
John Agar
ActingAbout John Agar
John G. Agar (January 31, 1921 – April 7, 2002) was an American actor. He starred alongside John Wayne in the films Sands of Iwo Jima and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, but was later relegated to B movies, such as Tarantula, The Mole People, The Brain from Planet Arous, Flesh and the Spur, and Hand of Death. He also starred with Lucille Ball in the 1951 movie The Magic Carpet. Agar was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lillian (née Rogers) and John Agar, Sr., a meat packer (see Agar Hams). He was educated at the Harvard School for Boys in Chicago and Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois and graduated from Trinity-Pawling Preparatory School in Pawling, New York, but did not attend college. He and his family moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1942, following his father’s death. During World War II he served in the Army Air Corps, and he was a sergeant at the time he left the army in 1946. He was Shirley Temple's first husband (1945–1950), and they worked together in Fort Apache. His marriage to Temple lasted five years and they had one daughter together, Linda Susan Agar, who was later known as Susan Black, taking the surname of her stepfather Charles Alden Black. Following his divorce from Temple, Agar was married in 1951 to model Loretta Barnett Combs (1922–2000). They remained married until her death in 2000. They had two sons, Martin Agar and John G. Agar III. Agar died on April 7, 2002 at Burbank, California of complications from emphysema. He was buried beside his wife at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. Agar made six movies with John Wayne: Fort Apache, Sands of Iwo Jima, Big Jake, Chisum, The Undefeated and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. He also made two movies with Shirley Temple, Fort Apache and Adventure in Baltimore, also starring Robert Young. He is mentioned in the Frank Zappa song "The Radio is Broken" from the album The Man From Utopia (1983). Description above from the Wikipedia article John Agar, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
John Agar Movies & Career Overview
The filmography of John Agar reflects a career marked by diverse experimentation. Across 50 major appearances, the actor has built a reputation through performances in multiple genres and storytelling styles.
Dominant Genre
A large portion of John Agar's work falls within the Drama genre, where audiences tend to respond most strongly to their on-screen presence.
Success Ratio
Approximately 48% of John Agar's films maintain ratings above 6.5, indicating a consistent level of audience approval.
One of the most highly rated entries in their career remains Fall Girl, which stands out as a key performance.
Best John Agar Movies Ranked
Must-watch hits from John Agar's career based on audience ratings.
Full Filmography
Every movie John Agar has appeared in, with audience ratings and verdicts.
| Year | Movie | Character | Success | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Vampire Hunters Club | Reggie | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1997 | Frank Capra's American Dream | Self (archive footage) | Hit | Similar → |
| 1996 | A Century of Science Fiction | Self | Hit | Similar → |
| 1993 | Body Bags | Dr. Lang | Average | Similar → |
| 1991 | The Perfect Bride | Gramps | Average | Similar → |
| 1990 | Fear | Leonard Scott Levy | Average | Similar → |
| 1990 | Nightbreed | Gas Station Attendant / Victim | Average | Similar → |
| 1989 | Miracle Mile | Ivan Peters | Hit | Similar → |
| 1987 | Creepy Classics | Bob Westley - (archive footage) | Average | Similar → |
| 1982 | Divided We Fall | Yankee Officer | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1978 | Mr. No Legs | Police Capt. Hathaway | Average | Similar → |
| 1976 | King Kong | City Official | Average | Similar → |
| 1971 | Big Jake | Bert Ryan | Hit | Similar → |
| 1970 | Chisum | Amos Patton | Hit | Similar → |
| 1969 | The Undefeated | Christian | Average | Similar → |
| 1969 | Hell Raiders | Maj. Ronald Paxton | Average | Similar → |
| 1968 | The Movie Orgy | Self (archive footage) | Hit | Similar → |
| 1967 | The St. Valentine's Day Massacre | Dion O'Bannion | Average | Similar → |
| 1966 | Waco | George Gates | Hit | Similar → |
| 1966 | Johnny Reno | Ed Tomkins | Hit | Similar → |
| 1964 | Stage to Thunder Rock | Dan Carrouthers | Average | Similar → |
| 1964 | Young Fury | Dawson | Average | Similar → |
| 1964 | Law of the Lawless | Pete Stone | Hit | Similar → |
| 1963 | Of Love and Desire | Gus Cole | Average | Similar → |
| 1963 | The Young and the Brave | Intelligence Captain | Average | Similar → |
| 1961 | Fall Girl | Joe McElroy | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1960 | Raymie | Ike Burroughs | Average | Similar → |
| 1958 | Frontier Gun | Sheriff Jim Crayle | Hit | Similar → |
| 1958 | Jet Attack | Capt. Tom Arnett | Flop | Similar → |
| 1958 | Cavalry Command | Sgt. Judd Norcutt | Flop | Similar → |
| 1957 | Ride a Violent Mile | Jeff Donner | Flop | Similar → |
| 1957 | Daughter of Dr. Jekyll | George Hastings | Average | Similar → |
| 1957 | Joe Butterfly | Sgt. Dick Mason | Hit | Similar → |
| 1955 | Hold Back Tomorrow | Joe Cardos | Average | Similar → |
| 1955 | Tarantula | Dr. Matt Hastings | Hit | Similar → |
| 1955 | The Lonesome Trail | Johnny Rush | Super Hit | Similar → |
| 1955 | Revenge of the Creature | Prof. Clete Ferguson | Average | Similar → |
| 1954 | The Golden Mistress | Bill Buchanan | Hit | Similar → |
| 1954 | Shield for Murder | Det. Sgt. Mark Brewster | Hit | Similar → |
| 1954 | The Rocket Man | Tom Baxter | Hit | Similar → |
| 1954 | Bait | Ray Brighton | Flop | Similar → |
| 1953 | Man of Conflict | Ray Compton | Hit | Similar → |
| 1951 | The Magic Carpet | Ramoth | Average | Similar → |
| 1951 | Along the Great Divide | Billy Shear | Hit | Similar → |
| 1950 | Breakthrough | Lt. Joe Mallory | Hit | Similar → |
| 1950 | The Woman on Pier 13 | Don Lowry | Flop | Similar → |
| 1950 | Sands of Iwo Jima | PFC Peter T. 'Pete' Conway | Average | Similar → |
| 1949 | She Wore a Yellow Ribbon | Lt. Flint Cohill | Hit | Similar → |
| 1949 | Adventure in Baltimore | Tom Wade | Flop | Similar → |
| 1948 | Fort Apache | 2nd Lt. Michael Shannon O'Rourke | Hit | Similar → |
John Agar - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best movie of John Agar?
According to audience ratings, the best movie starring John Agar is "Fall Girl" with a rating of 10.0/10.
How many movies has John Agar acted in?
John Agar has been featured in at least 50 major films throughout their career.
What are some other popular movies by John Agar?
Other notable films include "The Vampire Hunters Club", "Divided We Fall", and "The Lonesome Trail".



