John Craven

Who was John Craven?

John Craven was an American actor, and the son of noted character actor Frank Craven. He appeared in almost 50 films, numerous plays, and many TV roles, but was best remembered for originating the role of George Gibbs in the original stage version of Our Town, where his father played the role of the Stage Manager. Craven was overlooked in the movie version, however, with the part going to the then-unknown William Holden.

Though born in New York City he attended Beverly Hills High School, in the early 1930s. His stage family had a long history of alternating generations of men named John with subsequent generations of men named Frank.