Grayson Hall
Encyclopedia
Grayson Hall was an American
television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant garde theatrical performances in the 1960s-80s. Hall was nominated in 1964 for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award
for the John Huston
film The Night of the Iguana
. She also played multiple prominent roles in the Gothic soap opera
Dark Shadows
(1966–1971), and appeared on One Life to Live
in 1982.
, to Joseph and Eleanor Grossman. Joseph and Eleanor separated when Shirley was eight but never divorced. Hall became interested in acting, as an escape from a painful childhood, and auditioned for plays in New York City while she was still in high school. She landed her first professional job doing summer stock
in Long Island
in 1942.
In 1946, she married fellow actor Ted (Bradbart) Brooks in Los Angeles. They separated in 1949, Shirley moved back to New York and in 1952, she married writer Sam Hall
. Their son, Matthew Hall, was born in 1958. She had always used the stage name Shirley Grayson, but Sam Hall disliked the name Shirley and called her Grayson, "like an old Army buddy", she said in an interview. She finally adopted Grayson Hall as her professional name.
starring Meg Myles. Hall portrayed a cabaret club owner named Pepe. She disavowed participation in the film.
In September 1963, Hall traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to play the role of Judith Fellowes in John Huston
's version of The Night of the Iguana
, based on the original Tennessee Williams
play. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress
for her performance as Judith Fellowes, a latent lesbian
vocal instructor from a Texas women's college. In the original play, the character was not sympathetic but Huston rewrote the character, wanting more complexity and sympathy.
, on Dark Shadows
, where she portrayed the loyal confidant and friend of the vampire
, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid
). Other key roles that she played on the show were those of Countess Natalie Dupres; Magda Rakosi, a Gypsy; Hoffman, a Mrs. Danvers-type housekeeper, Julia Collins; and Constance Collins, sister of Brutus Collins.
play The Balcony
for over one year at the Circle in the Square theatre in Greenwich Village
. It was the longest running off-Broadway play for many decades. After Dark Shadows ended in 1971, Hall continued acting on stage as Warda in Jean Genet
's The Screens
(1971–72) and The Lady in Gray/The Fly in Happy End
(1977) which co-starred Meryl Streep
and Christopher Lloyd
. She was in the 1980 US Broadway premiere of The Suicide
with Derek Jacobi
.
She acted in the camp classic film Gargoyles, filmed in New Mexico
and the Dan Curtis
film The Great Ice Rip-off opposite Lee J. Cobb
and Gig Young
. She starred in an ABC Wide World Mystery film "The Two Deaths of Sean Doolittle" which was written by her husband, Sam Hall. Her last onscreen role was that of Euphemia Ralston in the soap opera One Life to Live
in 1982.
, Hall died in New York City
in 1985 at the age of 62. She was cremated. A simple marker near her Hudson Valley home reads "Grayson Hall - August 7, 1985".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant garde theatrical performances in the 1960s-80s. Hall was nominated in 1964 for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for the John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
film The Night of the Iguana
The Night of the Iguana (film)
The Night of the Iguana is a 1964 film based on the 1961 play The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston, it starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. It won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best...
. She also played multiple prominent roles in the Gothic soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
(1966–1971), and appeared on One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
in 1982.
Early life
Hall was born Shirley H. Grossman in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to Joseph and Eleanor Grossman. Joseph and Eleanor separated when Shirley was eight but never divorced. Hall became interested in acting, as an escape from a painful childhood, and auditioned for plays in New York City while she was still in high school. She landed her first professional job doing summer stock
Summer Stock
For the article about the theatre genre, see Summer stock theatre.Summer Stock is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical made in 1950. The film was directed by Charles Walters and stars Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, and Phil Silvers...
in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in 1942.
In 1946, she married fellow actor Ted (Bradbart) Brooks in Los Angeles. They separated in 1949, Shirley moved back to New York and in 1952, she married writer Sam Hall
Sam Hall (writer)
Gordon Russell and Sam Hall were a pair of writers known for their work in daytime soap operas.-Dark Shadows:They are best known for their works on Dark Shadows and One Life to Live...
