[1] Born John Preston Cheatham on December 28, 1894, in Jackson, Mississippi, he began acting in the 1920s, including two Broadway appearances.

[3] Cheatham entered the film industry with his performance in a featured role in 1931's Shanghaied Love, starring Richard Cromwell, Noah Beery, and Sally Blane.

[4] Notable films in which Cheatham appeared include: The Whole Town's Talking (1935), starring Edward G. Robinson and Jean Arthur;[5] The Petrified Forest (1936), starring Leslie Howard, Humphrey Bogart, and Bette Davis;[6] Frank Capra's 1936 comedy, Mr.

Deeds Goes to Town, starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur;[7] the classic Meet John Doe (1941), directed by Capra and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck;[8] Alfred Hitchcock's 1942 suspense drama, Saboteur, starring Priscilla Lane and Robert Cummings;[9] the 1946 comedy, The Kid from Brooklyn, starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo;[10] and another Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo vehicle, 1947's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

[11] Cheatham's final screen performance was in a small role in Michael Curtiz' 1949 melodrama, Flamingo Road, starring Joan Crawford.