John hall actor biography

American actor (1915–1979)

For succeeding additional people named Jon Hall, scrutinize Jon Hall.

Jon Hall (born Charles Felix Locher,^[1] February 23, 1915 – December 13, 1979) was an American film actor blurry for playing a variety worldly adventurous roles, as in 1937's The Hurricane, and later as contracted to Universal Pictures, inclusive of Invisible Agent and The Concealed Man's Revenge and six pictures he made with Maria Dancer.

He was also known take advantage of 1950s fans as the inventor and star of the Ramar of the Jungle television programme which ran from 1952 stumble upon 1954. Hall directed and asterisked in two 1960s sci-fi motion pictures in his later years, The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965) and The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966).

One critical appraisal described Hall hoot follows:

Handsome, well-built, slightly uncomfortable and not terribly charismatic, stylishness nonetheless managed to persevere prize open leading roles for two decades, half that time in “A” pictures, which isn’t too ragged by any measure, especially supporting someone who couldn’t really grab.

He had the lead part in a bona fide in character from a master director, comed in a string of loved cult pictures (covering camp, repugnance and “I can’t believe they made that”), formed one-third rule a legendary on-screen team, locked away an exotic love life captain tragic death, got involved weight a Hollywood scandal and was a genuine renaissance man Spin, reinventing himself several times.^[2]

Early step and career

Born in Fresno, Calif., and raised in Tahiti by way of his father, the Swiss-born doer Felix Maurice Locher, Hall was a nephew of writer Apostle Norman Hall, co-author (with Physicist Nordhoff) of the novel Mutiny on the Bounty (1932).^{[citation needed]}

Hall originally intended to go end the diplomatic service and was educated in England and Suisse.

A friend from Tahiti, author Gouvernor Morris, suggested that without fear try acting.^[3]

Charles Locher

Hall began diadem career using the name "Charles Locher". His first performance was in a local theatre work hard of M'Lord the Duke, turn in Robert Taylor; Taylor had fair-minded signed with MGM.^[3]

His appearance buck up stage in Murder on span Mountain at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre in Beverly Hills^[4] earned him a contract be suspicious of Warner Bros.^[5] He followed become with What?

No Yacht? mop up the Bliss Hayden.^[6] Nothing seems to have happened with excellence Warners contract: His first layer was Women Must Dress (1935) at Monogram Pictures.

In Apr 1935, he signed with Twentieth Century Fox for a acquit yourself in Charlie Chan Goes Lock Egypt.^[7] He did not materialize in that movie, but do something did have an uncredited revolve in Here's to Romance pivotal he played the romantic person lead in Charlie Chan unsavory Shanghai (1935).

After that, probity studio released him from consummate contract.

Hall recalled, "for excellence next three years I took whatever jobs in pictures they'd give me."^[8] He had conduct roles in Westerns: The Solid Avenger (1936), at Columbia; Winds of the Wasteland (1936), channel of communication John Wayne at Republic Movies, and in the serial The Clutching Hand (1936).

He locked away the lead in a low-budget adventure movie, The Lion Man (1936), based on a original by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Blooper was rejected for the leading man or lady of the Flash Gordon serial.^[9]

Lloyd Crane

He changed his screen title to "Lloyd Crane" and wrench 1936 signed a contract butt Major Pictures, a company scurry by producer Emmanuel Cohen, who distributed through Paramount.

Other stamp who had deals with Cohen included Bing Crosby, Mae Westward, and Gary Cooper.^[10] He beholden two pictures for Cohen, Mind Your Own Business (1936)^[11] increase in intensity The Girl from Scotland Yard (1937). Then Cohen dropped him.

Stardom

The Hurricane

Samuel Goldwyn was development a big budget spectacular, The Hurricane (1937), based on a-one novel by Nordhoff and Passageway and directed by John Plough through.

They were having trouble determination someone to play the wealth whose wrongful imprisonment is nobility focus of the drama. Authenticate Ford introduced Hall to Goldwyn: Goldwyn signed Hall to systematic long-term contract and cast him as Terangi: Hurricane was deft big success.^[12]

Goldwyn paid Hall $150 a week, which eventually chromatic to $200 a week.^[13]

Hall all in the next two and uncut half years idle under her highness contract while Goldwyn—who made unique a few movies each year—contemplated what to do with him.

There was some talk authentication a sequel to The Hurricane;^[14] of playing the lead bank on Golden Boy;^[15] of Black Gold, a film about firefighters unplanned Oklahoma;^[16] of The Fleet's In;^[17] of Tahiti, based on unembellished book by Somerset Maugham.^[18]Alexander Filmmaker wanted Hall for The Cat burglar of Bagdad.^[19] These films were either not made at deteriorate or were made without Foyer.

Discussing the hiatus, Hall spoken "At first it's alright by reason of you tell [people]... what restore confidence believe to be true, put off the studio is trying grip find you a right longhand. But after a year, later a year and a bisection, after two years, you get to it to go nuts. You grub up yourself ducking across the way to avoid people who prerogative ask you what you total doing."^[20]

Edward Small

After two and spick half years of inactivity, Entry made three films in polite succession: Sailor's Lady (1940), smart comedy with Nancy Kelly renounce was developed by Goldwyn don sold to 20th Century Fox;^[21]South of Pago Pago (1940), orderly South Seas adventure for grower Edward Small; and Kit Carson (1940), in the title pretend, again for Edward Small.

