Porter Hall was an American character actor

Character actor

A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...

 known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s. Possessing a weak chin and shifty eyes, Hall played movie villains or comedic incompetent characters.

Career

Born Clifford Porter Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, he began his career touring as a stage actor with roles in productions of The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published in1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City from spring to autumn of 1922....

and Naked in 1926. Hall made his film debut in the 1931 drama Secrets of a Secretary

Secrets of a Secretary

Secrets of a Secretary is a 1931 film directed by George Abbott, and starring Claudette Colbert and Herbert Marshall.-Plot:Society girl becomes a social secretary when her father dies penniless...

. He later appeared in The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest

The Petrified Forest is a 1936 American film, starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. A precursor of film noir, it was adapted from Robert E. Sherwood's 1936 stage play of the same name...

(1936), The Plainsman

The Plainsman

The Plainsman is a 1936 American Western film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. The film presents a highly fictionalized account of the adventures and relationships between Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody, and General George Custer, with a...

(1936), Henry Goes Arizona

Henry Goes Arizona

Henry Goes Arizona is a 1939 western film starring Frank Morgan as an actor who inherits his dead brother's ranch. While adjusting to the country there, he is threatened by a gang who is after the ranch. The film was directed by Edwin L...

(1939), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...

(1939), They Shall Have Music

They Shall Have Music

They Shall Have Music is a 1939 musical film starring famed violinist Jascha Heifetz , Joel McCrea, Andrea Leeds, and Gene Reynolds...

(1939), His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...

(1940), Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944), Going My Way

Going My Way

Going My Way is a 1944 film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a light-hearted musical comedy-drama about a new young priest taking over a parish from an established old veteran . Crosby sings five songs in the film. It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. This picture was...

(1944), Double Indemnity (1944), Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...

(1947), and Ace in the Hole

Ace in the Hole (1951 film)

Ace in the Hole is a 1951 American drama film starring Kirk Douglas as a cynical, disgraced reporter who stops at nothing to try to regain a job on a major newspaper....

(1951). He made his last onscreen appearance in the 1954 film Return to Treasure Island, which was released after his death.

Hall was probably best remembered for three roles: a senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...

, an atheist in Going My Way

Going My Way

Going My Way is a 1944 film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a light-hearted musical comedy-drama about a new young priest taking over a parish from an established old veteran . Crosby sings five songs in the film. It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. This picture was...

, and the nervous, ill-tempered Granville Sawyer, who administers psychological tests to Macy's employees (including Kris Kringle), in Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...

.

Death

On October 6, 1953, Hall died of a heart attack

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

 in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 at the age of 65. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)

Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...

 in Hollywood

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...

. He had two children, David and Sarah Jane.

In popular culture

Director Russ Meyer

Russ Meyer

Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....

 named one of the characters in the 1970 cult film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a 1970 American schlock melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett and David Gurian...

after Hall.

