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Porter Hall

Sep 18, 1888 - Oct 06, 1953 (65 years old) in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

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.

Known For

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Four Star Playhouse
J. R. Martin
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Double Indemnity
Mr. Jackson
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Miracle on 34th Street
Granville Sawyer
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His Girl Friday
Murphy
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Senator Monroe
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Bulldog Drummond's Peril
Dr. Botulian
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Ace in the Hole
Jacob Q. Boot
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Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Man in Drummond's Dream
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The Thin Man
Herbert MacCaulay
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Going My Way
Mr. Belknap

Credits

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