John Newland

John Newland
Newland in 1959
Born(1917-11-23)November 23, 1917
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJanuary 10, 2000(2000-01-10) (aged 82)
Occupations
  • Director
  • actor
  • television producer
  • screenwriter
Spouses
Helena De Castro-Palomino Suárez
(m. 1964)
Areta Farrell
(m. 1967)
Children2 (second marriage)

John Newland (November 23, 1917 – January 10, 2000) was an American film director, actor, television producer, and screenwriter.

Early life and career

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Newland was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Newland, a couple who managed small hotels in the Greater Cincinnati area. He was educated at Mt. Auburn Elementary School and Walnut Hills High School.[1]

Newland began his career while still in his teens as an apprentice with the Stuart Walker Stock Company. He also performed in vaudeville with the Vikings song-and-dance act.[2]

He moved to New York City to study acting, and there he performed in theaters with Milton Berle. He went on to tour in vaudeville houses around the United States.[2]

Newland served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.[2] After the war, he signed with Warner Bros. but was limited to playing bit parts. His film debut came in Adventures of Dusty Bates (1946).[2] By the early 1950s, Newland began to focus solely on television roles, appearing in several episodes of Studio One, The Philco Television Playhouse, Tales of Tomorrow, Kraft Television Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents and Schlitz Playhouse of Stars.

After directing episodes of Letter to Loretta in 1953, Newland went on to direct two episodes of Bachelor Father, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Thriller (US TV series).

His feature film directorial debut That Night! (1957) was nominated for two British Academy Film Awards.[3]

In 1959, Newland became the host and director of the paranormal television series One Step Beyond. The series ended its run in 1961 and Newland later hosted its short-lived counterpart The Next Step Beyond in 1978.[4]

Following the demise of his One Step Beyond, Newland directed one of the early 1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episodes called "The Double Affair." His episode was given additional footage and released to cinemas as a motion picture titled The Spy with My Face. In 1966 he produced and directed all episodes but one of the serious spy series The Man Who Never Was for which he also served as a writer. Some episodes were strung together and released outside the United States as a film called Danger Has Two Faces. He later directed episodes of The Sixth Sense and Police Woman. In addition to acting, directing, and screenwriting, he produced several television movies and directed the 1967 Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy."

Death

On January 10, 2000, Newland died of a stroke in Los Angeles, age 82.[5]

Select filmography

Director

Actor

Producer

Award nominations

Year Award Result Category
1953 Emmy Award Nominated Best Actor

References

  1. ^ Devane, James (July 15, 1952). "Mother keeps an eye on Newland". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 9. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d "John Newland, 82, TV Actor Known for 'Alcoa Presents'". The New York Times. January 23, 2000. p. 33.
  3. ^ "1958". BAFTA website. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  4. ^ Oliver, Myrna (January 17, 2000). "John Newland; Actor-Director Known for His Work on TV's 'Alcoa Presents'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 5, 2008.
  5. ^ Galloway, Doug (January 17, 2000). "John Newland". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  • Hawkins, Lisa (FATE Magazine, January/February 2019 - Issue No.733). "Your Guide into the World of the Unknown - ONE STEP BEYOND's Creator, John Newland - An Appreciation on His Centenary" (pp. 102–105), fatemag.com.