Born John Dall Thompson in New York City. After preparing for the stage at the Theodore Irvine School of the Theater and the Pasadena Playhouse, he made his Broadway debut in walk-on parts in 1941. He played his first lead in the 1944 production of Dear Ruth. In 1946 he played his first and best screen role, opposite Bette Davis in THE CORN IS GREEN (1945), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Other screen credits include SOMETHING IN THE WIND (1947), ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST and ROPE (both 1948), DEADLY IS THE FEMALE and THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (both 1950), and several appearances on television from 1949 through 1965.  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1945: THE CORN IS GREEN 1 nomination