| The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc. |
(From Old Corral collection)Henry Hall - 1942, and in his mid sixties. | | Henry Hall
Full name: Henry Leonard Hall
1876 - 1954 |
Henry Leonard Hall was born in Missouri in 1876. He was in his mid twenties at the time of the 1900 census and was living in Chicago and beginning a several decade career working in traveling repertory companies and stock theater. He was in New York City doing stage plays circa 1901 - 1912. And there are many newspaper articles from 1912 - 1920 with Henry making his home in Washington state. During those years, his stage work was with the American Theater Players company in Spokane. Then he was leading man and director of the Baker Players in Spokane. And circa 1918, he was performing and starring with the Wilkes Players in Seattle.
He was in Seattle for the World War I draft registration as well as the 1920 census.
June 4, 1921 issue of Billboard had an article on the Wilkes Players during their five year run in Seattle ... and explains how Hall wound up in Los Angeles. Article mentions that Henry had appeared in 1596 performances with the company. And "Henry Hall will join the Wilkes Company in Los Angeles."
His Hollywood career spanned 20+ years, from the late 1920s through 1950. He did a mix of credited and uncredited roles, and most often appeared as a lawman, politician, doctor, banker, cavalry officer, judge, rancher ... and father of the heroine. Les Adams has Hall identified in 200+ sound films, and about half were westerns and serials.
There were two marriages. He married Elenore / Lenore Allen in 1898 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wife number two was Emma Sanders / Saunders. They tied the knot in 1904 in El Paso, Texas and Emma passed away in 1935. Appears Henry and wives had no children.
Henry Hall suffered from heart problems for years and had surgery in 1953 for prostate cancer. He passed away on December 11, 1954 at the Motion Picture Country Hospital, Woodland Hills, California.
March, 1918 with Hall in a starring role with the Wilkes Players in Seattle, Washington.
Henry Hall circa 1933, and about 57 years old.
(From Old Corral collection) Cavalry officer Tim McCoy is being busted from the service in this scene from END OF THE TRAIL (Columbia, 1932). Likable Lafe McKee is on the left, and doing the "busting" is Wheeler Oakman, the real baddie in the story. The man between Oakman and McCoy is Henry Hall. The bald headed player is unidentified.
(Courtesy of Les Adams) From left to right are Andy Clyde, Chief Thunder Cloud (Victor Daniels), William Boyd, Henry Hall, Eleanor Stewart and Russell Hayden in a still from the Hopalong Cassidy oater PIRATES ON HORSEBACK (Harry Sherman Prod/Paramount, 1941). This was one of many lawman roles for Henry Hall.
(Courtesy of Bruce Hickey) Another still from PIRATES ON HORSEBACK (Harry Sherman Prod/Paramount, 1941). From left to right are Russell Hayden, Eleanor Stewart, William Boyd, Andy Clyde, and Henry Hall.
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Although some of the data may be incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Henry Hall: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355642
The Internet Broadway database has Henry Hall/Henry L. Hall doing five plays in New York City during 1901 - 1912:
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/henry-hall-67710
https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/henry-l-hall-43757
The following articles from 1912 - 1919 have Henry Hall with the American company in Spokane, Washington; leading man and director of the Baker Players in Spokane, Washington; leading man with the Wilkes Players in Seattle, Washington in 1919:
- November 28, 1912 Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review article on Henry Hall with the American company in Spokane: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109103473/actor-henry-hall-with-the-american/
- January, 1915 article (and large photo) in the Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review newspaper on Henry Hall joining the Spokane, Washington based Baker Players: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19150110&id=0NtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=keADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6620,1688539
- January, 1915 article in the Spokane, Washington Daily Chronicle newspaper about Hall becoming the director - as well as leading man - of the Baker Players: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19150108&id=76RXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F_QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5788,570021
- December 31, 1916 Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review article on Henry Hall returning to the American company in Spokane: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109103519/actor-henry-hall-with-the-american/
- March 17, 1919 Seattle Star newspaper article on Henry Hall and the Wilkes Players in "The Passing of the Third Floor Back": https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093407/1919-03-17/ed-1/seq-7/
- July 12, 1919 Seattle Star newspaper article on Henry Hall and the Wilkes Players closing out their season in the play "A Fool There Was": https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093407/1919-07-12/ed-1/seq-5/
Several great photos of a young Henry Hall in the J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs at the University of Washington Libraries:
https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/sayre/id/13367/rec/4
https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/sayre/id/3836/rec/7
https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/sayre/id/3631/rec/6
The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), the California Death Index, newspapers, and the death certificate provide more on Henry Hall and family:
- 1880 census - living in Washington, Buchanan County, Missouri were 27 year old John M. Hall (born Missouri; occupation farmer), 24 year old Anna V. Hall (born Missouri), 3 year old son Henry L. (born Missouri), 1 year old son Willard P. (born Missouri), (and four other persons labeled as "Other"): https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M66X-B2B
- 1890 census is unavailable - it was lost in a 1921 fire (and water damage) at the Commerce Building in Washington, D.C.
