John Halliday

Who was John Halliday?

John Halliday was an American actor of stage and screen, who often played suave aristocrats and foreigners.

In 1905 Halliday, a civil engineer at the time, migrated to Nevada and dug up a fortune in gold nuggets and managed to lose the lot. Despite his origins in Brooklyn, he often took on a British accent in his portrayals. Making his Broadway debut in 1912 in Cecil Raleigh and Henry Hamilton's The Whip, he became a familiar presence there, especially in sophisticated comedies such as W. Somerset Maugham's The Circle, Vincent Lawrence's Sour Grapes, Louis Verneuil's Jealousy and S. N. Behrman's Rain from Heaven.

He was also well known for his film roles. He was one of the leading actors in the drama film Millie. His best-known movie appearance was as "Seth Lord", father of Tracy Lord in the film adaptation of Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story. The following year he played his final role in Lydia.

He died from a heart ailment on October 17, 1947 in Hawaii.