Porter Hall

Porter Hall

Hall in 1930.
Born Clifford Porter Hall
(1888-09-19)September 19, 1888
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died October 6, 1953(1953-10-06) (aged 65)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1926–1953
Spouse(s) Geraldine Hall (1927-1953) 2 children

Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 – October 6, 1953) was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s. Hall played movie villains or comedic incompetent characters.

Career

Born Clifford Porter Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, he began his career touring as a stage actor with roles in productions of The Great Gatsby and Naked in 1926. Hall made his film debut in the 1931 drama Secrets of a Secretary. He made his last onscreen appearance in the 1954 film Return to Treasure Island, which was released after his death.

He was probably best remembered for three roles: a senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, an atheist in Going My Way, and the nervous, ill-tempered Granville Sawyer, who administers psychological tests to Macy's employees (including Kris Kringle), in Miracle on 34th Street.

Hall also memorably played Mr. Jackson from Medford, Oregon, a train passenger who encounters a man (Fred MacMurray) who has just committed a murder in Double Indemnity.

On October 6, 1953, Hall died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California at the age of 65. His interment was at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. Hall had two children, David and Sarah Jane.

Director Russ Meyer named one of the characters in the 1970 cult film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls after Hall.

Partial filmography

Films

Television

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