Moffat Johnston
Quick Facts
Biography
Moffat Johnston (1886 - 1935) was a Scottish born actor with a substantial U.S. stage career. He devoted more of his life to the stage and only appeared in two films, a 1911 Shakespearean silent, Richard III starring Frank Benson and a 1934 sound drama Midnight. He died after appendicitis surgery.
Appeared in several important Broadway productions in the 1920s ie Back to Methuselah, R. U. R., Six Characters in Search of an Author and John Barrymore's Hamlet, 2nd revival.
Johnston created the role of Oscar Jaffe in the 1932 play Twentieth Century. It was turned into a film, Twentieth Century in 1934 directed by Howard Hawks with John Barrymore as Jaffe.
Career
Johnston was born to John Moffat Johnston and Margaret Parke (Boyd). He was educated at Watson's School and the University of Edinburgh. He made his stage debut in 1905 at Manchester in Frank Benson's company. In 1914 he toured with his own theatre company in Germany before the outbreak of war. During the war he was a Lieutenant of the 8th Sherwood Forresters. He returned to theatrical work after the war making his American debut in 1922 in Back to Methuselah.