Selected filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1931	The Cheat	Leslie	Uncredited
1934	The Thin Man The Thin Man (film) The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...	MacCaulay
	Murder in the Private Car	Alden Murray	Alternative title: Murder on the Runaway Train
1935	The Story of Louis Pasteur The Story of Louis Pasteur The Story of Louis Pasteur is a 1936 American biographical film. It starred Paul Muni as the renowned scientist. It was written by Toni Pollastre and Sheridan Gibney, and Edward Chodorov , and directed by William Dieterle....	Dr. Rossignol
	The Case of the Lucky Legs The Case of the Lucky Legs The Case of the Lucky Legs is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer.-Plot:A woman wins a contest, but has trouble collecting her prize when the promoter turns up dead.-Cast:...	Colonel Bradbury
1936	Satan Met a Lady Satan Met a Lady Satan Met a Lady is a 1936 American detective film directed by William Dieterle and starring Bette Davis.The screenplay by Brown Holmes is a loose adaptation of the 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, which previously was filmed in 1931 under its original title.-Plot:Private...	Ames
	The General Died at Dawn The General Died at Dawn The General Died at Dawn is a 1936 film that tells the story of a mercenary who meets a beautiful girl while trying to keep arms from getting to a vicious warlord in war-torn China. The movie was written by Charles G. Booth and Clifford Odets, and directed by Lewis Milestone.It stars Gary Cooper,...	Peter Perrie/Peter Martin
1937	Make Way for Tomorrow Make Way for Tomorrow Make Way for Tomorrow is a 1937 American drama film directed by Leo McCarey. The plot concerns an elderly couple who are forced to separate when they lose their house and none of their five children will take both parents in....	Harvey Chase
	Souls at Sea Souls at Sea Souls at Sea is a 1937 seafaring film starring Gary Cooper and George Raft. The movie features Frances Dee, Harry Carey, Robert Cummings, George Zucco, Joseph Schildkraut, Paul Fix, and Tully Marshall, and was directed by Henry Hathaway. The title of this film was spoofed in the Laurel and Hardy...	Court Prosecutor
1938	Dangerous to Know Dangerous to Know Dangerous to Know is a 1938 crime film starring Anna May Wong, Akim Tamiroff, Gail Patrick, Lloyd Nolan, and Anthony Quinn. The movie was directed by Robert Florey...	Mayor Bradley
	King of Alcatraz King of Alcatraz King of Alcatraz is a 1938 drama film directed by Robert Florey and starring Gail Patrick.-Cast:* Gail Patrick - Dale Borden* Lloyd Nolan - Raymond Grayson* Harry Carey - Captain Glennan* J...	Matthew Talbot
1939	Grand Jury Secrets	Anthony Pelton
	They Shall Have Music They Shall Have Music They Shall Have Music is a 1939 musical film starring famed violinist Jascha Heifetz , Joel McCrea, Andrea Leeds, and Gene Reynolds...	Mr. Flower
	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...	Senator Monroe
1940	Arizona Arizona (1940 film) Arizona is a 1940 American Western film starring Jean Arthur, William Holden and Warren William. It was directed by Wesley Ruggles.Victor Young was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Music Score, while Lionel Banks and Robert Peterson were considered for the Academy Award for Best Art...	Lazarus Ward
	Dark Command Dark Command Dark Command is a 1940 western film starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne and Walter Pidgeon loosely based on Quantrill's Raiders in the American Civil War. Directed by Raoul Walsh from the novel by W.R...	Angus McCloud
	His Girl Friday His Girl Friday His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...	Reporter Murphy
1941	The Parson of Panamint	Jonathan Randall
	Sullivan's Travels Sullivan's Travels Sullivan's Travels is a 1941 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. It is a satire about a movie director, played by Joel McCrea, who longs to make a socially relevant drama, but eventually learns that comedies are his more valuable contribution to society. The film features...	Mr. Hadrian
1942	The Remarkable Andrew	Chief Clerk Art Slocumb
	Butch Minds the Baby	Brandy Smith
1943	A Stranger in Town A Stranger in Town A Stranger in Town is a 1943 comedy-drama political film made by Loew's Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Roy Rowland and produced by Robert Sisk from an original screenplay by Isobel Lennart and William Kozlenko...	Judge Austin Harkley
	The Woman of the Town	Mayor Dog Killey
1944	Going My Way Going My Way Going My Way is a 1944 film directed by Leo McCarey. It is a light-hearted musical comedy-drama about a new young priest taking over a parish from an established old veteran . Crosby sings five songs in the film. It was followed the next year by a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's. This picture was...	Mr. Belknap
	Double Indemnity	Mr. Jackson
	The Great Moment The Great Moment (1944 film) The Great Moment is a 1944 biographical film written and directed by Preston Sturges. Based on the book The Triumph Over Pain by René Fülöp-Miller, it tells the story of Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, a 19th century Boston dentist who discovered the use of ether as an anesthetic...	President Franklin Pierce
1945	Blood on the Sun Blood on the Sun Blood on the Sun is a film starring James Cagney and Sylvia Sidney. The film is based on the history behind the Tanaka Memorial document....	Arthur Bickett
	Murder, He Says Murder, He Says Murder, He Says is a slapstick comedy film about a murderous rural family and the hapless pollster who becomes entangled in their hunt for a cache of money.-Plot:...	Mr. Johnson
	Week-End at the Waldorf Week-End at the Waldorf Week-End at the Waldorf is a 1945 American comedy drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The screenplay by Samuel and Bella Spewack is based on Guy Bolton's adaptation of the Vicki Baum novel Menschen im Hotel, which was filmed as Grand Hotel in 1932.-Plot:The film focuses on various guests...	Stevens
1947	Singapore Singapore (1947 film) Singapore is a American romance film directed by John Brahm and starring Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. The film was remade as Istanbul with the location moved to Turkey.-Plot:...	Mr. Gerald Bellows
	Miracle on 34th Street Miracle on 34th Street Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...	Mr. Granville Sawyer
	Unconquered Unconquered Unconquered is a 1947 adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and released by Paramount. The film depicts the violent struggles between American colonists and Native Americans on the western frontier in the mid-18th century during the time of Pontiac's Rebellion, primarily around...	Leach - slave auctioneer
1948	You Gotta Stay Happy You Gotta Stay Happy You Gotta Stay Happy is a 1948 Universal-International romantic-comedy starring James Stewart, Joan Fontaine and Eddie Albert.-Plot:Marvin Payne is a World War II army air force veteran trying to make it on a shoe-string with a startup air-freight business...	Mr. Caslon
	That Wonderful Urge	Attorney Ketchell
1949	The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend is a 1949 romantic comedy Western film starring Betty Grable and featuring Cesar Romero and Rudy Vallee...	Judge Alfalfa J. O'Toole
	Intruder in the Dust Intruder in the Dust Intruder in the Dust is a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning American author William Faulkner publishedin 1948.The novel focuses on Lucas Beauchamp, a black farmer accused of murdering a white man. He is exonerated through the efforts of black and white teenagers and a spinster from a...	Nub Gowrie
1952	Carbine Williams Carbine Williams Carbine Williams is a 1952 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring James Stewart. The film follows the life of its namesake, David Marshall Williams, who invented the operating principle for the M1 Carbine while in a North Carolina prison...	Sam Markley
	Holiday for Sinners	Louie
1953	Pony Express	Jim Bridger
	Vice Squad	Jack Hartrampf	Alternative title: The Girl in Room 17
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1950	The Bigelow Theatre The Bigelow Theatre The Bigelow Theatre, also known as Bigelow-Sanford Theater, was an early American television program originally broadcast on CBS, and later on the now defunct DuMont Television Network.-Broadcast history:...		1 episode
1952	Four Star Playhouse Four Star Playhouse Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company; Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953...		1 episode
1954	Fireside Theatre	Mr. Aiken	1 episode

External links