Huntz Hall
Encyclopedia
Henry Richard "Huntz" Hall (August 15, 1919; – January 30, 1999) was an American radio
, theatrical, and motion picture
performer noted primarily for his roles in the "Dead End Kids
" movies, such as Angels with Dirty Faces
(1938), which gave way to the "The Bowery Boys
" movie franchise, a prolific and highly successful series of comedies in the 1940s and 1950s.
He attended Catholic grammar school. He started in radio at age 5.
Huntz Hall first appeared on Broadway in the 1935 production of Dead End, a play written and directed by Sidney Kingsley
. Hall was then cast along with the other Dead End Kids in the 1937 film Dead End
, directed by William Wyler
and starring Humphrey Bogart
.
Hall later played the increasingly buffoonish Horace DeBussy "Sach" Jones in 48 "Bowery Boys
" entries, graduating to top billing when his longtime comedy partner, Leo Gorcey
, left the series in 1956.
He also appeared in films not associated with the comedy team, such as his portrayal of Private Carraway in the war film, A Walk in the Sun, in 1945.
By 1976, Hall drove around Hollywood in a brand-new Rolls-Royce, thanks to his offshore oil well investments. Plans to produce a movie series, "The Ghetto Boys" (a take on "The Bowery Boys
"), did not finalize. Huntz's son Gary, a Yale honor graduate, became an Episcopal priest and rector. Huntz himself was active in lay Catholic affairs. In 1973, he participated in Princess Grace of Monaco's Council for Drug Abuse, which was part of the Catholic Office of Drug Education.
In 1977 he played movie mogul Jesse Lasky in Ken Russell
's film Valentino. He performed in dinner theater
productions before retiring in 1994.
on January 30, 1999 at the age of 79 in North Hollywood, California. He was interred in a niche at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California
.
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
, theatrical, and motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
performer noted primarily for his roles in the "Dead End Kids
Dead End Kids
The Dead End Kids were a group of young actors from New York who appeared in Sidney Kingsley's Broadway play Dead End in 1935. In 1937 producer Samuel Goldwyn brought all of them to Hollywood and turned the play into a film...
" movies, such as Angels with Dirty Faces
Angels with Dirty Faces
Angels with Dirty Faces is a 1938 American gangster film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, the Dead End Kids and Humphrey Bogart, along with Ann Sheridan and George Bancroft...
(1938), which gave way to the "The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....
" movie franchise, a prolific and highly successful series of comedies in the 1940s and 1950s.
Biography
Henry Richard Hall was born either on August 15, 1920 in New York City, NY; or on August 18, 1920 to Joseph Patrick Hall and Mary Ellen Mullen, an Irish-born air-conditioner repairman and his wife, He was the 14th of 16 children. He was nicknamed "Huntz" because of his Teutonic-looking nose. ...He attended Catholic grammar school. He started in radio at age 5.
Huntz Hall first appeared on Broadway in the 1935 production of Dead End, a play written and directed by Sidney Kingsley
Sidney Kingsley
Sidney Kingsley was an American dramatist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Men in White in 1934.- Biography :...
. Hall was then cast along with the other Dead End Kids in the 1937 film Dead End
Dead End
Dead End is a 1937 crime drama film. It is an adaptation of the Sidney Kingsley 1935 Broadway play of the same name. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Joel McCrea, and Sylvia Sidney...
, directed by William Wyler
William Wyler
William Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
and starring Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
.
Hall later played the increasingly buffoonish Horace DeBussy "Sach" Jones in 48 "Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....
" entries, graduating to top billing when his longtime comedy partner, Leo Gorcey
Leo Gorcey
Leo Bernard Gorcey was an American stage and movie actor who became famous for portraying on film the leader of the group of young hooligans known variously as the Dead End Kids, The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys. Always the most pugnacious member of the gangs he participated in, young Leo...
, left the series in 1956.
He also appeared in films not associated with the comedy team, such as his portrayal of Private Carraway in the war film, A Walk in the Sun, in 1945.
By 1976, Hall drove around Hollywood in a brand-new Rolls-Royce, thanks to his offshore oil well investments. Plans to produce a movie series, "The Ghetto Boys" (a take on "The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....
"), did not finalize. Huntz's son Gary, a Yale honor graduate, became an Episcopal priest and rector. Huntz himself was active in lay Catholic affairs. In 1973, he participated in Princess Grace of Monaco's Council for Drug Abuse, which was part of the Catholic Office of Drug Education.
In 1977 he played movie mogul Jesse Lasky in Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
's film Valentino. He performed in dinner theater
Dinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
productions before retiring in 1994.
Death
Hall died from congestive heart failureCongestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
on January 30, 1999 at the age of 79 in North Hollywood, California. He was interred in a niche at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
.