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John Boles Born: October 28, 1895 Died: February 27, 1969 (at the age of 73)

John Love Boles was born on October 28, 1895 in Greenville, Texas. His parents were John Monroe Boles and Marry Jane Love Boles. They were a middle class family, his father was a banker. Boles had one brother, Jacob Woodley Boles born in 1898.

Boles got is B.A. in medicine and graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1917. Boles returned to Greenvile after graduating where a producer persuided him to act in an opera at the King Opera House. Boles decided he preferred stage and music over the Medical Degree that his parents wished him to pursue. Boles was married the same year, on June 21, 1917 to Marcelite Dobbs (his college sweetheart). John and Macelite would have 2 daughters Frances Marcelita and Janet.

During World War I, Boles would go to France to work as an interpreter. He would become a US Spy in Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey. He remained in France after the armistice to train as a singer.

In the 1920's, Boles would move to Hollywood to study music and act in stage musicals and operettas. Boles replaced the leading man in the Broadway Musical 'Little Jesse James" (1923). He would soon attract the Hollywood producers and start a career in films. Boles was hired by MGM to appear in silent films in 1924, but after a few films he returned to New York to work on Stage again.

Gloria Swanson cast Boles opposite of her in "The Love of Sunya" (1927). He would become popular for Musicals and Romantic Melodramas. Unfortunatly, since movies were still silent he was unable to show off his singing ability until the later 1920's.

Warner Brothers hired Boles to star in their lavish musical operetta "The Desert Song" (1929) and he also starred in for RKO in "Rio Rita" (1929). Audiences loved his voice and he soon found himself in huge demand. He was even hired to make phonograph records of the songs he sung in films by RCA Victor. He went back to Warner Brothers to do more musicals and then in 1930 he became a contract player for Universal. At Universal John Boles, would portray Victor Moritz in the Classic "Frankenstein" (1931). Boles did some roles for Universal and RKO through the early 1940's.

Boles returned to theater in 1943 to co-starred with Mary Martin and Kenny Baker in "One Touch of Venus".

In 1952, after nearly 10 years away from Hollywood, Boles made his last film "Babes in Bagdad" (1952), after which he retired from acting on screen and stage.

        

Boles would move back to Texas in the 1950's and start his second career in the oil business.

Boles died in San Angelo, Texas on February 27, 1969, at the age of 73 of a Heart Attack. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. Boles final resting place is at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.

Boles has a Star on the Walk of Fame on the South side of the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard.