John Holland

John Holland
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Portrays:	Maitre d'
Date of Birth:	May 16, 1908
Date of Death:	May 21, 1993
Age at Death:	85
Nationality:	USA
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		@ BW Media
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IMDb profile

John Holland (May 16, 1908—May 21, 1993) was an American actor and singer who appeared in film, television, and theater productions over a career spanning more than five decades. He portrayed Rising Star's unnamed Maitre d' over numerous episodes of the Original Series.

Early Life

Born Harold Boggess in Fremont, Nebraska, Holland was the son of Newton Boggess, an organist, and had a grandmother, Mrs. Ada Holland, who resided in Lincoln, Nebraska. He adopted his grandfather's name, John Holland, as his stage name. His parents resided in Alton, Illinois.

He studied at Wichita State University before attending the Juilliard Graduate School as a voice major. Following his Juilliard studies, Holland studied Shakespeare in England, then returned to the United States where he performed in opera and light opera productions.

Holland received positive reviews for his performance in a concert titled "The California Night of Music" in Los Angeles in September 1937. He often gave free concerts during visits to his parents in Alton, accompanied by his father. In January 1941, Holland performed for the White Hall Lions Club meeting and presented a full evening concert at a Presbyterian church.

Career

Film

Holland arrived in Hollywood in the late 1930s, signing with MGM. In December 1939, Holland returned to Alton for the Christmas holidays, arriving from Hollywood after pausing to visit relatives in Lincoln and his grandmother in Elwood, Nebraska. At that time, he had recently completed work on a role in the MGM musical Balalaika, starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey. Upon his return to California, he planned to perform with a light opera company in Hollywood. His film career began with roles in productions such as Ladies' Man (1931), Defenders of the Law (1931), and Join the Marines (1937).

Additional film credits included Circus Girl (1937), Dangerous Lady (1941), Pals of the Pecos (1941), Take a Letter, Darling (1942), The Voice of the Turtle (1948), Blonde Ice (1948), and State Department - File 649 (1948). His most notable later film roles were in My Fair Lady (1964), in which he portrayed the Butler, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967), and Chinatown (1974).

Holland served in the Armed Forces during World War II.

Television

Upon returning to Hollywood after the war, Holland became active in early television, performing in the series Armchair Detective, which in 1948 was the first show kinescoped to New York from Hollywood.

Television work occupied Holland for several decades. He appeared in multiple episodes of numerous series, including six Maverick episodes, several Perry Mason episodes, two episodes of Wagon Train, and six segments of Adam's Rib. Other television appearances included The Honeymooners, Name of the Game, The Bob Newhart Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, F Troop, The Twilight Zone (with Jonathan Harris), The Streets of San Francisco (with Nehemiah Persoff), and the Original Series.

His final television appearance was as Captain St. John in the miniseries Crossings (1986).

Theater

As a stage performer, Holland served as understudy for the roles of Captain Hook and Mr. Darling in the original Broadway production of Peter Pan starring Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard, which opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on October 20, 1954 and ran for 152 performances. He later toured in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Personal life

Holland was married to Nancy Linda Ramage and Mary John Saxon. He died on May 21, 1993, at the Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, five days after his 85th birthday, from respiratory failure and pneumonia. He had no survivors at the time of his death. A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. on June 9, 1993, at Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Hollywood.

External links

• John Holland at the Internet Movie Database