Henry Hull Explained

Henry Hull
Birthname:Henry Watterson Hull
Birth Date:1890 10, mf=yes
Birth Place:Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Death Place:Cornwall, England, UK.
Occupation:Actor
Children:3
Yearsactive:1910–1966

Henry Watterson Hull (October 3, 1890 – March 8, 1977) was an American character actor who played the lead in Universal Pictures's Werewolf of London (1935).[1] For most of his career, he was a lead actor on stage and a character actor on screen.

Early years

Hull was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the youngest of four children born to William Madison Hull, a theater manager and his wife, Elinor Bond Vaughn.[2] He was named for his godfather, Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisville journalist Henry Watterson.

William Hull had been a drama critic in Louisville,[1] and became a press agent for David Belasco after the family moved to New York City in 1902. Hull attended DeWitt Clinton High School and the High School of Commerce. Hull studied engineering at Columbia and was graduated from Cooper Union. In 1910, the family settled in Barkhamsted, Connecticut.

Career

Stage

Impressed by his brother Shelly's acting career, in 1912, Hull joined the Greek Repertory Company run by his sister-in-law Margaret Anglin, who was married to his brother Howard. Anglin's touring company specialized in productions of Greek tragedies. In 1913, he returned to New York City to appear on Broadway in John Frederick Ballard's Believe Me, Xantippe with John Barrymore.

Early in his career, Hull appeared frequently on Broadway. In 1916, Hull and his wife, Juliet Fremont, appeared in The Man Who Came Back at the Playhouse Theatre. The play was very successful and ran for more than a year.[3] In 1919, he was at the Broadhurst Theatre in 39 East with Tallulah Bankhead.[4]

Hull created the role of Jeeter Lester in the long-running play Tobacco Road (1933), based on the novel by Erskine Caldwell.[1] In 1956, Hull toured in a one-man show, doing readings from the works of Mark Twain. Hull had met Twain in Louisville when visiting Henry Watterson.[5]

Film

Hull appeared in 74 films between 1917 and 1966, often playing supporting characters such as the uncle of Tyrone Power's love interest Nancy Kelly in Jesse James (1939). He appeared as Charles Rittenhouse, a wealthy industrialist in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944). Some of his other notable roles were as Abel Magwitch in the 1934 version of Great Expectations and in the last film of director Tod Browning, Miracles for Sale (1939). He starred in Werewolf of London in 1935.

Hull played the role of aging architect Henry Cameron (the mentor to Howard Roark) in The Fountainhead. Hull portrayed a doctor to whom Humphrey Bogart goes for help in High Sierra and was also cast in Colorado Territory, a Western remake of the High Sierra story starring Joel McCrea. He played a desert prospector who comes to Robert Ryan's rescue in Inferno in 1953.

He guest-starred on CBS's Appointment with Adventure, John Payne's NBC Western series titled The Restless Gun, and the syndicated crime drama U.S. Marshal. In 1958, he was featured in Robert Culp's Western series, Trackdown as Moss in the episode "Three Legged Fox". In 1959, he played the part of Obadiah on Wagon Train, season two, episode 14, "The Kitty Angel Story". In 1960, Hull played Mark Applewhite in the S3 EP29 “Trial for Murder”.

In 1960, Hull appeared on Bonanza twice, in the episode "The Gunmen" as Sheriff B. Banneman, and a scout for General John Charles Fremont (who, in real life, was the grandfather of Hull's wife) in the episode "The Mission".[6]

On December 13, 1960, Hull guest-starred on NBC's Laramie as an embittered rancher, Ben Parkinson, who challenges Slim Sherman, played by series star John Smith, to a duel after Parkinson's youngest son accidentally kills himself on Sherman ranch land. Ron Harper portrays Parkinson's other son, Tom.

Hull also guest-starred in the series finale of Laramie, the episode "The Road to Helena" (May 21, 1963). Series character Slim Sherman, while in Cody, Wyoming, is hired by David Franklin, played by Hull, and his barmaid daughter, Ruth, portrayed by Maggie Pierce, to guide the pair to Helena, Montana, so Franklin can return money that he had previously stolen. John M. Pickard also appears in this episode. Hull's last film was The Chase (1966) with Marlon Brando and Robert Redford.

Family

Hull died in Cornwall at his daughter's residence on March 8, 1977.[7]

