John Agar - Actor Profile

John Agar

Acting
Updated: May 09, 2026
50Total Films
10.0 Highest Rated
Born: Jan 31, 1921
Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois, USA

About 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.

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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.

YearMovieCharacterSuccessMore
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".

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