Grandon Rhodes Explained

Grandon Rhodes
Birth Name:Grandon Neviers Augustine Rolker
Birth Date:7 August 1904
Birth Place:Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Death Place:Encino, California, U.S.
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1942–1965
Spouse:Ruth Lee

Grandon Rhodes (born Grandon Neviers Augustine Rolker;[1] August 7, 1904[2] – June 9, 1987) was an American actor.

Early years

Rhodes was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.[3]

Career

Early in his career, Rhodes acted in repertory theatre with troupes in Montreal, Oklahoma City, Omaha, and Hartford, among other places.[4] His film debut came in Follow the Boys (1944).[5]

In addition to numerous film appearances,[6] he was also a regular in two long-running television shows, playing the doctor in Bonanza and the judge in Perry Mason.[7] He also appeared in a recurring role as Beverly Hills banker Chester Vanderlip throughout most of the run of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.[8]  Rhodes acted in repertory theatre in Hartford, Montreal, Oklahoma City, and Omaha. In January 1932, He became the leading man of the Auditorium Permanent Players in Rochester, New York.[9] Rhodes's Broadway credits included A Boy Who Lived Twice (1945), The Deep Mrs. Sykes (1945), Flight to the West (1940), Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1938), Ceiling Zero (1935), Lost Horizons (1934), and Antony and Cleopatra (1924).[10]

Personal life and death

Rhodes was married to actress Ruth Lee. He died at age 82 in Encino, California.

Selected filmography

Notes and References

  1. "New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:H7CD-QXPZ : 14 February 2020), Grandon Neviers Augustine Rolker, 1904.
  2. "California Death Index, 1940-1997,", FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP8N-ZNV : 26 November 2014), Grandon Rolker Rhodes, 09 Jun 1987; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  3. "California, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945",, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGF9-9TRL : Sun Mar 10 14:24:30 UTC 2024), Entry for Grandon Rolker Rhodes and John Pilson, 14 February 1942.
  4. News: Grandon Rhodes Succeeds Walter Bonn as Auditorium Leading Man . Democrat and Chronicle . January 21, 1932 . New York, Rochester . 11. Newspapers.com. June 6, 2018.
  5. News: Grandon Rhodes . Daily Record . Associated Press . June 23, 1987 . New Jersey, Morristown . 7. Newspapers.com. June 6, 2018.
  6. News: June 23, 1987. Grandon Rhodes; Character Actor. 7. The Daily Register. Associated Press. Ohio, Dover.
  7. News: 1987-06-20. Veteran Actor Grandon Rhodes Dies. Los Angeles Times. 4 May 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140505043557/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-06-20/news/mn-8480_1_veteran-character-actor . May 5, 2014.
  8. Clements, Cynthia; Weber, Sandra (1996). George Burns and Gracie Allen: A Bio-Bibliography. Bloomsbury, NJ: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 198. .
  9. News: Grandon Rhodes Succeeds Walter Bonn as Auditorium Leading Man . September 13, 2020 . Democrat and Chronicle . January 21, 1932 . New York, Rochester . 11. Newspapers.com.
  10. Web site: Grandon Rhodes . Internet Broadway Database . The Broadway League . September 13, 2020 . https://archive.today/20200913194453/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/grandon-rhodes-57619 . September 13, 2020 . live .