Alan Hale Sr.

Alan Hale Sr. (born Rufus Edward Mackahan; February 10, 1892 – January 22, 1950) was an American actor and director. He is best remembered for his many character roles, in particular as a frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn, as well as films supporting Lon Chaney, Wallace Beery, Douglas Fairbanks, James Cagney, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, and Ronald Reagan. Hale was usually billed as Alan Hale and his career in film lasted 40 years. His son, Alan Hale Jr., also became an actor and remains most famous for playing "the Skipper" on the television series Gilligan's Island.
Early life
Hale was born Rufus Edward Mackahan in Washington, D.C. He studied to be an opera singer.
Career
His first film role was in the 1911 silent movie The Cowboy and the Lady. He became a leading man while working in 1913–1915 for the Biograph Company in their special feature film productions sponsored and controlled by Marc Klaw and Abraham Erlanger. Later, he became more of a character actor; he played "Little John" in the film Robin Hood (1922), with Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery, reprised the role 16 years later in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone, then played him once more in Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) with John Derek as Robin Hood's son, a unique 28-year string of portrayals of the same character in theatrical films. Hale played Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), featuring a pivotal confrontation with the Earl of Essex, portrayed by Flynn.
His other films include the epic The Trap (1922) with Lon Chaney, Skyscraper (1928); as well as Fog Over Frisco with Bette Davis; Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen with Baby LeRoy and William Frawley; The Little Minister with Katharine Hepburn; and It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert; (all released in 1934); Stella Dallas with Barbara Stanwyck; High, Wide, and Handsome (both 1937) with Irene Dunne and Dorothy Lamour; The Fighting 69th with James Cagney and Pat O'Brien; They Drive By Night with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart; Virginia City (all 1940) with Errol Flynn, Randolph Scott, and Humphrey Bogart; Manpower (1941) with Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich, and George Raft; and as the cantankerous Sgt. McGee in the This Is the Army (1943) with Irving Berlin. He also co-starred with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in the successful western film Dodge City (1939) where he played the slightly dimwitted but likeable and comical Rusty Hart, sidekick to Flynn's character, Sheriff Wade Hatton. Hale co-starred with Errol Flynn in 13 movies.
Hale directed eight movies during the 1920s and 1930s and acted in 235 theatrical films in total.
Hale also had success as an inventor. Among his innovations were a sliding theater chair (to allow spectators to slide back to admit newcomers rather than standing), the hand fire extinguisher, and greaseless potato chips.
Personal life
Hale's wife of over 30 years was Gretchen Hartman (1897–1979), a former child actress, silent film player, and mother of the couple's three children.
He was the father of actor Alan Hale Jr., best known as "the Skipper" in the Gilligan's Island television series. Father and son closely resembled one another, leading to occasional confusion after Hale Sr.'s death when Hale Jr. dropped the Jr. from his name. Hale Sr. and Hale Jr. both played the same character, Porthos the musketeer, in movies 40 years apart. Alan Hale Sr. played the character in the 1939 film Man in the Iron Mask, while Alan Hale Jr. played him in The Fifth Musketeer in 1979.
Alan Hale Sr. died at age 57 in Hollywood, California, on January 22, 1950, following a liver ailment and viral infection. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, next to his wife.
