Jeffrey Lynn (born Ragnar Godfrey Lind; February 16, 1909 – November 24, 1995) was an American stage-screen actor and film producer who worked primarily through the Golden Age of Hollywood establishing himself as one of the premier talents of his time.https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/2495/images/40904_263735__0056-00168?rc=&queryId=1aa9261d-3aa5-4ee7-9e99-160d55cf50c4&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Oel1&_phstart=successSource&pId=71163637 Throughout his acting career, both on stage and in film, he was typecast as "the attractive, reliable love interest of the heroine," or "the tall, stalwart hero."
Born and raised in Massachusetts, he attended Bates College, before working as a teacher. He was tapped to act in his first film in 1938, which convinced him to move to Hollywood, California. His second film–Four Daughters (1938)–propelled him into national fame sparking two sequels: Four Wives (1939) and Four Mothers (1941), with Lynn reprising his role in each of them, along with Daughters Courageous (1939), which included the same cast but had a different storyline. He was at the center of the Gone with the Wind (1939) casting controversy: he was the top contender to play Ashley Wilkes but the director eventually chose Leslie Howard. Lynn was asked to join James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart in The Roaring Twenties (1939), a gangster noir that garnered him critical praise. His success continued with such films as The Fighting 69th (1940) in which he portrayed poet-soldier Joyce Kilmer opposite Cagney, It All Came True (1940), All This, and Heaven Too (1940) and Million Dollar Baby (1941).
His movie career was put on hold for World War II draft, where he received a Bronze Star for his service in Italy and Austria as a combat intelligence captain. He returned to the screen in 1948 and was in the popular A Letter to Three Wives (1949), which went on to be nominated for best picture in the 1950 prime time Academy Awards. A year later he joined that cast of Home Town Story (1951) billed alongside Marilyn Monroe. His later film career credits include: BUtterfield 8 (1960) along with Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey, and Tony Rome (1967) with Frank Sinatra.
Lynn also began to act on Broadway and was featured in such plays as Any Wednesday (1966) and Dinner at Eight (1967). Later on in his career he found mixed critical success television starring in hit shows such as Robert Montgomery Presents, Your Show of Shows, My Son Jeep (with young Martin Huston), and Lux Video Theatre.
He died in November 1995 in Burbank, California from natural causes and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. Actor Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is named in honor of Jeffrey Lynn.
Early life and education Ragnar Godfrey Lind was born in Auburn, Massachusetts.
He attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and graduated in 1930 with a B.A. degree in education. While in college, he was a part of the secret society, Nova Scotia, and participated in the 1930 Penn Relays where he was part of the winning two-mile track & field relay team. His interest in acting developed in college.
At one time he intended to go into law school but decided to enter the workplace instead. He worked for the New England Telephone Co. and later taught English, speech and drama in high school, then decided to try acting as a career."Locally born star Jeffrey Lynn dies // Actor went from Auburn to Hollywood": [ALL Edition]" James A.W. Shaw; Telegram & Gazette Staff. Telegram & Gazette; Worcester, Mass. 01 Dec 1995: A1."Jeffrey Lynn; Film, Television, Stage Actor": [Home Edition] Oliver, Myrna. Los Angeles Times 30 Nov 1995: 20.
Theatre Lynn started acting professionally at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia. He got small parts on Broadway and in road companies, supplementing his earnings with part-time jobs. including department store clerk, and movie usher.
Lynn was appearing in a production of Brother Rat in Chicago. He was spotted by a Warners talent scout and given a screen test. In January 1938 they signed him to a long-term contract."JIMMY DURANTE CHOSEN TO APPEAR AS SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S TEAMMATE: Josephine Hutchinson Wins Universal Lead" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 8 Jan 1938: A7.
Film career
Early career and rise to fame: 1938–1941
Lynn made his film debut in short Out Where the Stars Begin (1938). He had a supporting role in When Were You Born (1938) with Anna May Wong and a bit part in Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938) with Dick Powell.
In April 1938 Lynn was cast in a role originally turned down by Errol Flynn: one of the romantic male love interests in Four Daughters (1938) (first called Sister Act). Lynn appeared alongside the Lane Sisters, Claude Rains and John Garfield.
Lynn was promptly reteamed with Priscilla Lane in Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939) and then Daughters Courageous (1939), a film with the same director and stars as Four Daughters but a different storyline.
After the success of Four Daughters, Lynn was screen tested for the role of Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind (1939). He was considered to be the front runner for the role, partly due to his physical resemblance to the character as written. Lynn was used extensively during the "Search for Scarlett" playing Ashley in the screen tests for many of the actresses who tried out for the part. David O. Selznick eventually cast the more experienced and popular Leslie Howard. It was during this time that he received typecasting as "the handsome romantic husband or boyfriend," "the attractive, reliable love interest of the heroine," and "the tall, stalwart hero."
Warners gave him the third lead in Espionage Agent (1939) alongside Joel McCrea and Brenda Marshall, and a lead role in The Roaring Twenties (1939), a gangster film that reunited him with Four Daughters star Priscilla Lane, as well as James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. As one of a trio of friends, and the only one not to "go bad", Lynn won excellent reviews.
