Jack Haley

John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1898 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer, drummer and vaudevillian. He is most notable for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz.

Early life Haley was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 10, 1898 (some sources say 1897). He was raised in the Beachmont Neighborhood of Revere, Massachusetts. His Canadian born father John Joseph Haley Sr. was a waiter by trade, and later a ship's steward. He died in the wreck of the schooner Charles A. Briggs at Nahant, Massachusetts on February 1, 1898, aged 31, before Jack was born. He had one older brother, William Anthony "Bill" Haley, a musician, who died in 1916 from tuberculosis at the age of 21.

Career

Haley headlined in vaudeville as a song-and-dance comedian. One of his closest friends was Fred Allen, who would frequently mention "Mr. Jacob Haley of Newton Highlands, Massachusetts" on the air. Haley made a few phonograph records in 1923, and in the early 1930s starred in comedy shorts for Vitaphone in Brooklyn, New York. His wide-eyed, good-natured expression gained him supporting roles in musical feature films, including Poor Little Rich Girl with Shirley Temple, Higher and Higher with Frank Sinatra and the Irving Berlin musical Alexander's Ragtime Band. Both Poor Little Rich Girl and Alexander's Ragtime Band were released by Twentieth Century-Fox. Haley was under contract to them and appeared in the Fox films Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Pigskin Parade, marking his first appearance with Judy Garland. Haley hosted a radio show from 1937 to 1939 known to many as The Jack Haley Show. The first season (1937–1938), the show was sponsored by Log Cabin Syrup and was known as The Log Cabin Jamboree. The next season (1938–1939), the show was sponsored by Wonder Bread and was known as The Wonder Show. During the second season the show featured Gale Gordon and Lucille Ball as regular radio performers.

Haley returned to musical comedies in the 1940s. Most of his '40s work was for RKO Radio Pictures. He left the studio in 1947 when he refused to appear in a remake of RKO's Seven Keys to Baldpate. Phillip Terry took the role. He subsequently went into real estate, taking guest roles in television series over the next couple of decades.

"The Tin Man" in The Wizard of Oz Haley as the Tin Man in the MGM feature film The Wizard of Oz, 1939 film.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer hired Haley for the part of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. He replaced song-and-dance comedian Buddy Ebsen, who had suffered a severe allergic reaction after inhaling aluminum powder from his silver face makeup, which triggered a congenital bronchial condition; the dust settled in Ebsen's lungs and, within a few days of principal photographic testing, he found himself struggling to breathe. For Haley, to avoid the same problem, the dust was converted into a paste—even so, the paste caused an eye infection that sidelined Haley for four shooting days. Surgical treatment averted serious or permanent damage to Haley's eyes. Haley also portrayed the Tin Man's Kansas counterpart, Hickory Twicker, one of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farmhands.

Haley did not remember the makeup or the costume fondly. Interviewed about the film years later by Tom Snyder, he related that many fans assumed making the film was a fun experience. Haley said, "Like hell it was. It was work!" For his role as the Tin Woodman, Haley spoke in the same soft tone he used when reading bedtime stories to his children. Oz was one of only three films Haley made for MGM. The others were Pick a Star, a 1937 Hal Roach production distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Mr. Cinderella in 1936.

Personal life

Haley was raised Roman Catholic. He was a member of the Good Shepherd Parish and the Catholic Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California. His nephew Bob Dornan served as a Republican congressman for California.

Final years and death Jack and Florence Haley's grave at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California. Their son, Jack Haley Jr., is buried next to them. Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame marking Haley's contribution to radio. On June 1, 1979, Haley suffered a heart attack. He died on June 6, 1979, at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 80. His funeral was held at the Church of the Good Shepherd and the eulogy was given by Ray Bolger who concluded it by saying, "It's going to be awfully lonely on that Yellow Brick Road now, Jack." His Oz costar Ray Bolger would be buried in the same cemetery 8 years later.

Haley's autobiography, Heart of the Tin Man, was published in 2000.

