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John Merton was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1927 and 1959, mostly as a villain. Merton's wife, Esther, sued him for divorce in 1940. They had six children.
Birth Name
Myrtland Vivian LaVarre
Born
Monday, 18 February 1901
Died
Saturday, 19 September 1959
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Naked Archaeologist | Roman Oficer / Roman Officer | 2005 |
| Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch | Henchman | 1976 |
| Omar Khayyam | Nobleman | 1957 |
| The Ten Commandments | Architect's Assistant | 1956 |
| Frontier Gambler | Shorty | 1956 |
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Mr. Reagan | 1955 |
| Son of Sinbad | Guard | 1955 |
| Timber Country Trouble | Ed Hartman | 1955 |
| Marshals in Disguise | (archive footage) | 1954 |
| The Raid | Union Prison Guard | 1954 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Naked Archaeologist | Roman Oficer / Roman Officer | 2005 |
| Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch | Henchman | 1976 |
| Omar Khayyam | Nobleman | 1957 |
| The Ten Commandments | Architect's Assistant | 1956 |
| Frontier Gambler | Shorty | 1956 |
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Mr. Reagan | 1955 |
| Son of Sinbad | Guard | 1955 |
| Timber Country Trouble | Ed Hartman | 1955 |
| Marshals in Disguise | (archive footage) | 1954 |
| The Raid | Union Prison Guard | 1954 |
| Jungle Man-Eaters | French Ship's Crewman | 1954 |
| Phantom of the Rue Morgue | Animal Keeper | 1954 |
| The Big Heat | Man | 1953 |
| Saginaw Trail | Trapper with Knife | 1953 |
| Salome | Baptism Attendee | 1953 |
| Up in Daisy's Penthouse | Daisy's Boyfriend / Butch, Daisy's Boyfriend | 1953 |
| Androcles and the Lion | Officer | 1953 |
| Blue Canadian Rockies | Frenchy | 1952 |
| Adventures of Superman | Doc | 1952 |
| Hopalong Cassidy | Hired gunman | 1952 |
| The Lion and the Horse | Stock Buyer | 1952 |
| The Half-Breed | The Sergeant-Messenger | 1952 |
| Trail Guide | Dale | 1952 |
| The Frontier Phantom | Marshal | 1952 |
| The Old West | Townsman | 1952 |
| The Greatest Show on Earth | Chuck | 1952 |
| The Roy Rogers Show | Hank Rogers / Tom Keith | 1951 |
| Boston Blackie | Al Engle | 1951 |
| Gold Raiders | Clete | 1951 |
| Cyclone Fury | Henchman | 1951 |
| Mask of the Avenger | Blacksmith | 1951 |
| Silver Canyon | Blacksmith | 1951 |
| The Texas Rangers | Texas Ranger | 1951 |
| Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Lou Cole / Henchman Riggs / Elliott / Ed Hartman | 1951 |
| Man from Sonora | Henchman Pete / Pete | 1951 |
| Oh! Susanna | Barfly | 1951 |
| Bandit Queen | Hank | 1950 |
| A Snitch in Time | Jerry Benton | 1950 |
| Walk Softly, Stranger | Bowen's Henchman | 1950 |
| Border Rangers | Gans - Henchman | 1950 |
| Dick Tracy | Swami | 1950 |
| I Shot Billy the Kid | Bob Ollinger - Deputy (as John Morton) / Bob Ollinger - Deputy | 1950 |
| Arizona Territory | Otis Kilburn | 1950 |
| A Ticket to Tomahawk | Clayton | 1950 |
| The Cisco Kid | Wally / Turner / The Chief / Sheriff | 1950 |
| West of Wyoming | Sheriff | 1950 |
| Fence Riders | Cattle Buyer Slater / Slater | 1950 |
| The Adventures of Sir Galahad | Ulric - The Saxon King | 1949 |
| Samson and Delilah | Assistant Tax Collector | 1949 |
| Radar Patrol vs. Spy King | John Baroda | 1949 |
| The Lost Tribe | Kesler | 1949 |
| Riders of the Dusk | Art - Henchman | 1949 |
| The Wolf Hunters | Post Clerk | 1949 |
