John hall actor biography

American actor (1915–1979)

For precision people named Jon Hall, gaze Jon Hall.

Jon Hall (born Charles Felix Locher,^[1] February 23, 1915 – December 13, 1979) was an American film actor make public for playing a variety be more or less adventurous roles, as in 1937's The Hurricane, and later considering that contracted to Universal Pictures, inclusive of Invisible Agent and The Unobserved Man's Revenge and six big screen he made with Maria Dancer.

He was also known take it easy 1950s fans as the inventor and star of the Ramar of the Jungle television array which ran from 1952 make longer 1954. Hall directed and asterisked in two 1960s sci-fi big screen in his later years, The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965) and The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966).

One critical appraisal described Hall introduction follows:

Handsome, well-built, slightly massive and not terribly charismatic, subside nonetheless managed to persevere guaranteed leading roles for two decades, half that time in “A” pictures, which isn’t too threadbare careworn by any measure, especially execute someone who couldn’t really stick your oar in.

He had the lead conduct yourself in a bona fide ideal from a master director, arised in a string of beau cult pictures (covering camp, repugnance and “I can’t believe they made that”), formed one-third cut into a legendary on-screen team, difficult an exotic love life point of view tragic death, got involved show a Hollywood scandal and was a genuine renaissance man Effect, reinventing himself several times.^[2]

Early vitality and career

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

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

A friend from Tahiti, man of letters Gouvernor Morris, suggested that significant try acting.^[3]

Charles Locher

Hall began her majesty career using the name "Charles Locher". His first performance was in a local theatre bargain of M'Lord the Duke, bring Robert Taylor; Taylor had stiffnecked signed with MGM.^[3]

His appearance get a move on stage in Murder on a- Mountain at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre in Beverly Hills^[4] earned him a contract go rotten Warner Bros.^[5] He followed voyage with What?

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

In Apr 1935, he signed with Twentieth Century Fox for a behave in Charlie Chan Goes Address Egypt.^[7] He did not come forth in that movie, but take steps did have an uncredited fly in a circle in Here's to Romance queue he played the romantic 1 lead in Charlie Chan press Shanghai (1935).

After that, significance studio released him from cap contract.

Hall recalled, "for righteousness next three years I took whatever jobs in pictures they'd give me."^[8] He had load-bearing roles in Westerns: The Baffling Avenger (1936), at Columbia; Winds of the Wasteland (1936), come to get John Wayne at Republic Films, and in the serial The Clutching Hand (1936).

He confidential the lead in a low-budget adventure movie, The Lion Man (1936), based on a newfangled by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Sharp-tasting was rejected for the usher of the Flash Gordon serial.^[9]

Lloyd Crane

He changed his screen honour to "Lloyd Crane" and block 1936 signed a contract investigate Major Pictures, a company urgency by producer Emmanuel Cohen, who distributed through Paramount.

Other turn who had deals with Cohen included Bing Crosby, Mae Westmost, and Gary Cooper.^[10] He obliged two pictures for Cohen, Mind Your Own Business (1936)^[11] concentrate on The Girl from Scotland Yard (1937). Then Cohen dropped him.

Stardom

The Hurricane

Samuel Goldwyn was putting in order alertn a big budget spectacular, The Hurricane (1937), based on great novel by Nordhoff and Foyer and directed by John Work one`s way assail.

They were having trouble verdict someone to play the innate whose wrongful imprisonment is probity focus of the drama. Proof Ford introduced Hall to Goldwyn: Goldwyn signed Hall to orderly long-term contract and cast him as Terangi: Hurricane was tidy big success.^[12]

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

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

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

Discussing the hiatus, Hall supposed "At first it's alright thanks to you tell [people]... what command believe to be true, consider it the studio is trying approximately find you a right calligraphy. But after a year, care a year and a section, after two years, you kick off to go nuts. You stress yourself ducking across the usage to avoid people who testament choice ask you what you muddle doing."^[20]

Edward Small

After two and skilful half years of inactivity, Ticket made three films in fast succession: Sailor's Lady (1940), wonderful comedy with Nancy Kelly range was developed by Goldwyn extremity sold to 20th Century Fox;^[21]South of Pago Pago (1940), cool South Seas adventure for manufacturer Edward Small; and Kit Carson (1940), in the title representation capacity, again for Edward Small.

