JOHN HARRON: Fame and Misfortune

Silent star John Harron’s leading man career began following the tragic death of brother superstar Robert. A romantic ingenue, he appeared with Elizabeth Patterson in The Boyifriend (1926)

With a theme similar to Dracula, Bela Lugosi plans to transform John Harron’s fiancée into a WHITE ZOMBIE (1932), a pre-Code horror opus.

Classic Images,
Issue Number 453,
Summer 2013

“[I] worked around with [my brother] Bob a little. Just bits. Never any real parts—too young. [I] had to go to school. I’m eighteen now. This part with Mary [Pickford] is my first one.

When older brother Bobby Harron, a huge star of the silent screen, suddenly died by his own hand in September of 1920, shocked audiences clamored for more Harron movie magic. As a result, lookalike kid brotherJOHN HARRON (1903-1939), whose only contribution to film was extra parts in his brother’s films, was chanced by Bobby’s close friend, Mary Pickford, to co-star in her next picture and fill the Bobby Harron void. Extremely likeable and camera-friendly, slim Johnny grew in stature with minor posh “jazz age” leads, but forever remained in his brother’s shadow. He lost ground with the advent of sound and was relegated to the world of extras. Died of meningitis at age 36.

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