Film Year Title Role Director/Studio Notes 1927 Broadway Madness Radio Announcer Burton L. KingExcellent Pictures Film debutLost film 1930 Follow Thru Jack Martin Lloyd Corrigan and Laurence SchwabParamount Performer: Button Up Your Overcoat 1933 Mr. Broadway Jack Haley Johnnie Walker andEdgar G. UlmerBroadway-Hollywood Productions Sitting Pretty Pete Pendleton Harry Joe BrownParamount Performer: You're Such a Comfort to Me; I Wanna Meander with Miranda and Good Morning Glory 1934 Here Comes the Groom Mike Scanlon Edward SedgwickParamount 1935 Spring Tonic Sykes Clyde BruckmanFox Film Corporation Redheads on Parade Peter Mathews Norman Z. McLeodFox Film Corporation The Girl Friend Henry H. Henry Edward BuzzellColumbia Pictures Performer: What is This Power and Two Together Coronado Chuck Hornbostel Norman Z. McLeodParamount Performer: All's Well in Coronado by the Sea and Keep Your Fingers Crossed 1936 F-Man Johnny Dime Edward F. ClineParamount Poor Little Rich Girl Jimmy Dolan Irving Cummings20th Century Fox Performer: You've got to Eat your Spinach Baby and Military Man Mr. Cinderella Joe Jenkins/Aloysius P. Merriweather Edward SedgwickMGM Pigskin Parade Winston 'Slug' Winters David Butler20th Century Fox Performer: You Do the Darndest Things Baby and The Balboa 1937 Pick a Star Joe Jenkins Edward SedgwickMGM Performer: Pick A Star and I've Got It Bad She Had to Eat Danny Decker Malcolm St. Clair20th Century Fox Wake Up and Live Eddie Kane Sidney Lanfield20th Century Fox Danger – Love at Work Henry MacMorrow Otto Preminger20th Century Fox Performer: Danger Love at Work Uncredited Ali Baba Goes to Town Himself – Cameo David Butler20th Century Fox Uncredited 1938 Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Orville Smithers Allan Dwan20th Century Fox Performer: Alone With You Alexander's Ragtime Band Davey Lane Henry King20th Century Fox Performer: Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning; That International Rag andIn My Harem (DVD extra only) Hold That Co-ed Wilber Peters George Marshall20th Century Fox Thanks for Everything Henry Smith William A. Seiter20th Century Fox 1939 The Wizard of Oz Hickory / The Tin Man Victor FlemingMGM (writer, uncredited)Performer: If I Only Had a Heart and The Merry Old Land of Oz 1941 Moon Over Miami Jack O'Hara Walter Lang20th Century Fox Performer: Is That Good? Navy Blues 'Powerhouse' Bolton Lloyd BaconWarner Bros. Performer: When are we Going to Land Abroad 1942 Beyond the Blue Horizon Squidge Sullivan Alfred SantellParamount 1944 Higher and Higher Mike O'Brien Tim WhelanRKO Pictures Performer: Today I'm a Debutante and The Music Stopped Take It Big Jack North Frank McDonaldParamount Performer: Take It Big One Body Too Many Albert Tuttle Frank McDonaldParamount 1945 Scared Stiff Larry Elliot Frank McDonaldParamount George White's Scandals Jack Evans Felix E. FeistRKO Pictures Sing Your Way Home Steve Kimball Anthony MannRKO Pictures 1946 People Are Funny Pinky Wilson Sam WhiteParamount Performer: Hey Jose Vacation in Reno Jack Caroll Leslie GoodwinsRKO Pictures Last major film before retirement from motion pictures 1970 Norwood Mr. Reese Jack Haley, Jr. Paramount Directed by his son producer/director Jack Haley Jr. 1977 New York, New York Master of Ceremonies Martin ScorseseUnited Artists This film marked Jack Haley's final screen appearance.Uncredited, (final film role)

Short films Year Movie title Role Notes 1928 Haleyisms Jack Haley Also stars his wife Flo McFadden; Vitaphone production reel #2269 1930 The 20th Amendment Wallace Moore Success Elmer Performer: "Just a Gigolo"; Vitaphone production reel #1257–1258 1932 The Imperfect Lover Vitaphone production reel #1324–1325 Absent Minded Abner Abner Vitaphone production reel #1372–1373 Sherlock's Home Vitaphone production reel #1441–1442 Then Came the Yawn 1933 The Build Up Vitaphone production reel #1444–1445 Wrongorilla Elmer Vitaphone production reel #1486-1484 Hollywood on Parade No. A-9 Himself An Idle Roomer Vitaphone production reel #1531–1532 Nothing but the Tooth Smilie Jones Performer: "Smiles"; Vitaphone production reel #1542–1543 Salt Water Daffy Elmer Wagonbottom 1939 Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 9 Himself Documentary/News Reel 1946 Screen Snapshots: The Skolsky Party Himself Documentary/News Reel Screen Snapshots: Famous Fathers and Sons Himself Documentary/News Reel

Broadway Title Role Run Theater Notes Round the Town Jack Haley May 21, 1924 – May 31, 1924 Century Promenade Theatre 15 performances Gay Paree Jack Haley August 18, 1925 – January 30, 1926 Shubert Theatre 181 performances Gay Paree Jack Haley November 9, 1926 – April 9, 1927 Winter Garden Theatre 192 performances Follow Thru Jack Martin January 9, 1929 – December 21, 1929 Chanin's 46th Theatre 401 performances Sang: Button Up Your Overcoat with Zelma O'NealIn 1930, he starred in Technicolor's film version Free For All Steve Potter Jr. September 8, 1931 – September 19, 1931 Manhattan Theatre 15 performances Take a Chance Jack Stanley November 26, 1932 – July 1, 1933 Apollo Theatre 243 performances Higher and Higher Zachary Ash April 4, 1940 – June 15, 1940 Shubert Theatre 84 performances Higher and Higher Zachary Ash August 5, 1940 – August 24, 1940 Shubert Theatre 24 performances In 1943, he starred with Frank Sinatra in film version Show Time Jack Haley September 16, 1942 – April 3, 1943 Broadhurst Theatre 342 performances Inside U.S.A. Jack Haley April 30, 1948 – February 19, 1949 New Century Theatre andMajestic Theatre 399 performances