| Bandits of El Dorado | Bank Robber | 1949 |
| Parole, Inc. | Police Captain | 1949 |
| Western Renegades | Blacksmith Smitty / Blacksmith | 1949 |
| Thieves' Highway | State Highway Policeman | 1949 |
| The Lone Ranger | Joe Kean / Lieutenant Bannister / Lieutenant | 1949 |
| Haunted Trails | Sheriff Charlie Coombs | 1949 |
| El Paso | Dutch - Deputy | 1949 |
| The Blazing Trail | Brady House Guard | 1949 |
| Outlaw Country | Marshal Clark | 1949 |
| The Golden Eye | Miner | 1948 |
| Red River | Settler | 1948 |
| Trail to Laredo | Sheriff Kennedy | 1948 |
| A Southern Yankee | Guerrilla Horseman | 1948 |
| Brick Bradford | Dr. Gregor Tymak | 1947 |
| Cheyenne Takes Over | Bart McCord | 1947 |
| Unconquered | Sentry at Ball Denying Chris Exit | 1947 |
| I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now | President Theodore Roosevelt | 1947 |
| Jack Armstrong | Gregory Pierce | 1947 |
| Raiders of the South | Preston Durant | 1947 |
| Son of the Guardsman | Lord Hampton | 1946 |
| Shadows on the Range | Paul Emery | 1946 |
| Heading West | Kelso - Henchman | 1946 |
| The Desert Horseman | Rex Young | 1946 |
| Night in Paradise | Sailor | 1946 |
| Her Kind of Man | Minor Role | 1946 |
| Galloping Thunder | Henchman Regan | 1946 |
| Gilda | Policeman | 1946 |
| The Gay Cavalier | Lewis | 1946 |
| Hop Harrigan America's Ace of the Airways | Dr. Tobor | 1946 |
| The People's Choice | Grant Evans | 1946 |
| The Haunted Mine | Steve Twining | 1946 |
| The Harvey Girls | Player | 1946 |
| Border Bandits | Henchman Spike / Spike | 1946 |
| Girl on the Spot | Mug | 1946 |
| The Cherokee Flash | Mark Butler aka Blackie | 1945 |
| The Crimson Canary | Man at Bar | 1945 |
| Bandits of the Badlands | Cort McKinnon | 1945 |
| Our Vines Have Tender Grapes | Farmer Pledging Two Calves | 1945 |
| Rustlers' Hideout | Harry Stanton | 1945 |
| Secret Agent X-9 | Parker | 1945 |
| Along Came Jones | Card Player | 1945 |
| Oregon Trail | Dalt Higgins | 1945 |
| Flame of the West | Carl Compton | 1945 |
| Stranger from Santa Fe | Cy Manning | 1945 |
| Gentle Annie | Engineer | 1945 |
| The Master Key | Vogel | 1945 |
| Brenda Starr, Reporter | Joe Schultz | 1945 |
| Jungle Queen | Mine Henchman-Guard | 1945 |
| Ghost Guns | Matson | 1944 |
| Zorro's Black Whip | Ed Harris | 1944 |
| Girl Rush | Scully | 1944 |
| Land of the Outlaws | Dan Broderick | 1944 |
| Kismet | Aide to Mansur | 1944 |
| West of the Rio Grande | Wade Gunnerson | 1944 |
| U-Boat Prisoner | Officer Elsner | 1944 |
| Fuzzy Settles Down | Henchman Pete | 1944 |
| The Last Horseman | Fancy Bistro | 1944 |
| Address Unknown | Angry German at Play | 1944 |
| Mystery Man | Bill | 1944 |
| Valley of Vengeance | Henchman Burt / Burt | 1944 |
| The Black Parachute | Soldier | 1944 |
| An American Romance | Eddie - Steel Mill Worker | 1944 |
| Two-Man Submarine | Nazi Officer | 1944 |
| Texas Masquerade | Henchman Jeff | 1944 |
| None Shall Escape | Townsman | 1944 |
| Drums of Fu Manchu | Loki | 1943 |
| Phony Express | Red's Henchman | 1943 |
| Women in Bondage | SS officer | 1943 |
| The Cross of Lorraine | Nazi Guard in Village | 1943 |
| Devil Riders | Jim Higgins | 1943 |
| Teen Age | Nick (a gangster) (edited from: Slaves in Bondage) | 1943 |
| Bullets and Saddles | Mike Phelps - Henchman / Henchman Mike Phelps | 1943 |
| Adventures of the Flying Cadets | Blaine | 1943 |
| Black Market Rustlers | Henchman Parry | 1943 |
| Destroyer | Chief Quartermaster | 1943 |