Lynn reprised his Four Daughters role in Four Wives (1939). He was the male lead in A Child Is Born (1939) co-starring with Geraldine Fitzgerald, and he was reunited with Cagney in The Fighting 69th (1940), though billed beneath Pat O'Brien and George Brent. He played poet-soldier Joyce Kilmer."Jeffrey Lynn, 89, Actor in Leading-Man Roles" New York Times 2 Dec 1995: A.28."SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Warners Will Make Sequel to 'Four Daughters,' With 'Four Sons' Added to Cast DANTON' TO BE REVIVED First Pre-Nazi German Film to Be Banned by Hitler Will Open at the Cameo Today Danielle Darrieux to Return Coast Scripts Of Local Origin" New York Times 25 Oct 1938: 19.
Lynn was Ann Sheridan's love interest in It All Came True (1940), battling Humphrey Bogart, and was third billed in All This, and Heaven Too (1940) with Bette Davis and Charles Boyer. Lynn was Olivia de Havilland's leading man in My Love Came Back (1940), replacing George Brent."Metro Bids Jane Cowl for Role in 'Escape': Lynn 'Episode' Costar Sitting Bull Film Hero Helen Westley Assigned Grapewin in 'Rangers' Nancy Didrikson Tests" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 16 Apr 1940: A10.
He was top billed in Money and the Woman (1940), a crime drama with Brenda Marshall. Lynn did a second sequel to Four Daughters, Four Mothers (1941), and was reunited with Fitzgerald in Flight from Destiny (1941).
Lynn was offered a role in Singapore (also Jinx Woman) but turned it down and was put on suspension. It was lifted in December 1940 when he agreed to make Miss Pinkerton with Fitzgerald.'Pinkerton' Role May Void Lynn Suspension Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 31 Dec 1940: 11.
He starred in Million Dollar Baby (1941) with Priscilla Lane and Ronald Reagan, was top billed in the war film Underground (1941), and was Constance Bennett's leading man in Law of the Tropics (1941). He was tested for the lead in Kings Row but the studio cast Robert Cummings."Hemingway May Play Role in Own Story: Paramount Casts Stars Lynn to Do 'King's Row' De Mille Turning Actor Margaret Lindsay Signs Wooley Cast in 'Dinner'" Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 01 July 1941: 17
Lynn's final film before entering the Air Corps was the comedy The Body Disappears (1941), with Jane Wyman; Lynn was top billed. In 1941, Lynn was voted 7th in the "Top Ten Stars of Tomorrow" two spots behind then-actor and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
Service in WWII & critical acclaim: 1941–1948 His movie career was interrupted by service during World War II, with Lynn joining the United States Army Air Forces in February 1942."Jeffrey Lynn in Army Today: Screen Actor to Become Private Given Farewell by Group at Studio" Los Angeles Times 28 Feb 1942: A1. He served with a bomber unit and in May 1945 was promoted to captain."Movie Actor Promoted" The Christian Science Monitor 1 May 1945: 3. Lynn earned a bronze star as a combat intelligence captain in Italy and Austria, and was discharged in 1946 as Special Intelligence Officer.
While in service, Lynn often worked as a bartender in his unit's Officer's Club.
He legally changed his name to his stage name while in service, as he noted "that he wanted to serve his country during World War II under the name that had become popular.""Convict Loses in Battle for Stark Estate Here: Man Serving 99 Years in Kansas Prison Civilly Dead, Superior Judge Haas Rules" Los Angeles Times 17 Apr 1942: 12.
Lynn returned to Hollywood in November 1946."Jeffrey Lynn Returns With Eastern Bride" Los Angeles Times 14 Nov 1946: A1. In April 1947, Lynn was about to begin work on his first post-war picture when he was in a car accident with his first wife at the Donner Pass while coming back from a ski trip. That same year, he signed with Columbia to make Let's Fall in Love, but the picture was made as Slightly French without him."LOUIS CALHERN SET FOR ROLE IN FILM: Actor Agrees to Assignment in 'Look Homeward, Angel' -- Sherman Signs Peerce" By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times 26 Aug 1947: 27.
Return to filmmaking: 1948–1970 He returned to the screen in 1948 with Black Bart (1948) at Universal, supporting Yvonne De Carlo and Dan Duryea, stepping into a role intended for Edmond O'Brien."NEWS OF THE SCREEN" By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times 05 June 1947: 31. At the same studio he was one of Deanna Durbin's leading men in For the Love of Mary (1948) then returned to Warners for Whiplash (1948), where he was billed beneath Dane Clark, Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott.
Lynn had a decent part in A Letter to Three Wives (1949) at 20th Century Fox, playing the husband of Jeanne Crain. At RKO he was Martha Scott's leading man in Strange Bargain (1949), a role originally meant for Pat O'Brien.LYNN, "SCOTT STARS OF NEW RKO DRAMA: Sign for Top Roles in Studio's 'Sam Wynne,' Based on Novel About a Bookkeeper" By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times 11 Nov 1948: 36.
Lynn then supported John Payne and Gail Russell in Captain China (1950) for Pine-Thomas Productions.CIRCLE ACTORS SCORE IN SERIES OF PLAYLETS KATHERINE VON BLON. Los Angeles Times 11 May 1949: A7. In 1950 he was announced for the lead in Forty Notches"Role for Jeffrey Lynn: Bad Man to Preacher: Looking at Hollywood" Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 02 Dec 1950: a2. but it appears to have not been made.
Television Lynn made his television debut in an episode of Suspense (1949) and an adaptation of Miracle in the Rain for Studio One in Hollywood (1950) under the direction of Franklin J. Schaffner. He went on to appear in episodes of Lights Out, Faith Baldwin Romance Theatre, Cameo Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, The Clock, and Family Theatre.
Lynn had a support role in Up Front (1951) and the lead in Home Town Story (1951).