Filmography
The Cowboy and the Lady (1911, film debut)
Jane Eyre (1914)
Strongheart (1914) as Ralph Thorne
The Woman in Black (1914)
Pudd'nhead Wilson (1916) as Tom Driscoll
The Purple Lady (1916) as Count Louis Petelier
The Woman in the Case (1916) as Julian Rolfe
The Beast (1916)
Rolling Stones (1916) as Jerry Braden
The Scarlet Oath (1916) as John Huntington
The Love Thief (1916) as Captain Arthur Boyce
The Americano (1916)
The Price She Paid (1917) as Stanley Baird
One Hour (1917) as G.D. Stanley
Life's Whirlpool (1917) as Dr. Henry Grey
The Eternal Temptress (1917) as Count Rudolph Frizel
Moral Suicide (1918) as 'Lucky' Travers
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) as Karl von Hartrott
The Barbarian (1921) as Mark Grant
A Voice in the Dark (1921) as Dr. Hugh Sainsbury
A Wise Fool (1921) as George Masson
Over the Wire (1921) as James Twyford
The Fox (1921) as Rufus B. Coulter
The Great Impersonation (1921) as Gustave Seaman
One Glorious Day (1922) as Ben Wadley
A Doll's House (1922) as Torvald Helmer
The Trap (1922) as Benson
The Dictator (1922) as Sabos
Robin Hood (1922) as Little John
Shirley of the Circus (1922) as Max
Quicksands (1923) as Ferrago
The Covered Wagon (1923) as Sam Woodhull
Hollywood (1923) as himself (cameo)
Main Street (1923) as Miles Bjornstam
The Eleventh Hour (1923) as Prince Stefan de Bernie
Cameo Kirby (1923) as Colonel Moreau
Long Live the King (1923) as King Karl
Black Oxen (1923) as Prince Rohenhauer
Code of the Wilderness (1924) as Willard Masten
Girls Men Forget (1924) as Jimmy Masson
One Night in Rome (1924) as Duke Mareno
For Another Woman (1924)
Troubles of a Bride (1924) as Gordon Blake
Dick Turpin (1925) as Tom King
Flattery (1925) as Arthur Barrington
The Crimson Runner (1925) as Gregory
The Wedding Song (1925, director)
The Scarlet Honeymoon (1925, director)
Ranger of the Big Pines (1925)
Braveheart (1925) (directed)
Hearts and Fists (1926) as Preston Tolley
Forbidden Waters (1926, director)
Vanity (1927) as 'Happy' Dan Morgan
Rubber Tires (1927) (directed)
The Wreck of the Hesperus (1927) as Singapore Jack
The Leopard Lady (1928) as Caesar
Skyscraper (1928) as Slim Strede
The Cop (1928) as Mather
Oh, Kay! (1928) as Jansen
Power (1928) as Hanson
Sal of Singapore (1928) as Captain Ericsson
The Spieler (1928) as Flash
The Leatherneck (1929) as Otto Schmidt
Sailor's Holiday (1929) as Adam Pike
The Sap (1929) as Jim Belden
Red Hot Rhythm (1929) as Walter
She Got What She Wanted (1930) as Dave
Aloha (1931) as Stevens
The Night Angel (1931) as Bezel
Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) (1931) as Jeb Mondstrum
The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) as Hubert
U-67 (1931) as Greg Winters
The Sea Ghost (1931) as Capt. Greg Winters
Union Depot (1932) as The Baron – a.k.a. Bushy Sloan
So Big! (1932) as Klass Poole
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1932) as Mr. Simpson
The Match King (1932) as Borglund
What Price Decency (1933) as Klaus van Leyden
The Eleventh Commandment (1933) as Max Stager
Destination Unknown (1933) as Lundstrom
Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen (1934) as Sam
The Lost Patrol (1934) as Cook
It Happened One Night (1934) as Danker
Picture Brides (1934) as Von Luden
Little Man, What Now? (1934) as Holger Jachman
Fog Over Frisco (1934) as Chief O'Malley
Of Human Bondage (1934) as Emil Miller
The Scarlet Letter (1934) as Bartholomew Hockings
Imitation of Life (1934) as Martin the Furniture Man
Great Expectations (1934) as Joe Gargery
There's Always Tomorrow (1934) as Henry
Broadway Bill (1934) as Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Babbitt (1934) as Charlie McKelvey
The Little Minister (1934) as Rob Dow
Grand Old Girl (1935) as Click Dade
The Good Fairy (1935) as Maurice Schlapkohl
The Crusades (1935) as Blondel
The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) as Burbix