Hull was quoted as saying he owed all his dramatic training to Anglin, with whom he had acted on stage.[8] The middle brother, Shelley Hull, was a popular leading man who costarred in Why Marry?, the first play to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He fell ill during the run of his biggest hit – the WWI play Under Orders – and died of influenza at 34 on January 14, 1919, during the Spanish influenza epidemic. Shelley's widow, Josephine Hull (1877–1957), was a successful stage performer throughout her long life and became an Oscar-winning character actress.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1917A Square DealMark DunbarHarley KnolesLost film
1917The Family HonorAnthony WayneEmile ChautardLost film
1917Rasputin, the Black MonkKererskyArthur AshleyLost film
1917The VolunteerJonathan MendenhallHarley KnolesLost film
1918Little WomenJohn BrookeHarley KnolesLost film
1922One Exciting NightJohn FairfaxD. W. Griffith
1923The Last MomentHercules CameronJ. Parker Read Jr.Lost film
1923A Bride for a KnightJimmy PoeLost film
1924RouletteJimmy MooreStanner E.V. TaylorLost film
1924The Hoosier SchoolmasterRalph HartsookOliver L. SellersIncomplete film
1924For Woman's FavorThe Fool / The LoverO. A. C. LundLost film
1925Wasted LivesJohn GormanLost film
1925The WrongdoersHugh DierkerLost film
1934MidnightNolanChester Erskine
1934Great ExpectationsAbel MagwitchStuart Walker
1935Transient LadySen. Hamp BaxterEdward Buzzell
1935Werewolf of LondonDr. GlendonStuart Walker
1938Paradise for ThreeSeppEdward Buzzell
1938Yellow JackDr. Jesse LazearGeorge B. Seitz
1938Three ComradesDr. BeckerFrank Borzage
1938Port of Seven SeasUncle ElzearJames WhaleUncredited
1938Boys TownDave MorrisNorman Taurog
1938The Great WaltzFranz JosefJosef von Sternberg (uncredited)
1939Jesse JamesMajor Rufus CobbHenry King
1939The Spirit of CulverDoc AllenJoseph Santley
1939Return of the Cisco KidColonel Joshua BixbyHerbert I. Leeds
1939Stanley and LivingstoneJames GordonOtto Brower (safari sequences)
1939Miracles for SaleDave DuvalloTod Browning
1939Babes in ArmsMadox
1939Bad Little AngelRed WilksWilhelm Thiele
1939Nick Carter, Master DetectiveJohn A. KellerJacques Tourneur
1939Judge Hardy and SonDr. JonesGeorge B. Seitz
1940My Son, My Son!Dermot O'RiordanCharles Vidor
1940The Return of Frank JamesMajor Rufus CobbFritz Lang
1941High SierraDoc BantonRaoul Walsh
1943The West Side KidSam WinstonGeorge Sherman
1943Seeds of FreedomGuerilla Leader
1943The Woman of the TownInky WilkensonGeorge Archainbaud
1944LifeboatCharles J. RittenhouseAlfred Hitchcock
1944Goodnight SweetheartJeff ParkerJoseph Santley
1945Objective, Burma!Mark WilliamsRaoul Walsh
1947High BarbareeDr. William G. BrookeJack Conway
1947Deep ValleyCliff SaulJean Negulesco
1947Mourning Becomes ElectraSeth BeckwickDudley Nichols
1948On Our Merry WayDying ManKing VidorUncredited; deleted sequence
1948Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!Milt DominyF. Hugh Herbert
1948The Walls of JerichoJefferson NormanJohn M. Stahl
1948Belle Starr's DaughterOld MarshallLesley SelanderUncredited
1948Fighter SquadronBrig. Gen. Mike McCreadyRaoul Walsh
1948Portrait of JennieEkeWilliam Dieterle
1949El PasoJudge Henry JeffersLewis R. Foster
1949RimfireNathaniel GreeleyB. Reeves Eason
1949Colorado TerritoryFred WinslowRaoul Walsh
1949The FountainheadHenry CameronKing Vidor
1949The Great GatsbyDan CodyElliott Nugent
1949The Great Dan PatchDan PalmerJoseph M. Newman
1949Song of SurrenderDeacon ParryMitchell Leisen
1950The Return of Jesse JamesHank YoungerArthur Hilton(as Arthur David Hilton)
1951Hollywood StoryVincent St. ClairWilliam Castle
1952The Treasure of Lost CanyonCousin Lucas CookeTed Tetzlaff
1953The Last PosseOllie StokleyAlfred L. Werker
1953InfernoSam ElbyRoy Ward Baker
1953Thunder Over the PlainsLt. Col. ChandlerAndre de Toth
1955Kentucky RiflePreacher BentlyCarl K. Hittleman
1955Man with the GunMarshal Lee SimsRichard Wilson
1957The Buckskin LadyDoc MorleyCarl K. Hittleman
1958The Proud RebelJudge MorleyMichael Curtiz
1958The Sheriff of Fractured JawMastersRaoul Walsh
1958The BuccaneerEzra PeaveyAnthony Quinn
1959The Restless GunOld JesseEpisode "The Last Gray Man"
1959The Restless GunDoc KemmerEpisode "Dead Man's Hand"
1959The Restless GunMatt HarperEpisode "One on the House"
1959The Oregon TrailGeorge SetonGene Fowler Jr.
1961Master of the WorldPrudentWilliam Witney
1965The Fool KillerDirty Jim JellimanServando González
1966The ChaseBriggsArthur Penn(final film role)

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/90616%7C69320/Henry-Hull/#overview "Henry Hull", Turner Classic Movies
  2. Book: GREAT STARS OF THE AMERICAN STAGE . Daniel Blum . c. 1952 . Profile #110.
  3. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-man-who-came-back-8431#OpeningNightCast "The Man Who Came Back", IBDB
  4. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/henry-hull-6238 "Henry Hull", IBDB
  5. https://filmsofthegoldenage.com/current_issue/henry-hull-that-wonderful-slice-of-ham/article_7f260ee0-2912-5aec-adc4-569bc830dde9.html Dennis, Ken. "Henry Hull: That Wonderful slice of ham", Films of the Golden Age, No.87, Winter 2016/17
  6. News: Curland . Richard . HISTORICALLY SPEAKING: Character actor Henry Hull had long, successful career . August 18, 2020 . The Bulletin . Gannett News Service . January 16, 2016 . https://archive.today/20200818003433/https://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20160116/NEWS/160119586 . August 18, 2020 . live .
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/09/archives/henry-hull-87-star-of-stage-and-screen-actor-who-created-jeeter.html "Henry Hull, 87, Star of Stage and Screen", The New York Times, March 9, 1977
  8. News: Louella. Parsons. In And Out of Focus: "The Boy is Grown Up". The Morning Telegraph. New York. December 31, 1922. 2012-08-26.