John Beal (born James Alexander Bliedung, August 13, 1909 – April 26, 1997) was an American actor.

Early life Beal was born James Alexander Bliedung in Joplin, Missouri. His father had a department store and Beal went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania "mapped for a commercial career." While at Wharton, Beal (who enrolled under his real name, James Alexander Bliedung) spent time drawing cartoons for the school's humor magazine and singing in productions of the Mask and Wig club.

Stage Soon after graduating from college in 1930, Beal began acting with the Hedgerow Theatre. Beal originally went to New York to study at the Art Students League of New York. A chance to understudy in a play made him change his mind. He went on to appear in Russet Mantle and She Loves Me. Beal's Broadway credits include Three Men on a Horse (1993), The Seagull (1992), The Master Builder (1992), A Little Hotel on the Side (1992), The Crucible (1991), The Changing Room (1973), The Candyapple (1970), Our Town (1969), In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer (1969), Billy (1969), Calculated Risk (1962), The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953), Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952 (1952), The Voice of the Turtle (1943), Liberty Jones (1941), I Know What I Like (1939), Miss Swan Expects (1939), Soliloquy (1938), Russet Mantle (1936), She Loves Me Not (1933), Another Language (1933), Another Language (1932), Wild Waves (1932), and No More Frontier (1931).

Film

Beal began acting in films with Another Language (1933), in which he recreated his stage role. He appeared opposite Katharine Hepburn (in the 1934 RKO film The Little Minister), among others; one of his notable screen appearances was as Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables (1935). He continued appearing in films during the war years, while serving in Special Services and the First Motion Picture Unit as actor and director of Army Air Forces camp shows and training films.

Beal had starring roles in the film dramas Alimony (1949) and My Six Convicts (1952).

Radio and television

During the summer of 1948, Beal acted in The Amazing Mr. Tutt on CBS radio.

Beal was host of Freedom Rings, a game show on CBS-TV in 1953. In the 1950s, Beal also began appearing in various television shows, including the title role of mining engineer Philip Deidesheimer in a 1959 episode of Bonanza, "The Deidesheimer Story"."The Deidesheimer Story", Bonanza Booomers Beal starred as Dr. Lewis on the ABC serial Road to Reality in 1960–1961. He portrayed Dr. Henden on the primetime medical drama The Nurses in the early 1960s and appeared on an afternoon version of the program in the latter half of the 1960s.

He was hired to play the role of Jim Matthews in the television soap opera Another World when the show went on the air in 1964, but was fired by creator and headwriter Irna Phillips after only one episode.

He appeared in The Waltons, season 3, episode 13, "The Visitor", first aired in December, 1974. His character was a former neighbor, Mason Beardsley, an elderly man who returned to Waltons Mountain to live with his wife who he was expecting in a few days. The Walton family were excited for him and helped to fix up his home, only to learn that his wife had died a year earlier and, unable to accept this fact, he continued to look for her.

In 1976, Beal portrayed Charles Francis Adams Sr. in the PBS dramatic series The Adams Chronicles. He continued to work in films and television, notably as Judge Vail in the supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows (for 9 episodes), and also the theater up until the 1980s. Beal died at age 87 in Santa Cruz, California, two years after suffering a stroke.

Personal life Beal was married to actress Helen Craig for 52 years until her death in 1986. They had two daughters.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1933 Another Language Jerry Hallam 1934 Hat, Coat and Glove Jerry Hutchins 1934 The Little Minister Gavin 1935 Laddie Laddie Stanton 1935 Les Misérables Marius directed by Richard Boleslavsky1935 Break of Hearts Johnny Lawrence 1936 M'Liss Stephen Thorne 1937 We Who Are About to Die John E. 'Johnny' Thompson 1937 The Man Who Found Himself Dr. James Stanton Jr. 1937 Border Cafe Keith Whitney 1937 Madame X Raymond Fleuriot 1937 Double Wedding Waldo Beaver 1937 Danger Patrol Dan Loring 1937 Beg, Borrow or Steal Count Bill Cherau 1938 Port of Seven Seas Marius 1938 I Am the Law Paul Ferguson 1938 The Arkansas Traveler John 'Johnnie' Daniels 1939 The Great Commandment Joel 1939 The Cat and the Canary Fred Blythe 1941 Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime Walter Matthews 1941 Doctors Don't Tell Dr. Ralph Sawyer 1942 One Thrilling Night Horace Jason 1942 Atlantic Convoy Carl Hansen 1942 Stand By All Networks Ben Fallon 1943 Let's Have Fun Richard Gilbert 1943 Edge of Darkness Johann Stensgard 1947 Key Witness Milton Higby 1947 Messenger of Peace Pastor Armin Ritter 1948 So Dear to My Heart Jeremiah as an Adult - Narrator Voice1949 Alimony Dan Barker 1949 Song of Surrender Dubois 1949 Chicago Deadline Paul Jean d'Ur 1952 My Six Convicts Dr. Wilson aka Doc 1953 Remains to Be Seen Dr. Glenson 1954 New Faces director of sketches1954 Studio One "Twelve Angry Men" (TV episode) Juror No. 2 1957 The Vampire Dr. Paul Beecher 1957 That Night! Commuter Christopher J. Bowden 1959 The Sound and the Fury Howard Compson 1959 Bonanza Philip Diedesheimer Episode: "The Phillip Diedesheimer Story"1960 Ten Who Dared Maj. John Wesley Powell 1973 The Bride Father 1975 The Legend of Lizzie Borden Dr. Bowen TV movie1976 The Adams Chronicles Charles Francis Adams 3 episodes1983 Amityville 3-D Harold Caswell 1993 The Firm Nathan Locke

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