. Their son, Matthew Hall, was born in 1958. She had always used the stage name Shirley Grayson, but Sam Hall disliked the name Shirley and called her Grayson, "like an old Army buddy", she said in an interview. She finally adopted Grayson Hall as her professional name.
Career
Having guest starred on various television programs during the mid-1950s, Hall made her film debut in 1961 in Run Across the River. Hall also made another film originally entitled Stacy's story but renamed Satan in High HeelsSatan in High Heels
Satan in High Heels is a 1962 American sexploitation film starring Meg Myles and Grayson Hall. It was directed by Jerald Intrator.-Plot:Stacey Kane , a cunning and ambitious striptease dancer in a cheap carnival, tricks her heroin-addicted husband out of his money and leaves him clothed only in a...
starring Meg Myles. Hall portrayed a cabaret club owner named Pepe. She disavowed participation in the film.
In September 1963, Hall traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to play the role of Judith Fellowes in John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
's version of The Night of the Iguana
The Night of the Iguana (film)
The Night of the Iguana is a 1964 film based on the 1961 play The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston, it starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. It won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best...
, based on the original Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
play. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for her performance as Judith Fellowes, a latent lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
vocal instructor from a Texas women's college. In the original play, the character was not sympathetic but Huston rewrote the character, wanting more complexity and sympathy.
Dark Shadows
Hall's best-known television role was that of Dr. Julia HoffmanJulia Hoffman
Julia Hoffman is a fictional character played by Grayson Hall in the 1966 ABC soap opera Dark Shadows. A doctor in the fields of psychology and rare blood disorders and head of the Windcliff Sanitarium, she moved into Collinwood and discovered the vampire, Barnabas Collins...
, on Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
, where she portrayed the loyal confidant and friend of the vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid
Jonathan Frid
John Herbert Frid is a theater, television, and film actor, best known for playing the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows.-Early Life:...
). Other key roles that she played on the show were those of Countess Natalie Dupres; Magda Rakosi, a Gypsy; Hoffman, a Mrs. Danvers-type housekeeper, Julia Collins; and Constance Collins, sister of Brutus Collins.
Theatre and post-Dark Shadows career
Before appearing in The Night of the Iguana and Dark Shadows, Hall had an active stage career in New York City. She portrayed Irma, the madam of an irregular bordello amidst a civil war in the controversial Jean GenetJean Genet
Jean Genet was a prominent and controversial French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing...
play The Balcony
The Balcony
The Balcony is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. Since Peter Zadek directed its first production at the Arts Theatre Club in London in 1957, the play has attracted many of the greatest directors of the 20th century, including Peter Brook, Erwin Piscator, Roger Blin, Giorgio Strehler, and...
for over one year at the Circle in the Square theatre in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. It was the longest running off-Broadway play for many decades. After Dark Shadows ended in 1971, Hall continued acting on stage as Warda in Jean Genet
Jean Genet
Jean Genet was a prominent and controversial French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing...
's The Screens
The Screens
The Screens is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. Its first few productions all used abridged versions, beginning with its world premiere under Hans Lietzau's direction in Berlin in May 1961...
(1971–72) and The Lady in Gray/The Fly in Happy End
Happy End (musical)
Happy End is a surrealistic three-act musical comedy by Kurt Weill, Elisabeth Hauptmann, and Bertolt Brecht which first opened in Berlin at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm on September 2, 1929. It closed after seven performances...
(1977) which co-starred Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
and Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd is an American actor. He is best known for playing Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, and Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He played Reverend Jim Ignatowski in the television series Taxi and more...
. She was in the 1980 US Broadway premiere of The Suicide
The Suicide (play)
The Suicide is a 1928 play by the Russian playwright Nikolai Erdman. Its performance was proscribed during the Stalinist era and it was only produced in Russia several years after the death of its writer...
with Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
.