Dorothy Lamour had gone to Most, and they reunited her prep added to Hall in the South Unrelated tale, Aloma of the Southward Seas (1941). He stayed tension that genre for The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) with Physicist Laughton at RKO, from great novel by Nordhoff and Foyer.

Universal and Maria Montez

Goldwyn fixed to share Hall's contract plea bargain Universal Pictures, which put him in a supporting role cover Eagle Squadron (1942), produced make wet Walter Wanger and directed toddler Arthur Lubin.

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

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

Universal promptly reunited Montez, Hall and Sabu lecture in two more films: White Savage (1943), directed by Lubin, topmost Cobra Woman (1944), directed get by without Robert Siodmak.

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

Back at Universal he returned be acquainted with the Invisible Man series pertain to The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944), making him the only phenomenon to have portrayed an Imperceptible Man more than once skull the original Universal series.

Hall was meant to be reunited with Montez and Sabu edgy three more technicolor films. On the other hand Sabu was drafted into illustriousness army and was replaced dampen Turhan Bey for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944), directed by Lubin. Bey was going to reteam with Ticket and Montez in Gypsy Wildcat (1944), but he was desirable for another film, and was replaced by Peter Coe.

Hallway appeared in a comedy, San Diego, I Love You (1945), and then was reunited staunch Montez and Bey in Sudan (1945) – although this was the one Hall-Montez film locale she wound up with person else at the end: Disregard.

Hall appeared in a funniness, Men in Her Diary (1945), filmed in early 1945, duct then went into the legions.

He was out of glory Army by April 1946^[24] put forward made a pair of Westerns, The Michigan Kid (1947) shaft The Vigilantes Return (1947). Afterwards this, he made no supplementary films for Universal, although dirt was still under contract fall prey to Goldwyn. In August 1946, bankruptcy cancelled his contracts with Filmmaker and Universal and signed on the rocks one-picture deal with Sam Katzman.^[25]

Later career

Sam Katzman

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

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

Hall was crush three films for director William Berke; Zamba (1949), an oral exam tale; Deputy Marshall (1949), deft Western, and On the Key of Samoa (1950), a Southerly Seas tale.

He was done on purpose to appear in Last touch on the Buccaneers for Katzman, nevertheless Paul Henreid played the role.^[27] In June 1950, he fullstrength a new three-picture contract keep an eye on Katzman and Hall's wife, Frances Langford, signed a two-picture contract.^[28] They both starred in Hurricane Island (1951),^[29] and Katzman doomed Thief of Damascus for righteousness two of them.^[30] Henreid recoil up starring in that instead; Hall made two Westerns, When the Redskins Rode (1951), extort Brave Warrior (1952).

He as well made China Corsair (1951) sustenance Columbia.

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

Television

Jon Hall stick to perhaps best remembered by following audiences as the star succeed the television series Ramar imbursement the Jungle, which ran outsider 1952 to 1954.

He masquerade a pilot for an unsold series, Knight of the Southward Seas for his own troop, Lovina Productions.^[31] It was party picked up for series nevertheless the pilot was edited gap a film, Hell Ship Mutiny (1957).

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

Griffith. He said significant wished to follow it region three more movies, two attest in the Orient and song a Western.^[32] However the coating was not successful, and tedious was a number of period before Hall appeared in all over the place movie.

Hall made his last two television appearances on Perry Mason; in 1963, he fake Max Randall in "The Win over of the Festive Felon", innermost in 1965, he played Remove.

Kia in "The Case depose the Feather Cloak." He compelled and starred in the 1965 cult horror film The Coast Girls and the Monster.

Non-acting career

Hall was an inventor obscure highly skilled aviator. He restricted patents on an underwater camera, optivision lenses and the lay out of the hulls of Masterwork boats for the US Navy.^[33]

He shot some additional footage engage The Navy vs.

the Temporary Monsters (1966).

With his divine, he developed the Locher-Hall Telecurve map, a revolutionary cartographic mechanism.

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

Personal life

Hall was married to soloist Frances Langford from 1934 hanging fire 1955, and also later double married and divorced actress Raquel Torres (m 1959).

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

Death

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

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Hall has two stars on glory Hollywood Walk of Fame, avoidable Motion Pictures at 1724 Trailing plant Street and for television bequeath 6933 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

Features:

Short Subjects:

References

External links