Paul Langton

Paul Langton (April 17, 1913 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Leslie Harrington on the television series Peyton Place.

When Langton was 12 years old he moved from Salt Lake City to San Francisco to be with his father, Ernest Langton, a former vaudevillian who then worked in the mailing department of the San Francisco Examiner. He attended Lowell High School and the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California. He worked in the press rooms of The Salt Lake Telegram and the Examiner to finance his education.

Langton's early stage experience included acting in productions of the Mountain Play Association in California and the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1950 he portrayed Biff in a touring company of Death of a Salesman. He performed on Broadway in Harbor Lights (1956).

Making his movie bow in 1941, Langton became a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, frequently appearing in war films. Later, Langton was seen in character parts or supporting roles in such films as The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). He also was a voice actor on Lux Radio Theatre from 1942 to 1954.^{[citation needed]}

Langton began appearing on television in 1951 in a series called The Web. His first regular role was that of Walter Dennis on the daytime series The Brighter Day. He also made five guest appearances on Perry Mason from 1958 to 1962, three of which were as prosecuting attorneys. But it was the role of Leslie Harrington on the prime time serial Peyton Place (1964–68) that finally gave him a level of stardom. After he was written out of the series, he appeared in half a dozen other programs including It Takes a Thief (1968), Ironside (TV series) and, in his final role, Emergency!, before retiring due to ill health.

Langton was married to Elda Piva. He died in Burbank, California on April 15, 1980, aged 66, two days before his 67th birthday. Langton was a Mormon.