Allyn Morgan Joslyn (July 21, 1901 – January 21, 1981) was an American character actor of theatre, radio, film and television, specializing in comic roles.

Early life and career

Born in Milford, Pennsylvania, Joslyn was the son of Orlando West Joslyn Jr. and Gertrude Meyer. He studied drama with Professor E. C. Durfee at Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia, and later attended Columbia University. By 1921, Joslyn had joined the Greenwich Village Follies. It was his acclaimed performance as Robert Law—a character reputedly modeled on screenwriter Charles MacArthur —in the 1935 hit Broadway comedy Boy Meets Girl that first caught Hollywood producer-director Mervyn LeRoy's eye, leading to Joslyn making his 1937 screen debut, alongside that of Lana Turner, in LeRoy's They Won't Forget.

Personal life and death

One of Joslyn's great uncles was the former governor of New York, Edwin D. Morgan. From 1935 until her death in 1978, Joslyn was married to Dorothy Yockel, Philadelphia-born stage and radio actress—and fellow fishing enthusiast —with whom he had frequently co-starred during the late 1920s. Their union produced one child, a daughter. On January 21, 1981, at age 79, Joslyn died of heart failure at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Predeceased by his wife, he was survived by his daughter. His remains are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television