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Porter Hall

Acting 65 (deceased) years old Cincinnati, Ohio, USA ★ 1.0
Born: September 18, 1888
Died: October 6, 1953

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clifford 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. Hall was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and 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 four roles: a senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, an atheist in Going My Way, the nervous, ill-tempered Granville Sawyer, who administers a psychological test to Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street, and 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.

Filmography

Acting Credits (76)

Return to Treasure Island
Return to Treasure Island Maximillian 'Maxie' Harris 1954
Vice Squad
Vice Squad Jack Hartrampf 1953
Pony Express
Pony Express Jim Bridger 1953
Four Star Playhouse
Four Star Playhouse J. R. Martin 1952
Holiday for Sinners
Holiday for Sinners Louie 1952
The Half-Breed
The Half-Breed Kraemer 1952
Carbine Williams
Carbine Williams Sam Markley 1952
Ace in the Hole
Ace in the Hole Jacob Q. Boot 1951
Intruder in the Dust
Intruder in the Dust Nub Gowrie 1949
The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend
The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend Judge O'Toole 1949
Chicken Every Sunday
Chicken Every Sunday Sam Howell 1949
That Wonderful Urge
That Wonderful Urge Attorney Ketchell 1948
You Gotta Stay Happy
You Gotta Stay Happy Mr. Caslon 1948
Unconquered
Unconquered Leach 1947
Singapore
Singapore Mr. Bellows 1947
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street Granville Sawyer 1947
Week-End at the Waldorf
Week-End at the Waldorf Stevens 1945
Kiss and Tell
Kiss and Tell Bill Franklin 1945
Murder, He Says
Murder, He Says Mr. Johnson 1945
Blood on the Sun
Blood on the Sun Arthur Bickett 1945
Bring on the Girls
Bring on the Girls Dr. Efrington 1945
The Mark of the Whistler
The Mark of the Whistler Joe Sorsby 1944
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Jacob Woodson, Justice of the Peace 1944
The Great Moment
The Great Moment President Franklin Pierce 1944
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity Mr. Jackson 1944
Standing Room Only
Standing Room Only Hugo Farenhall 1944
Going My Way
Going My Way Mr. Belknap 1944
The Woman of the Town
The Woman of the Town Mayor Dog Killey 1943
The Desperadoes
The Desperadoes Banker Clanton 1943
A Stranger in Town
A Stranger in Town Judge Austin Harkley 1943
Butch Minds the Baby
Butch Minds the Baby Brandy Smith 1942
The Remarkable Andrew
The Remarkable Andrew Chief Clerk Art Slocumb 1942
Mr. and Mrs. North
Mr. and Mrs. North George Heyler 1942
Sullivan's Travels
Sullivan's Travels Mr. Hadrian 1941
The Parson of Panamint
The Parson of Panamint Jonathan Randall 1941
Arizona
Arizona Lazarus Ward 1940
Trail of the Vigilantes
Trail of the Vigilantes Sheriff Korley 1940
Dark Command
Dark Command Angus McCloud 1940
His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday Murphy 1940
Henry Goes Arizona
Henry Goes Arizona Banker Edward G. Walsh (uncredited) 1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Senator Monroe 1939
They Shall Have Music
They Shall Have Music Mr. Flower 1939
Grand Jury Secrets
Grand Jury Secrets Anthony Pelton 1939
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police Man in Drummond's Dream 1939
Tom Sawyer, Detective
Tom Sawyer, Detective Uncle Silas Phelps 1938
The Arkansas Traveler
The Arkansas Traveler Mayor Daniels 1938
King of Alcatraz
King of Alcatraz Matthew Talbot 1938
Men with Wings
Men with Wings Hiram F. Jenkins 1938
Prison Farm
Prison Farm Chiston R. Bradby 1938
Stolen Heaven
Stolen Heaven 'Von' Offer 1938
Bulldog Drummond's Peril
Bulldog Drummond's Peril Dr. Botulian 1938
Dangerous to Know
Dangerous to Know Mayor Bradley 1938
Scandal Street
Scandal Street James Wilson 1938
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo James Oliver 1937
True Confession
True Confession Mr. Hartman 1937
This Way Please
This Way Please S.J. Crawford 1937
Souls at Sea
Souls at Sea Court Prosecutor 1937
Wild Money
Wild Money Bill Court 1937
Make Way for Tomorrow
Make Way for Tomorrow Harvey Chase 1937
King of Gamblers
King of Gamblers George Kramer 1937
Bulldog Drummond Escapes
Bulldog Drummond Escapes Norman Merridew 1937
The General Died at Dawn
The General Died at Dawn Peter Perrie 1936
The Plainsman
The Plainsman Jack McCall 1936
Let's Make a Million
Let's Make a Million Spencer 1936
Satan Met a Lady
Satan Met a Lady Milton Ames 1936
And Sudden Death
And Sudden Death District Attorney 1936
The Princess Comes Across
The Princess Comes Across Darcy 1936
Snowed Under
Snowed Under Arthur Layton 1936
Too Many Parents
Too Many Parents Mrs. Saunders 1936
The Story of Louis Pasteur
The Story of Louis Pasteur Dr. Rossignol 1936
The Petrified Forest
The Petrified Forest Jason Maple 1936
The Case of the Lucky Legs
The Case of the Lucky Legs Col. Bradbury 1935
Murder in the Private Car
Murder in the Private Car Alden Murray 1934
The Thin Man
The Thin Man Herbert MacCaulay 1934
The Cheat
The Cheat Leslie (uncredited) 1931
Secrets of a Secretary
Secrets of a Secretary Drunk 1931

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