One of the top Broadway baritones of the post WWII period, John Raitt maintained an incredibly resilient career that spanned over 60 years, showing remarkable power, range and stamina for a man who defied the odds by concertizing well into his 80s. He was born in Santa Ana, California in 1917, the son of Archie John Raitt and Stella Eulalie Walton...
She used to be known as John Raitt's daughter; now I'm known as Bonnie Raitt's father.
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Fact
1
Grandfather of special effects modeler-animator Bay Raitt, co-creator of the character Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies.
2
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
3
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 440-442. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.
4
In 1935, competing for Fullerton High School in the California State Track and Field High-School Championships at Ratcliffe Stadium in Fresno, John Raitt won the shot-put with a throw of 55 feet 5 and 1/4 inches, and set a new state record in winning the football throw with a throw of 220 feet.
Was originally told he was too tall to play Curly in "Oklahoma!" Hammerstein was so impressed with his voice that he decided Curly could be a tall man.
7
Sang duets with his daughter, Bonnie. ("Blowing Away" and "Hey, There")
8
His professional debut was in 1940 in the chorus of "HMS Pinafore" with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera.
9
To celebrate the twentieth anniversary revival at Lincoln Center of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" (in which he recreated his original stage role of Billy Bigelow), Raitt made an appearance on the "Today" show in 1965 in which he sang the entire score of the show (even the songs written for female singers only!).
General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein
1954
TV Movie
Billy Bigelow (segment 'Carousel')
NBC Television Opera Theatre
1954
TV Series
Petruchio
The Motorola Television Hour
1953
TV Series
Prince
The Web
1953
TV Series
The Buick Circus Hour
1952
TV Series
Bill Sothern
Out There
1951
TV Series
Musical Comedy Time
1951
TV Series
Carlos
Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
1950
TV Series
Brom Broeck
Minstrel Man
1944
Singer
Sunday Punch
1942
Trotter (uncredited)
Ship Ahoy
1942
Sailor (uncredited)
Joe Smith, American
1942
Aircraft Plant Worker (uncredited)
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
1941
Soldier (uncredited)
Billy the Kid
1941
Baritone in 'Lazy Acres' Number (uncredited)
Respect the Law
1941
Short
Pete, First Plague Victim (uncredited)
Flight Command
1940
Hell Cat (uncredited)
Little Nellie Kelly
1940
Intern (uncredited)
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Great Performances
2003
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The 56th Annual Tony Awards
2002
TV Special performer: "Soliloquy"
3rd Rock from the Sun
1996
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Only Fools and Horses....
1986
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Yves Montand on Broadway
1961
TV Movie performer: "Falling in Love with Love", "Lover", "Let's Be Buddies", "Friendship", "Little Girl Blue", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "I Wish I Was Single Again", "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger", "Skip to My Lou", "Buffalo Gals", "Viva la Compagnie" - uncredited
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
1961
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The 31st Annual Academy Awards
1959
TV Special performer: "A Certain Smile"
The Lux Show
1958
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Shower of Stars
1958
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Pajama Game
1957
performer: "Hey There", "Once-A-Year-Day!", "Small Talk", "There Once Was a Man", "Hernando's Hideaway", "A New Town is a Blue Town"
Producers' Showcase
1955
TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1955
TV Series performer - 1 episode
General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein
1954
TV Movie performer: "The Bench Scene", "Soliloquy"
Billy the Kid
1941
performer: "Lazy Acres"
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Great Broadway Musical Moments from the Ed Sullivan Show
2015
TV Movie documentary
Curly
Broadway: The American Musical
2004
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself / Curly McLain (in 'Oklahoma!) / Billy Bigelow (in 'Carousel')
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
2003
Documentary
Himself
The 56th Annual Tony Awards
2002
TV Special
Himself - Performer
Hollywood Greats
2002
TV Series documentary
Himself
Biography
1998
TV Series documentary
Himself
The 38th Annual Grammy Awards
1996
TV Special
Himself
The Annual Artists Rights Foundation Honors Martin Scorsese
1996
TV Movie
Himself
Late Show with David Letterman
1995
TV Series
Himself
Great Love Songs
1995
TV Movie
Himself
ABC Afterschool Specials
1995
TV Series
Himself
Evening at Pops
1992
TV Series documentary
Himself
We the People 200: The Constitutional Gala
1987
TV Movie
Himself - Performer
The 4th Annual American Cinema Awards
1987
TV Special
Himself
Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music
1985
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Broadway Plays Washington on Kennedy Center Tonight
1982
TV Movie
Himself
The Grammy Hall of Fame
1981
TV Movie
Himself
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
1978
TV Movie
Himself
Dinah!
1976
TV Series
Himself
The Mike Douglas Show
1967-1975
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Musician
Salute to Oscar Hammerstein II
1972
TV Special
Himself
The Virginia Graham Show
1971
TV Series
Himself
The 25th Annual Tony Awards
1971
TV Special
Himself - Performer
The David Frost Show
1971
TV Series
Himself
Della
1969
TV Series
Himself
Allen Ludden's Gallery
1969
TV Series
Himself
The Joey Bishop Show
1968
TV Series
Himself
Today
1966
TV Series
Himself
The Bell Telephone Hour
1959-1966
TV Series
Himself - Singer / Himself / Himself - Host
Here's Edie
1964
TV Series
Himself
The Steve Allen Playhouse
1962-1964
TV Series
Himself
Yves Montand on Broadway
1961
TV Movie
Himself
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
1961
TV Series
Himself - Singer
What About Linda?
1961
TV Special
Himself
Here's Hollywood
1960
TV Series
Himself
Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium
1960
TV Series
Himself - Broadway Singer -Top Of The Bill
The Chevy Show
1959
TV Series
Himself / Co-Host
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1957-1959
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Host / Himself - Guest Host
The Garry Moore Show
1959
TV Series
Himself
The 31st Annual Academy Awards
1959
TV Special
Himself - Performer
The Juke Box Jury
1958-1959
TV Series
Himself
The Lux Show
1958
TV Series
Himself
The Patrice Munsel Show
1958
TV Series
Himself
The Linkletter Show
1958
TV Series
Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show
1952-1957
TV Series
Himself
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1955
TV Series
Himself - Singer / Himself - Actor / Singer
Producers' Showcase
1955
TV Series
Himself
Texaco Star Theatre
1954
TV Series
Himself
Frontiers of Faith
1954
TV Series
Himself
This Is Show Business
1951-1953
TV Series
Himself
The Jane Froman Show
1952
TV Series
Himself
The Arthur Murray Party
1952
TV Series
Himself
The Ed Wynn Show
1949
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age
2017
Documentary post-production
Himself
Out of My Dreams: Oscar Hammerstein II
2012
TV Movie documentary
Billy Bigelow
American Masters
2009
TV Series documentary
Himself
12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
2006
TV Special
Himself - In Memoriam
Great Performances
2003
TV Series
Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies
1996
TV Movie documentary
Billy Bigelow (clip from 'General Foods Anniversary Show')
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1992
Star on the Walk of Fame
Walk of Fame
Live Performance
Awarded on January 29, 1992 at 6126 Hollywood Blvd.
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1958
Golden Laurel
Laurel Awards
Top New Male Personality
8th place.
3rd Place Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1958
Golden Laurel
Laurel Awards
Top Male Musical Performance
The Pajama Game (1957)
Known for movies
The Pajama Game (1957) as Sid Sorokin
Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music (1985) as Himself
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003) as Himself
$17 Million