She acted in the camp classic film Gargoyles, filmed in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and the Dan Curtis
Dan Curtis
Dan Curtis was an American director and producer of television and film, probably best known for his miniseries The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, his afternoon TV series Dark Shadows, and the made for TV movie, . Dark Shadows originally aired from 1966 to 1971 and has aired in syndication...
film The Great Ice Rip-off opposite Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
and Gig Young
Gig Young
Gig Young was an American film, stage, and television actor. Known mainly for second leads and supporting roles, Young won an Academy Award for his performance as a dance-marathon emcee in the 1969 film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.-Early life and career:Born Byron Elsworth Barr in St...
. She starred in an ABC Wide World Mystery film "The Two Deaths of Sean Doolittle" which was written by her husband, Sam Hall. Her last onscreen role was that of Euphemia Ralston in the soap opera One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
in 1982.
Death
After a six month battle with lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, Hall died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1985 at the age of 62. She was cremated. A simple marker near her Hudson Valley home reads "Grayson Hall - August 7, 1985".
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | The United States Steel Hour The United States Steel Hour The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation.... |
Secretary | Episode: "Wish on the Moon" Credited as Shirley Grayson |
| 1962 | Satan in High Heels Satan in High Heels Satan in High Heels is a 1962 American sexploitation film starring Meg Myles and Grayson Hall. It was directed by Jerald Intrator.-Plot:Stacey Kane , a cunning and ambitious striptease dancer in a cheap carnival, tricks her heroin-addicted husband out of his money and leaves him clothed only in a... |
Pepe | |
| 1964 | Route 66 Route 66 (TV series) Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod... |
Mrs. Reston | Episode: "Follow the White Dove with the Broken Wing" |
| 1964 | The Night of the Iguana The Night of the Iguana (film) The Night of the Iguana is a 1964 film based on the 1961 play The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams. Directed by John Huston, it starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. It won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best... |
Judith Fellowes | Nominated: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture |
| 1965 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre is an anthology television series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967... |
Miss Fitzhugh | Episode: "Back to Back" |
| 1965 | That Darn Cat! | Margaret Miller | |
| 1966 | Qui êtes vous, Polly Maggoo? | Miss Maxwell | English title: Who Are You, Polly Magoo? |
| 1966 | The Trials of O'Brien The Trials of O'Brien The Trials of O'Brien was a 1965 television series starring Peter Falk as a seedy Shakespeare-quoting lawyer and featuring Elaine Stritch as his secretary and Joanna Barnes as his ex-wife. Falk often said that he actually liked this financially unsuccessful series much better than his later... |
Louise Malcolm | Episode: "A Horse Called Destiny" |
| 1967 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement... |
Jody Moore | Episode: "The Pieces of Fate Affair" |
| 1967 | The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,... |
Mrs. Fowler | Episode: "The High and the Deadly Affair" |
| 1967 to 1971 | Dark Shadows Dark Shadows Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements... |
Dr. Julia Hoffman Various roles |
474 episodes |
| 1970 | Night Gallery Night Gallery Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although... |
Ann Brigham | Episode: "The House/Certain Shadows on the Wall" |
| 1970 | Adam at Six A.M. Adam at Six A.M. Adam at 6 A.M. is a 1970 film directed by Robert Scheerer. The film did not receive much attention when it was released, but was the second starring role for Michael Douglas... |
Inez Treadly | |
| 1970 | House of Dark Shadows House of Dark Shadows House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 feature-length horror film directed by Dan Curtis based on his Dark Shadows television series. Filming took place at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York with additional footage at nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: parts of the locals appeared on the Dark Shadows series as... |
Dr. Julia Hoffman | |
| 1971 | Night of Dark Shadows Night of Dark Shadows Night of Dark Shadows is a 1971 horror film by Dan Curtis. It is the sequel to House of Dark Shadows. It centers on the story of Quentin Collins and his bride Tracy at the Collinwood Mansion in Collinsport, Maine.... |
Carlotta Drake | Alternative title: Curse of Dark Shadows |
| 1973 | All My Children All My Children All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most... |
Marge Grey | Unknown episodes |
| 1974 | Kojak | Mrs. Campbell | Episode: "Hush Now, Don't You Die" |
| 1975 | Pick-up | Voice | Uncredited |
| 1982 | One Life to Live One Life to Live One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social... |
Euphemia Ralston | Unknown episodes |