From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 played movie villains or comedic incompetent characters. Hall was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and began his career touring as a stage actor with roles in productions of The Great Gatsby and Naked in 1926. Hall made his film debut in the 1931 drama Secrets of a Secretary. He made his last onscreen appearance in the 1954 film Return to Treasure Island, which was released after his death.
He was probably best remembered for four 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, and a train passenger who encounters a man (Fred MacMurray) who has just committed a murder in Double Indemnity.
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. Hall had two children, David and Sarah Jane.
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Recent movies
| # | Name | Character | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ace in the Hole (1951) | Jacob Q. Boot | 7.3 | |
| 2 | The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949) | Judge O'Toole | - | - |
| 3 | Intruder in the Dust (1949) | Nub Gowrie | - | - |
| 4 | Miracle on 34th Street (1947) | Granville Sawyer | 7.9 | |
| 5 | Singapore (1947) | Mr. Bellows | 5.5 | |
| 6 | Unconquered (1947) | Leach | 5 | |
| 7 | Murder, He Says (1945) | Mr. Johnson | - | - |
| 8 | Kiss and Tell (1945) | Bill Franklin | - | - |
| 9 | Week-End at the Waldorf (1945) | Stevens | - | - |
| 10 | Blood on the Sun (1945) | Arthur Bickett | - | - |
| 11 | Going My Way (1944) | Mr. Belknap | 5.3 | |
| 12 | The Mark of the Whistler (1944) | Joe Sorsby | 2 | |
| 13 | Double Indemnity (1944) | Mr. Jackson | 8.1 | |
| 14 | The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) | Jacob Woodson, Justice of the Peace | 6 | |
| 15 | Sullivan's Travels (1941) | Mr. Hadrian | 6.8 | |
| 16 | His Girl Friday (1940) | Murphy | 7.4 | |
| 17 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) | Senator Monroe | 7.6 | |
| 18 | Prison Farm (1938) | Chiston R. Bradby | - | - |
| 19 | Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) | Harvey Chase | 5.7 | |
| 20 | Wells Fargo (1937) | James Oliver | - | - |
| 21 | This Way Please (1937) | S.J. Crawford | - | - |
| 22 | The Petrified Forest (1936) | Jason Maple | 7 | |
| 23 | The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) | Dr. Rossignol | 2 | |
| 24 | Satan Met a Lady (1936) | Milton Ames | 6 | |
| 25 | The Thin Man (1934) | Herbert MacCaulay | 8.5 |

