, mostly in 20th Century-Fox musicals.

Father of actress Julie Payne.

Was the first person in Hollywood interested in making the James Bond novels into a film series. In 1955, paid a $1,000 a month option for 9 months on the Bond novel Moonraker (he eventually gave up the option when he learned he couldn't retain the rights for the entire 007 series).

Direct descendant of John Howard Payne (1791-1852), composer of the classic song "Home, Sweet Home" ("Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.").

The gap in his career from 1962 to 1968 was the result of a terrible automobile wreck, in which he suffered extensive, life-threatening injuries. In his later roles, facial scars can be detected in close-ups.

Grandfather of actress Katharine Towne and Holly Payne.

Ex-father-in-law of writer-director Robert Towne.

Featured in "Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir" by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry (McFarland, 2003).

In 1942, after separating from Anne Shirley, John Payne had an affair with actress Jane Russell. The affair is detailed in Jane Russell's 1986 autobiography, "My Path and My Detours". The affair ended when Jane realized that she was still in love with her high school sweetheart, football player Bob Waterfield, whom she married in April of 1943 (they divorced in 1967).

Following the style of the times, and in order to emphasize his boyish, clean-cut image, Payne's chest was shaved to smoothness in his "beefcake" scenes of the 1940s. In the 1950s, however, styles changed, Payne's image darkened, and his "beefcake" scenes now showed a chest with dark hair.

Was very good friends with his co star Maureen O'Hara, with whom he starred in four films, _To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)_', _Sentimenal Journey (1946)_, Tripoli (1950), and their most famous one, the classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

Was romantically involved with Coleen Gray (co-star in Kansas City Confidential) in the early 1950's.

His Favorite movie he did was Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

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