Porter Hall

Clifford Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 – October 6, 1953) was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s. Hall typically played villains or comedic incompetent characters.

Early years Hall was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, W.A. Hall, headed a cooperage business that ended because of prohibition in the United States. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati, Hall worked for the yeast maker Fleischmann Company while also directing and acting in little theater productions in Cleveland.

Career Hall's Broadway credits included The Great Gatsby (1926), Naked (1926), Loud Speaker (1927), Night Hostess (1928), It's a Wise Child (1929), Collision (1932), The Warrior's Husband (1932), The Dark Tower (1933), The Red Cat (1934).

Hall made his film debut in the 1931 drama Secrets of a Secretary. His last onscreen appearance was in the 1954 film Return to Treasure Island, which was released after his death.

Hall is best remembered for five roles: a senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; an atheist in Going My Way; the nervous, ill-tempered Granville Sawyer, who administers a psychological test to Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street; a train passenger who encounters a man (Fred MacMurray) who has just committed a murder in Double Indemnity; and the title character's lawyer (Herbert MacCaulay) in The Thin Man.

Hall appeared in a number of critically acclaimed films, now regarded as classics, and worked with many high-profile directors including W.S. Van Dyke, William Dieterle, Lewis Milestone, Cecil B. DeMille, Leo McCarey, Henry Hathaway, Frank Lloyd, William A. Wellman, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh, Preston Sturges, Charles Vidor, Billy Wilder, Clarence Brown, William Castle, George Seaton and Richard Thorpe.

He appeared in three films listed on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies, a list of the 100 greatest films in American cinema; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Sullivan's Travels (1941) and Double Indemnity (1944).

Hall also appeared in six films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, including The Thin Man (1934), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Double Indemnity (1944), Going My Way (the 1944 winner) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

He also appeared in ten films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", including: The Thin Man (1934) Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) His Girl Friday (1940) Sullivan's Travels (1941) The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) Double Indemnity (1944) Going My Way (1944) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Ace in the Hole (1951)

Personal life Hall married actress Geraldine Brown in 1927.

On October 6, 1953, Hall died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 65. His interment was at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

Complete filmography Year Film Role Director Notes 1931 Secrets of a Secretary Drunk George Abbott uncredited 1931 The Cheat Leslie George Abbott uncredited 1934 The Thin Man MacCaulay W.S. Van Dyke 1934 Murder in the Private Car Alden Murray Harry Beaumont 1935 The Case of the Lucky Legs Col. Bradbury Archie Mayo 1936 The Petrified Forest Jason Maple Archie Mayo 1936 The Story of Louis Pasteur Dr. Rossignol William Dieterle 1936 Too Many Parents Mr. Saunders Robert F. McGowan 1936 Snowed Under Arthur Layton Ray Enright 1936 The Princess Comes Across Robert M. Darcy William K. Howard 1936 And Sudden Death District Attorney Charles Barton 1936 Satan Met a Lady Milton Ames William Dieterle 1936 The General Died at Dawn Peter Perrie Lewis Milestone 1936 The Plainsman Jack McCall Cecil B. DeMille 1936 Let's Make a Million Spencer Ray McCarey 1937 Bulldog Drummond Escapes Norman Merridew James P. Hogan 1937 King of Gamblers George Kramer Robert FloreyJohn E. Burch (assistant) 1937 Make Way for Tomorrow Harvey Chase Leo McCarey 1937 Hotel Haywire Judge Newhall George Archainbaud 1937 Wild Money Bill Court Louis King 1937 Souls at Sea Court Prosecutor Henry Hathaway 1937 This Way Please S.J. Crawford Robert Florey 1937 True Confession Mr. Hartman Wesley Ruggles 1937 Wells Fargo James Oliver Frank Lloyd 1938 Scandal Street James Wilson James P. Hogan 1938 Dangerous to Know Mayor Bradley Robert Florey 1938 Bulldog Drummond's Peril Dr. Max Botulian James P. Hogan 1938 Stolen Heaven Hermann 'Von' Offer Andrew L. Stone 1938 Prison Farm Chiston R. Bradby Louis King 1938 Men with Wings Hiram F. Jenkins William A. Wellman 1938 King of Alcatraz Matthew Talbot Robert Florey 1938 The Arkansas Traveler Mayor Daniels Alfred Santell 1938 Tom Sawyer, Detective Uncle Silas Louis King 1939 Grand Jury Secrets Anthony Pelton James P. Hogan 1939 They Shall Have Music Flower Archie Mayo 1939 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Senator Monroe Frank Capra 1939 Henry Goes Arizona Banker Edward G. Walsh Edwin L. Marin uncredited 1940 His Girl Friday Murphy Howard Hawks 1940 Dark Command Angus McCloud Raoul Walsh 1940 Arizona Lazarus Ward Wesley Ruggles 1940 Trail of the Vigilantes Sheriff Korley Allan Dwan 1941 The Parson of Panamint Jonathan Randall William C. McGann 1941 Sullivan's Travels Mr. Hadrian Preston Sturges 1942 Mr. and Mrs. North George Heyler Robert B. Sinclair 1942 The Remarkable Andrew Chief Clerk Art Slocumb Stuart Heisler 1942 Butch Minds the Baby Brandy Smith Albert S. Rogell 1943 A Stranger in Town Judge Austin Harkley Roy RowlandJohn E. Burch (assistant) 1943 The Desperadoes Banker Clanton Charles Vidor 1943 The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Justice of the Peace Preston Sturges 1943 The Woman of the Town Mayor Dog Killey George Archainbaud 1944 Standing Room Only Hugo Farenhall Sidney Lanfield 1944 Going My Way Mr. Belknap Leo McCarey 1944 Double Indemnity Mr. Jackson Billy Wilder 1944 The Great Moment President Franklin Pierce Preston Sturges 1944 The Mark of the Whistler Joe Sorsby William Castle 1945 Bring on the Girls Dr. Efrington Sidney Lanfield 1945 Blood on the Sun Arthur Bickett Frank Lloyd 1945 Murder, He Says Mr. Johnson George Marshall 1945 Week-End at the Waldorf Stevens Robert Z. Leonard 1945 Kiss and Tell Bill Franklin Richard Wallace 1947 Miracle on 34th Street Granville Sawyer George Seaton 1947 Singapore Mr. Gerald Bellows John Brahm 1947 Unconquered Leach Cecil B. DeMille 1948 You Gotta Stay Happy Mr. Caslon H.C. Potter 1948 That Wonderful Urge Attorney Ketchell Robert B. Sinclair 1949 Chicken Every Sunday Sam Howell George Seaton 1949 The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend Judge O'Toole Preston Sturges 1949 Intruder in the Dust Nub Gowrie Clarence Brown 1951 Ace in the Hole Jacob Q. Boot Billy Wilder 1952 Carbine Williams Sam Markley Richard Thorpe 1952 The Half-Breed Kraemer Stuart Gilmore 1952 Holiday for Sinners Pool Hall Proprietor 1953 Pony Express Jim Bridger Jerry Hopper 1953 Vice Squad Jack Hartrampf Arnold Laven 1954 Return to Treasure Island Maximillian 'Maxie' Harris Ewald André Dupont released posthumously