John Ericson

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Born John Meibes on Sept. 25, 1926 in Dusseldorf, Germany

German-born actor John Ericson began his career at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in the same class as Grace Kelly, Jack Palance and Don Rickles. In 1951, he launched his film career in Fred Zinnemann’s film “Teresa.”

He went on to star in many films for MGM, including “Rhapsody,” “The Student Prince” and “Green Fire,” all three released in 1954. He also acted in such films as “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and “Pretty Boy Floyd,” but the vast majority of his career was in television.

Ericson appeared in nearly 70 television programs over 60 years, starting with the “Lux Video Theatre” in 1950 and most recently in an episode of “Crash” in 2008. Ericson popped up in such classics as “Wagon Train,” “The Fugitive,” “Bonanza,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Police Woman,” “CHiPs” and “General Hospital.” He costarred in the short-lived detective series “Honey West” with Anne Francis.

Ericson has been married twice and has two children.

— Andrew Hanson for the Los Angeles Times July 6, 2010

14 thoughts about John Ericson

“

(Dear LA Times!
I sent in a comment last night (European time) and have only now noticed a couple of prominent spelling mistakes. Here is a new version; would you please scrap the previous one?:)

I remembered the movie Rhapsody - mostly for the music - from my early youth and recently saw it again on dvd. The music is really of fine quality and good acting makes up for the fairly unsurprising plot and Taylor's overdone dressiness. What I respect more than anything is actually the way the film-makers, both before and behind the camera, must have taken pains to make the music-playing credible. I know nothing about violin-fingering, but Gasman at least looks as though he is playing. Ericson is a delight to watch, he MUST be a capable pianist. Even if perhaps he cannot really play Rachmaninoff 2, he neverthless moves his arms and fingers right! And especially in the scenes where Guest starts practicing to make his come-back, Ericson is clearly playing - if the actual sound is dubbed, it is a synchronisation marvel. Watching Ericson is SO different from the irritation of watching all those movies where someone is supposed to be playing the piano but where the "player" makes no attempt to move the way a piano player moves. You never see their face and their arms and fingers together, of course. Actually, the only place I wondered about in Rhapsody, was a way into the "come-back practice" when you just see Guest's hands playing some Chopin, I think it was, but not his face. Did they film someone else playing just there and why? I would have thought Ericson could play Chopin well enough.

Hello there, Nicole! If you really are John Ericson's daughter, then it would be fun if you could let us know about his relationship to the piano! Don't tell us he cannot play a single note 'cause I don't believe it for a minute.

About the film though, I must also mention that I thought the character of the orchestra's conductor, Bruno Fürst, must have been played by a real conductor - just look at the way he conducts, sort of effortlessly. And sure enough, looking up Richard Hageman, I see that they didn't have to train a musician to act the part, because he really was an actor, BUT: he was also a conductor (he has conducted the Metropolitan Opera etc etc etc), a concert pianist at the age of 6, and a composer! - What a phenomenal cast for a musical pleasure of a film at a time when good music wasn't all that easily available just by pushing a button.

” — Marianne Skanland, February 1, 2013 at 1:09 a.m.

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When I first happened upon "Rhapsody," I thought, "Oh, there's the guy from Honey West!" After watching John Ericson's performance and considering posts by people much more musically knowledgeable than me, I whole-heartedly agree that he deserves recognition by way of a star on the walk, at minimum. Furthermore, the earlier comment about the full shot filming of Mr. Ericson playing the piano gave me a completely new and different appreciation for his talents. I, like others here found this site as a result of attempting to ascertain whether his playing was real, or simulated. While faking it at that level would have taken real talent, I would not be a bit surprised to learn that Mr. Ericson actually played in the film. I would love to know for sure and think that it would make for a terrific introductory segment discussion by Robert, or Ben on TCM. Also, it's cool that his daughter weighed in. She should be proud of her Dad.

” — Jeff Adams, September 3, 2014 at 9:12 a.m.

John Ericson

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14 thoughts about John Ericson