Harold John Avery Russell (January 14, 1914 – January 29, 2002) was an American
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
veteran. After losing his hands during his military service, Russell was cast in the epic drama film ''
The Best Years of Our Lives
''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (also known as ''Glory for Me'' and ''Home Again'') is a 1946 American epic drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Harold Rus ...
'' (1946), which earned him an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for
Best Supporting Actor. He was the first non-professional actor to win an Academy Award for acting, along with being the only performer to sell his Oscar at auction.
Early life
Harold Russell was born in
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney (Scottish Gaelic: ''Suidni A Tuath'' or ''Am Bàr'') is a former town and current community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton ...
, Canada, and moved to Massachusetts, United States, with his family in 1921, after his father's death in 1920.
At the time of the December 7, 1941
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
, he was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, working at a food market. In his 1949 autobiography, ''Victory In My Hands'', he wrote that he rushed to enlist in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
because he considered himself a failure.
On
June 6, 1944, while he was an Army instructor teaching demolition work with the
U.S. 13th Airborne Division at
Camp Mackall, North Carolina, a defective fuse detonated
TNT explosives he was handling.
He lost both hands and was given two
hooks to serve as hands. After his recovery while attending
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
, Russell was featured in ''
Diary of a Sergeant'', an Army film about rehabilitating war veterans.
''The Best Years of Our Lives''
When film director
William Wyler
William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), '' The Best Years o ...
saw the film on Russell, he cast him in ''
The Best Years of Our Lives
''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (also known as ''Glory for Me'' and ''Home Again'') is a 1946 American epic drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Harold Rus ...
'' with
Fredric March
Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...
and
Dana Andrews
Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...
. Russell played the role of Homer Parrish, a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
sailor who lost both hands during the war.
For his role as Parrish, Russell won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...
in 1947. Earlier in the ceremony, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for
''bringing aid and comfort to disabled veterans through the medium of motion pictures.'' The special award had been created because the board of governors wanted to salute Russell, a non-professional actor, but assumed he had little chance for a competitive win. It was the only time in Oscar history that the academy awarded two Oscars for the same performance.
Wyler called it "the finest performance I have ever seen on the screen.
'' However, Russell earned under $10,000 for his performance, and did not receive any residual profits.
Later years
Upon completion of the film, Russell returned to
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
and graduated with a business degree in 1949.
Russell became active in
AMVETS
American Veterans (AMVETS) is a non-partisan, volunteer-led organization formed by World War II veterans of the United States military. It advocates for its members as well as for causes that its members deem helpful to the nation at large. Th ...
, serving three terms as National Commander. He was first elected in 1949. He was elected to his third term in 1960. He also was vice-president of the World Veterans Fund, Inc., the fundraising branch of the World Veterans Federation.
As head of AMVETS, Russell wrote to President
Truman in 1951 supporting his decision to dismiss General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
during the
Korean War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
. Russell's telegram to Truman cited MacArthur's "repeated insubordination in violation of basic American principles governing civil versus military authority." His telegram said those were "obvious grounds" to relieve MacArthur.
Erle Cocke, Jr., commander of the
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...
, said that he was "shocked by the news" that AMVETS and the
American Veterans Committee
Launched in April 2013, the American Veterans Committee (AVC) is a non-profit veterans organization that promotes networking opportunities for US veterans globally. The organization was launched to make it easier for US veterans to connect with v ...
supported MacArthur's firing.
From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Russell served as chairman of the President's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, an unpaid position.
In 1965, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...
.
Russell appeared in two films after his debut, ''
Inside Moves
''Inside Moves'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Richard Donner. The film is based on the book of the same name by Todd Walton, with a script by then writing duo Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson.
Plot
After a suicide attempt leav ...
'' in 1980 and ''
Dogtown Dogtown or Dog Town may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Dogtown'' (film), a 1997 film
* "Dogtown" (''The Simpsons''), a 2017 season episode
* '' DogTown'', a National Geographic Channel series
* ''Dogtown'', a 2006 television show, starring Geraldine ...
'' in 1997. He also appeared in an episode of ''
Trapper John, M.D.
''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...
'', in 1981 and a two-part episode of the television series ''
China Beach
''China Beach'' is an American war film, war drama television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, nicknamed "China Beach" in English by Amer ...
'' in 1989.
Russell authored two autobiographies, ''Victory in My Hands'' (1949) and ''The Best Years of My Life'' (1981).
In 1992, Russell consigned his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor to Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions, and on August 6, 1992, in New York City, the Oscar sold to a private collector for $60,500. Russell defended his action by saying he needed money for his wife's medical expenses,
though this was later disputed.
Russell did not sell the special Oscar.
After his death, the unidentified collector was identified as
Lew Wasserman
Lewis Robert Wasserman (March 22, 1913 – June 3, 2002) was an American talent agent and studio executive, described as "the last of the legendary movie moguls" and "arguably the most powerful and influential Hollywood titan in the four decades ...
, a studio executive and talent agent, who donated it back to the Academy.
On January 29, 2002, Russell died at a nursing home in Needham, Massachusetts
and subsequently interred in Lakeview Cemetery in the nearby town of
Wayland.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Harold
1914 births
2002 deaths
American male film actors
Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
Academy Honorary Award recipients
United States Army personnel of World War II
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male television actors
People from North Sydney, Nova Scotia
American amputees
Canadian amputees
Boston University alumni
United States Army soldiers
20th-century American male actors
People without hands
Articles containing video clips
Amputee actors