Another Face (1935) as Charles L. Kellar – Studio Head
Two in the Dark (1936) as Police Inspector Florio
A Message to Garcia (1936) as Dr. Ivan Krug
The Country Beyond (1936) as Jim Alison
Parole! (1936) as John Borchard
Yellowstone (1936) as John Alexander Hardigan
Our Relations (1936) as Joe Grogan -Denker's waiter
God's Country and the Woman (1937) as Bjorn Skalka
Jump for Glory (1937, a.k.a. When Thief Meets Thief) as Jim Diall 'Col. Fane'
Thin Ice (1937) as Baron
The Prince and the Pauper (1937) as Captain of the Guard
High, Wide, and Handsome (1937) as Walt Brennan
Stella Dallas (1937) as Ed Munn
Music for Madame (1937) as Detective Flugelman
The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) as Kaidu
Four Men and a Prayer (1938) as Mr. Furnoy
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) as John Little, a.k.a. Little John
Algiers (1938) as Grander
Valley of the Giants (1938) as 'Ox' Smith
The Sisters (1938) as Sam Johnson
Listen, Darling (1938) as J.J. Slattery
Pacific Liner (1939) as Gallagher
Dodge City (1939) as Algernon 'Rusty' Hart
The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) as Porthos
Dust Be My Destiny (1939) as Mike Leonard
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) as Earl of Tyrone
On Your Toes (1939) as Sergei Alexandrovitch
The Fighting 69th (1940) as Sgt. 'Big Mike' Wynn
Green Hell (1940) as Doctor Loren
Alice in Movieland (1940, Short) as Carlo's Guest (uncredited)
Three Cheers for the Irish (1940) as Gallagher
Virginia City (1940) as Olaf "Moose" Swenson
The Sea Hawk (1940) as Carl Pitt
They Drive by Night (1940) as Ed J. Carlsen
Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940) as Capt. Bullwinkle
Santa Fe Trail (1940) as Tex Bell
The Strawberry Blonde (1941) as Old Man Grimes
The Great Mr. Nobody (1941) as 'Skipper' Martin
Footsteps in the Dark (1941) as Inspector Mason
Thieves Fall Out (1941) as Rodney Barnes
Manpower (1941) as Jumbo Wells
The Smiling Ghost (1941) as Norton
Captains of the Clouds (1942) as 'Tiny' Murphy
Juke Girl (1942) as Yippee
Desperate Journey (1942) as Flight Sergeant Kirk Edwards
Gentleman Jim (1942) as Pat Corbett
Action in the North Atlantic (1943) as Alfred "Boats" O'Hara
This Is the Army (1943) as Sgt. McGee
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) as Alan Hale
Destination Tokyo (1943) as 'Cookie' Wainwright
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) as Steve Gillis
Make Your Own Bed (1944) as Walter Whirtle
Janie (1944) as Prof. Matthew Q. Reardon
Hollywood Canteen (1944) as himself (cameo)
Roughly Speaking (1945) as Lew Morton
Hotel Berlin (1945) as Herman Plottke
God Is My Co-Pilot (1945) as Big Mike Harrigan
Escape in the Desert (1945) as Dr. Orville Tedder
Perilous Holiday (1946) as Dr. Lilley
Night and Day (1946) as Leon Dowling
The Time, the Place and the Girl (1946) as John Braden
The Man I Love (1947) as Riley
That Way with Women (1947) as Herman Brinker
Pursued (1947) as Jake Dingle
Cheyenne (1947) as Fred Durkin
My Wild Irish Rose (1947) as John Donovan
My Girl Tisa (1948) as Dugan
Adventures of Don Juan (1948) as Leporello
Whiplash (1948) as Terrance O'Leary
South of St. Louis (1949) as Jake Everts
The Younger Brothers (1949) as Sheriff Knudson
The House Across the Street (1949) as J.B. Grinnell
Always Leave Them Laughing (1949) as Sam Washburn
The Inspector General (1949) as Kovatch
Stars in My Crown (1950) as Jed Isbell
Colt .45 (1950) as Sheriff Harris
Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950) as Little John (final film)
See also
References
Further reading
External links
1892 births
1950 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male silent film actors
Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Deaths from kidney failure
Male Western (genre) film actors
Male actors from Washington, D.C.
Warner Bros. contract players