- August 15, 1898 Milwaukee, Wisconsin marriage record (not the license) of Henry L. Hall (born Missouri; occupation "Actor") and Lenore Allen (born Indiana). His parents were John N. Hall and Victoria Leonard. Her parents were Sherman B. Allen and Hannah Beaty: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRF4-L1D
- 1900 census - Henry L. Hall is about 24 years old and born in Missouri in November, 1876. He was a roomer, living on Dearborn Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. He had been married for about two years (but no wife is with him), and his occupation was "Actor": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSQZ-QS9
- Ancestry.com had the Texas Marriage Index - Henry Hall and Emma Sanders were married on March 26, 1904 in El Paso, Texas.
- World War I draft registration dated September 12, 1918 for 41 year old Henry Leonard Hall. He was born November 5, 1876 but no state is mentioned. He and his wife lived at 2020 5th Avenue, Seattle, King County, Washington. His occupation was "Actor", and employer was Wilkes Theater at that 2020 5th Avenue, Seattle address: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:29JW-WXV
- 1920 census - 42 year old Henry L. Hall (born Missouri) and 39 year old wife Emma S. (born Virginia) were renting a room/unit #113 in what appears to be a rooming house at 321 Broadway North, Seattle, Washington. Hall reported his occupation as "Actor - Stock Theater": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHNR-FZD
- 1930 census: 53 year old Henry L. Hall (born Missouri) and 49 year old wife Emma S. (born Texas) were living in the Blackburn Apartments on North Wilcox in Los Angeles. Hall was not a military veteran; and his occupation was "Actor - Motion Pictures": https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XCJ1-X54
- California Death Index for Henry's wife Emma Sanders Hall who passed away on June 17, 1935 in the Los Angeles area: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKS9-S4MS
- 1940 census - 63 year old Henry Hall was born in Missouri; was widowed; and was renting (room/unit #324) at the St. George Apartments in Los Angeles and he lived in the Los Angeles area in 1935. His occupation was "Actor - Motion Pictures", and in 1939, he worked 11 weeks and earned $1100.00: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K9CX-39Y
- Death certificate - 78 year old Henry Leonard Hall passed away on December 12, 1954 at the Motion Picture Country Hospital, Woodland Hills, California. His home address was 1245 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California. Cause of death was cerebral thrombosis (3 months duration) along with arteriosclerosis and myocardial damage (years in duration). He had also been operated on for prostate cancer in September, 1953. Hall was born November 5, 1876 in Missouri; was widowed; occupation was "Actor - Stage and Screen"; parents were John N. Hall and Anna Leonard (both born Missouri); Pierce Bros. Hollywood was the funeral director and cremation at Chapel of the Pines.
- California Death Index mirrors the death certificate - Henry Hall was born November 5, 1876 in Missouri, and passed away on December 12, 1954: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGR9-R1Y
- The Tuesday, December 14, 1954 edition of the New York Times newspaper carried a brief (5 line) obituary on Henry Leonard Hall. Excerpts: ... "stage and screen actor" ... "died Saturday at the Motion Picture Country Home". (The Motion Picture Home is located in Woodland Hills, California. The preceeding Saturday was December 11, 1954.)
December 15, 1954 Los Angeles Daily News had a funeral notice - funeral to be held on Wednesday, December 15; no mention of any relatives: Pierce Brothers' Hollywood was in charge; and inurnment in Chapel of the Pines. Appears that inurnment didn't happen - see Find A Grave links below with Hall interred in the family plot at Mount Mora Cemetery, Saint Joseph, Missouri: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109087935/funeral-notice-for-movie-actor-henry-l/
Find A Grave website has a photo of the grave marker for Henry Leonard Hall who is interred at Mount Mora Cemetery, Saint Joseph, Missouri (in the family plot along with other Hall Family members):
Henry Hall: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49960902/hall
Henry Hall's father, John Nathaniel Hall: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49960664/john-nathaniel-hall
Henry Hall's mother, Anna Victoria Leonard Hall: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49960635/anna-victoria-hall