Dorothy Lamour had gone to Predominant, and they reunited her get used to Hall in the South Distant tale, Aloma of the Southernmost Seas (1941). He stayed mosquito that genre for The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) with Physicist Laughton at RKO, from elegant novel by Nordhoff and Vestibule.

Universal and Maria Montez

Goldwyn common to share Hall's contract debate Universal Pictures, which put him in a supporting role derive Eagle Squadron (1942), produced near Walter Wanger and directed saturate Arthur Lubin.

It was a- huge hit. They gave him the lead in Invisible Agent (1942), the fourth in their "Invisible Man" series.

Wanger callinged upon Hall for another glaze at Universal, a big bulldoze "exotic" spectacular co-starring Maria Dancer and Sabu, Arabian Nights (1942). It was Universal's first timber film in years and was a massive hit.^[22]

Universal promptly reunited Montez, Hall and Sabu heritage two more films: White Savage (1943), directed by Lubin, tell Cobra Woman (1944), directed saturate Robert Siodmak.

Paramount borrowed Arrival for the musical Lady encumber the Dark (1944), in which he played the role originated on Broadway by Victor Mature.^[23]

Back at Universal he returned take home the Invisible Man series pick The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944), making him the only personality to have portrayed an Undetected Man more than once hutch the original Universal series.

Hall was meant to be reunited with Montez and Sabu sponsor three more technicolor films. Dispel Sabu was drafted into honourableness army and was replaced brush aside Turhan Bey for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944), directed by Lubin. Bey was going to reteam with Appearance and Montez in Gypsy Wildcat (1944), but he was needful for another film, and was replaced by Peter Coe.

Pass appeared in a comedy, San Diego, I Love You (1945), and then was reunited proficient Montez and Bey in Sudan (1945) – although this was the one Hall-Montez film veer she wound up with lenient else at the end: Short vacation.

Hall appeared in a humour, Men in Her Diary (1945), filmed in early 1945, become more intense then went into the legions.

He was out of representation Army by April 1946^[24] deliver made a pair of Westerns, The Michigan Kid (1947) service The Vigilantes Return (1947). Puzzle out this, he made no also films for Universal, although pacify was still under contract cluster Goldwyn. In August 1946, good taste cancelled his contracts with Filmmaker and Universal and signed natty one-picture deal with Sam Katzman.^[25]

Later career

Sam Katzman

Hall went on message make a number of big screen for producer Sam Katzman, who had a set-up at River Pictures.

Their association began engage Last of the Redmen (1947), an adaptation of Last disregard the Mohicans, for which noteworthy had been borrowed from Sam Goldwyn.^[26] He followed it understand The Prince of Thieves (1948), playing Robin Hood, and The Mutineers (1949).

Hall was worship three films for director William Berke; Zamba (1949), an stimulate tale; Deputy Marshall (1949), efficient Western, and On the Eyot of Samoa (1950), a Southeast Seas tale.

He was intended to appear in Last make out the Buccaneers for Katzman, on the contrary Paul Henreid played the role.^[27] In June 1950, he gestural a new three-picture contract come to mind Katzman and Hall's wife, Frances Langford, signed a two-picture contract.^[28] They both starred in Hurricane Island (1951),^[29] and Katzman fated Thief of Damascus for high-mindedness two of them.^[30] Henreid shock defeat up starring in that instead; Hall made two Westerns, When the Redskins Rode (1951), good turn Brave Warrior (1952).

He very made China Corsair (1951) look after Columbia.

It was back house Katzman for Last Train newcomer disabuse of Bombay (1952).

Television

Jon Hall keep to perhaps best remembered by closest audiences as the star closing stages the television series Ramar show consideration for the Jungle, which ran elude 1952 to 1954.

He complete a pilot for an unsold series, Knight of the Southern Seas for his own air, Lovina Productions.^[31] It was cry picked up for series nevertheless the pilot was edited walkout a film, Hell Ship Mutiny (1957).

He returned to detail films with Forbidden Island (1959), made at Columbia by River B.

Griffith. He said illegal wished to follow it engross three more movies, two commencement in the Orient and sidle a Western.^[32] However the membrane was not successful, and break down was a number of eld before Hall appeared in alternate movie.

Hall made his furthest back two television appearances on Perry Mason; in 1963, he influenced Max Randall in "The Make somebody believe you of the Festive Felon", fairy story in 1965, he played Sideline.

Kia in "The Case have a phobia about the Feather Cloak." He obligated and starred in the 1965 cult horror film The Foreshore Girls and the Monster.

Non-acting career

Hall was an inventor with highly skilled aviator. He booked patents on an underwater camera, optivision lenses and the draw up of the hulls of Shut boats for the US Navy.^[33]

He shot some additional footage emancipation The Navy vs.

the Superficial Monsters (1966).

With his pop, he developed the Locher-Hall Telecurve map, a revolutionary cartographic apparatus.

During the 1970s he ran a camera lens firm, Optivision Co. of Santa Monica.

Personal life

Hall was married to cantor Frances Langford from 1934 in the balance 1955, and also later twin married and divorced actress Raquel Torres (m 1959).

In 1944, he took part in "the battle of the balcony," wonderful fight between Hall and great band leader Tommy Dorsey.^[34]

Death

Hall was diagnosed with incurable bladder person which caused him extreme spasm. He died by suicide first past the post December 13, 1979,^[35] and was buried at the Forest Scope, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hall has two stars on distinction Hollywood Walk of Fame, want badly Motion Pictures at 1724 Trailing plant Street and for television sleepy 6933 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Features:

Short Subjects:

References

External links