Porter Hall

Porter Hall
File:Porter Hall 1930.JPG Hall in 1930.
Born	Clifford Porter Hall (1888-09-19)September 19, 1888 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	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. Possessing a weak chin and shifty eyes, 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.

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.

In popular culture

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

Partial filmography

• The Cheat (1931) (uncredited)
• The Thin Man (1934)
• Murder in the Private Car (1934)
• The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935)
• The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935)
• Snowed Under (1936)
• The Princess Comes Across (1936)
• Satan Met a Lady (1936)
• The Petrified Forest (1936)
• The Plainsman (1936)
• The General Died at Dawn (1936)
• This Way Please (1937)
• King of Gamblers (1937)
• Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
• Souls at Sea (1937)
• Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937)
• True Confession (1937)
• Dangerous to Know (1938)
• Men with Wings (1938)
• King of Alcatraz (1938)
• Bulldog Drummond's Peril (1938)
• Grand Jury Secrets (1939)
• They Shall Have Music (1939)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
• Henry Goes Arizona (1939)
• Arizona (1940)
• Dark Command (1940)
• His Girl Friday (1940)
• The Parson of Panamint (1941)
• Sullivan's Travels (1941)
• The Remarkable Andrew (1942)
• Butch Minds the Baby (1942)
• Mr. and Mrs. North (1942)
• A Stranger in Town (1943)
• The Woman of the Town (1943)
• Going My Way (1944)
• Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)
• Double Indemnity (1944)
• The Great Moment (1944)
• The Mark of the Whistler (1944)
• Blood on the Sun (1945)
• Murder, He Says (1945)
• Week-End at the Waldorf (1945)
• Kiss and Tell (1945)
• Singapore (1947)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• Unconquered (1947)
• You Gotta Stay Happy (1948)
• That Wonderful Urge (1948)
• The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)
• Intruder in the Dust (1949)
• Ace in the Hole (1951)
• Carbine Williams (1952)
• Holiday for Sinners (1952)
• Pony Express (1953)
• Vice Squad (1953)
• Return to Treasure Island (1954)

Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1950	The Bigelow Theatre		1 episode
1952	Four Star Playhouse		1 episode
1954	Fireside Theatre	Mr. Aiken	1 episode

External links

• Porter Hall at the Internet Broadway Database
• Porter Hall at the Internet Movie Database
• Porter Hall at the TCM Movie Database
• Porter Hall at Find a Grave