| Fighting Valley | Dan Wakely | 1943 |
| The Law Rides Again | Spike - Henchman / Henchman Spike | 1943 |
| Hitler's Madman | Muller | 1943 |
| Cowboy Commandos | Henchman Larry Fraser / Larry Fraser - Mine Foreman | 1943 |
| For Love & Country | Brig Turnkey | 1943 |
| They Came to Blow Up America | Policeman in Bund Raid | 1943 |
| My Son, the Hero | George Washington at Costume Party | 1943 |
| Sagebrush Law | Burl Mason - Henchman / Burl Mason | 1943 |
| Fugitive of the Plains | Deputy arresting Fuzzy | 1943 |
| Land of Hunted Men | Pelham (Mine Manager) (as John Morton) / Pelham (Mine Manager) | 1943 |
| Assignment in Brittany | Gestapo Agent | 1943 |
| Hitler's Children | Gestapo Officer | 1943 |
| The Mysterious Rider | Dalton Sykes | 1942 |
| The Lone Prairie | Henchman Ed Slade | 1942 |
| Along the Sundown Trail | Jake - Henchman | 1942 |
| Prairie Pals | Henchman Ed Blair / Ed Blair | 1942 |
| Sheriff of Sage Valley | Nick Gaynor / Nick | 1942 |
| Law and Order | Henchman Turtle | 1942 |
| Invisible Agent | German Soldier | 1942 |
| Flight Lieutenant | Major Thompson's Orderly | 1942 |
| They All Kissed the Bride | Punch Server at Dance | 1942 |
| Down Texas Way | Steve / Henchman Steve | 1942 |
| Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns | Morgan | 1942 |
| The Wife Takes a Flyer | German Soldier | 1942 |
| Boot Hill Bandits | Brand Bolton | 1942 |
| Reap the Wild Wind | 'Pelican' Crewman | 1942 |
| Arizona Terrors | Henchman / Toll Collector Henchmen's 'Supervisor' | 1942 |
| Don Winslow of the Navy | Destroyer 620 Helmsman [Chs. 1, 9] | 1942 |
| Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. | Brent | 1941 |
| A Missouri Outlaw | Henchman Bancroft | 1941 |
| Gauchos of El Dorado | Curly Kid | 1941 |
| South of Tahiti | Bearded Sailor | 1941 |
| Sea Raiders | First Island Guard / First Island Guard [Chs. 10-11] | 1941 |
| The Bandit Trail | Informer | 1941 |
| The Gunman from Bodie | Bill Cook | 1941 |
| Mystery Ship | Guard | 1941 |
| Under Fiesta Stars | Henchman Tommick | 1941 |
| Our Wife | Officer | 1941 |
| I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island | Guard | 1941 |
| Two Gun Sheriff | Townsman | 1941 |
| White Eagle | Henchman Ronimo / Ronimo | 1941 |
| The Green Hornet Strikes Again! | Thug at Rear of Truck | 1940 |
| Lone Star Raiders | Henchman Dixon | 1940 |
| Melody Ranch | Warns the Wildhacks / Henchman Ten-Spot | 1940 |
| The Trail Blazers | Henchman Mason | 1940 |
| North West Mounted Police | Half-breed Archer | 1940 |
| Billy the Kid in Texas | Flash | 1940 |
| Queen of the Yukon | Charlie | 1940 |
| Billy the Kid Outlawed | Lije Ellis | 1940 |
| The Return of Wild Bill | Dusty Donahue | 1940 |
| Frontier Crusader | Henchman Hippo Potts | 1940 |
| Covered Wagon Days | Henchman | 1940 |
| Hi-Yo Silver | Kester, / Kester | 1940 |
| Dark Command | Cantrell Man | 1940 |
| Drums of Fu Manchu | Loki | 1940 |
| Northwest Passage | Lt. Dunbar | 1940 |
| Zorro's Fighting Legion | Manuel [Ch. 1-9] / Commandante Manuel | 1939 |
| Flaming Lead | Chicago Club Manager | 1939 |
| The Great Commandment | Under-Officer | 1939 |
| Renegade Trail | Tex Traynor / Tex Traynor - Henchman | 1939 |
| The Man in the Iron Mask | Soldier | 1939 |
| Daredevils of the Red Circle | Davis--Gas Plant Heavy / Davis - Gas Plant Heavy [Ch. 4] | 1939 |
| Three Texas Steers | Mike Abbott | 1939 |
| Union Pacific | Laborer | 1939 |
| The Lady's from Kentucky | Gambler | 1939 |
| Rough Riders' Round-up | Border Patrolman Messenger | 1939 |
