In Remembrance: John Alderson

     John Alderson, a character actor with a string of supporting film roles, passed away on August 4, 2006 at the Motion Picture and Television in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 90.

     Born on April 10, 1916 in Horden, England, Alderson served in the British Army during World War II. He immigrated to Hollywood in 1949.

     Alderson made his first screen appearance in 1951 in the bit part of a British soldier in the swashbuckling adventure The Highwayman. Other small bit parts and minor supporting roles followed in such films as Against All Flags (1952), The Desert Rats (1953), Bob Hope’s comedy Casanova’s Big Night (1954) and Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief (1955).

     Learning to ride a horse, Alderson found himself appearing in several western television series over his career including Zane Grey Theater, Boots And Saddles, Frontier Justice, Colt .45, Laramie, Wagon Train, Maverick, Have Gun - Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Death Valley Days and The Wild, Wild West.

     In addition to his television work, Alderson had roles in such films as Double Trouble (1967) with Elvis Presley, Hellfighters (1968) with John Wayne, The Molly Maguires (1970) with Sean Connery, Mel Brooks’ western spoof Blazing Saddles (1973), the comedy Candleshoe (1977) and Ragtime with James Cagney (1981). His final film appearance was in 1990’s Young Guns II.