Porter Hall

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.

Double Indemnity

8.1

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

7.9

His Girl Friday

7.4

Miracle on 34th Street

7.4

Ace in the Hole

7.8

The Thin Man

7.5

Sullivan's Travels

7.4

Make Way for Tomorrow

7.5

The Petrified Forest

7.0

Going My Way

6.7

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

6.8

Unconquered

6.2

Dark Command

6.3

The Story of Louis Pasteur

6.8

Intruder in the Dust

7.3

Blood on the Sun

5.9

The Plainsman

6.3

Murder, He Says

6.6

Satan Met a Lady

5.9

The Desperadoes

5.7

Arizona

6.2

Pony Express

5.6

True Confession

5.8

The Great Moment

5.8

Singapore

5.9

The General Died at Dawn

6.2

Bulldog Drummond Escapes

5.9

Vice Squad

6.0

Bulldog Drummond's Peril

5.7

Carbine Williams

6.4

The Princess Comes Across

6.1

The Mark of the Whistler

5.9

The Cheat

6.0

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police

6.1

A Stranger in Town

6.5

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend

5.8

You Gotta Stay Happy

6.5

Murder in the Private Car

5.4

Wells Fargo

5.1

That Wonderful Urge

6.5

Souls at Sea

6.0

Week-End at the Waldorf

6.0

They Shall Have Music

6.0

The Case of the Lucky Legs

6.0

Four Star Playhouse

6.1

Return to Treasure Island

4.8

Dangerous to Know

6.2

Mr. and Mrs. North

4.5

Kiss and Tell

5.6

Bring on the Girls

6.1

Holiday for Sinners

5.5

Tom Sawyer, Detective

5.2

Too Many Parents

5.0

Chicken Every Sunday

6.0

Snowed Under

7.0

Men with Wings

6.0

Prison Farm

5.7

The Parson of Panamint

5.0

The Woman of the Town

6.0

King of Alcatraz

5.7

Secrets of a Secretary

5.5

This Way Please

5.5

Standing Room Only

5.0

The Arkansas Traveler

6.0

Henry Goes Arizona

6.0

The Remarkable Andrew

8.2

King of Gamblers

7.0

The Half-Breed

5.0

Butch Minds the Baby

0.0

Stolen Heaven

0.0

Grand Jury Secrets

0.0

Wild Money

0.0

Trail of the Vigilantes

0.0

And Sudden Death

0.0

Scandal Street

0.0

Let's Make a Million

0.0