| Two Gun Troubador | Bill Barton | 1939 |
| In Old Montana | Ed Brandt | 1939 |
| Four Girls in White | John - Man at Accident | 1939 |
| Code of the Fearless | Red Kane | 1939 |
| Gang Bullets | Red Hampton | 1938 |
| The Great Waltz | Revolutionary | 1938 |
| Where the Buffalo Roam | Foster | 1938 |
| Marie Antoinette | Soldier Announcing Birth | 1938 |
| Dick Tracy Returns | Champ Stark | 1938 |
| The Shopworn Angel | Soldier Speaking in Montage | 1938 |
| Riders of the Black Hills | Irate Theatre Patron | 1938 |
| Songs and Saddles | Rocky Renaut | 1938 |
| The Fighting Devil Dogs | Thompson | 1938 |
| Gunsmoke Trail | Bill Larson, posing as Moose Walters / Bill Larson - posing as Moose Walters | 1938 |
| Phantom Ranger | Henchman Bud | 1938 |
| Knight of the Plains | Carson - aka Pedro de Cordoba / Carson / Pedro de Cordoba | 1938 |
| Two Gun Justice | Bart | 1938 |
| Female Fugitive | Henchman Mort / Mort - Henchman | 1938 |
| Land of Fighting Men | Flint | 1938 |
| The Lone Ranger | Henchman Kester / Capt. Kester | 1938 |
| The Buccaneer | Pirate Shot by Lafitte | 1938 |
| Sergeant Murphy | Cavalryman | 1938 |
| Boy of the Streets | Police Desk Sergeant | 1937 |
| Colorado Kid | Court Clerk | 1937 |
| Federal Bullets | Henchman Manny Goe | 1937 |
| Arizona Gunfighter | Farley (Durkin Henchman) / Farley | 1937 |
| The Firefly | French Officer Announcing Abdication | 1937 |
| Roaring Six Guns | Mile-a-way Roberts / 'Mileaway' Roberts | 1937 |
| Atlantic Flight | 1st Radio Newscaster | 1937 |
| The Rangers Step In | Martin | 1937 |
| Slaves in Bondage | Nick Costello | 1937 |
| Galloping Dynamite | Reed | 1937 |
| Range Defenders | Henchman Craig | 1937 |
| Drums of Destiny | Toby Simmons | 1937 |
| Blazing Sixes | Jim Hess | 1937 |
| Behind the Headlines | Armor-Car-Guard | 1937 |
| Law of the Ranger | Bill Nash | 1937 |
| The Law Commands | Frank Clark | 1937 |
| Gunsmoke Ranch | Clem Jurgins / Brawler in Suit | 1937 |
| Headline Crasher | Tony Scarlotti | 1937 |
| Valley of Terror | Mark Flemming | 1937 |
| The Bold Caballero | Sergeant #1 | 1936 |
| Fury Below | Emil | 1936 |
| Wild Horse Round-Up | Charlie Doan | 1936 |
| The Gun Ranger | Kemper Mills | 1936 |
| Daniel Boone | Messenger from Richmond | 1936 |
| A Tenderfoot Goes West | Henchman Jake | 1936 |
| The Three Mesquiteers | Bull | 1936 |
| The Vigilantes Are Coming | Rance Talbot / Rance Talbot, Burr Henchman | 1936 |
| The Crooked Trail | Harve Tarlton | 1936 |
| The Lion's Den | Single-Shot Smith | 1936 |
| Wildcat Trooper | Henry McClain | 1936 |
| Wolves of the Sea | Mitchell | 1936 |
| Aces and Eights | Card Sharp | 1936 |
| Undersea Kingdom | Moloch | 1936 |
| Lightnin' Bill Carson | 'Breed' Hawkins | 1936 |
| Call of the Prairie | Arizona | 1936 |
| Border Caballero | Runnyian | 1936 |
| Bar 20 Rides Again | Carp / Carp - Henchman | 1935 |
| The Eagle's Brood | Ed | 1935 |
| Hop-a-Long Cassidy | Party Guest with a Pint in His Hip Pocket / Party Guest | 1935 |
| The Miracle Rider | Messenger in Prologue | 1935 |
| Broadway Bill | Morgan's Henchman | 1934 |
| Cleopatra | Roman Guard | 1934 |
| The Age of Innocence | John | 1934 |
| The Red Rider | Banty | 1934 |
| Whom the Gods Destroy | Balkan Sailor with Binoculars | 1934 |
| Sons of the Desert | Son of the Desert | 1933 |
| Captured! | Prisoner of War | 1933 |
| Running Wild | Police Officer | 1927 |
| Knockout Reilly | Buck Lennard | 1927 |
| The Quarterback | Football Player | 1926 |
