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 Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

, Douglas Fairbanks, James Cagney, Clark Gable,

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

, 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

, 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 Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

, 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 ''Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen'' is a 1934 pre-Code American comedy-drama film, starring Dorothea Wieck, Alice Brady, and Baby LeRoy, written by Adela Rogers St. Johns and Jane Storm from a novel and story by Rupert Hughes, and directed by Alex ...

'' with Baby LeRoy and William Frawley; '' The Little Minister'' with

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

; 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 Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...

, 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.'' Variety'', January 25, 1950

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 Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...

, on January 22, 1950, following a

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

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 ''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill. The plot concerns a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on the story, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produ ...

'' (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 ''The Price She Paid'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Charles Giblyn and starring Clara Kimball Young, Louise Beaudet and Alan Hale.Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema p.304 It was shot at Lewis J. Selznick's Fort L ...

'' (1917) as Stanley Baird * ''One Hour'' (1917) as G.D. Stanley * '' Life's Whirlpool'' (1917) as Dr. Henry Grey * ''

The Eternal Temptress ''The Eternal Temptress'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Émile Chautard and written by Fred de Gresac and Eve Unsell. The film stars Lina Cavalieri, Elliott Dexter, Mildred Conselman, Alan Hale, Sr., Edward Fielding, and ...

'' (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 ''Black Oxen'' is a 1923 American silent fantasy / romantic drama film starring Corinne Griffith, Conway Tearle, and Clara Bow. Directed by Frank Lloyd, the film is based on the controversial best-selling 1923 novel of the same name by Gertrud ...

'' (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 Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...

'' (1925) as Tom King * ''

Flattery Flattery (also called adulation or blandishment) is the act of giving excessive compliments, generally for the purpose of ingratiating oneself with the subject. It is also used in pick-up lines when attempting to initiate sexual or romantic cou ...

'' (1925) as Arthur Barrington * ''

The Crimson Runner ''The Crimson Runner'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Tom Forman and starring Priscilla Dean, Bernard Siegel, and Alan Hale. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Bianca Schreber is a poor girl whose father was woun ...

'' (1925) as Gregory * '' The Wedding Song'' (1925, director) * '' The Scarlet Honeymoon'' (1925, director) * ''

Ranger of the Big Pines ''Ranger of the Big Pines'' is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starring Kenneth Harlan, Eugene Pallette and Helene Costello.Munden, p. 634 Cast * Kenneth Harlan as Ross Cavanagh * Eugene Pallette * He ...

'' (1925) * '' Braveheart'' (1925) (directed) * '' Hearts and Fists'' (1926) as Preston Tolley * ''

Forbidden Waters ''Forbidden Waters'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Alan Hale and starring Priscilla Dean, Walter McGrail, and Dan Mason. Plot As described in a film magazine review, J. Austin Bell, a divorced man, promises his former wife ...

'' (1926, director) * ''

Vanity Vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant ''futility''. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic ...

'' (1927) as 'Happy' Dan Morgan * ''

Rubber Tires A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

'' (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 ''The Leatherneck'' is a 1929 American silent drama film directed by Howard Higgin. At the 2nd Academy Awards in 1930, Elliott J. Clawson was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Prints of the film ...

'' (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 ''She Got What She Wanted'' is an American pre-Code early talking film comedy-drama directed by James Cruze and starring his actress wife Betty Compson. The film was made for Tiffany Pictures with Cruze and Compson having recently completed ''Th ...

'' (1930) as Dave * '' Aloha'' (1931) as Stevens * ''

The Night Angel ''The Night Angel'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film written and directed by Edmund Goulding. The film stars Nancy Carroll, Fredric March, Phoebe Foster, Alison Skipworth and Alan Hale, Sr. The film was released on July 18, 1931, by P ...

'' (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 ''The Sea Ghost'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed by William Nigh and starring Alan Hale, Clarence Wilson, Claud Allister and Laura La Plante. The film was retitled ''U 67'' for its American reissue, stating in the foreword that "som ...

'' (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 ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her aunts, one stern and one kind, in the fictional village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's ...

'' (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 * ''

'' (1934) as Sam * '' The Lost Patrol'' (1934) as Cook * '' It Happened One Night'' (1934) as Danker * ''

Picture Brides ''Picture Brides'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code adventure film, directed by Phil Rosen. The film stars Dorothy Mackaill, Regis Toomey and Alan Hale. Plot Four mail order brides from New Orleans and a young girl conned into a non-existing job in ...

'' (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 Imitation (from Latin ''imitatio'', "a copying, imitation") is a behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior. Imitation is also a form of that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our culture. I ...

'' (1934) as Martin the Furniture Man * '' Great Expectations'' (1934) as Joe Gargery * '' There's Always Tomorrow'' (1934) as Henry * ''

Broadway Bill ''Broadway Bill'' is a 1934 American comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy. Screenplay by Robert Riskin and based on the short story "Strictly Confidential" by Mark Hellinger, the film is about a man' ...

'' (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 The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

'' (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 ''Our Relations'' is a 1936 feature film starring Laurel and Hardy, produced by Stan Laurel for Hal Roach Studios. This is the third of three films in which they play a dual role: the first was '' Brats'' and the second was ''Twice Two''. The sto ...

'' (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 ''Dust Be My Destiny'' is a 1939 American drama film starring John Garfield as a man who gets into trouble after being sentenced to a work farm. Plot Joe Bell (John Garfield) becomes embittered after he is jailed for 16 months for burglary . Late ...

'' (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 Green Hell or green hell may mean: * ''Green Hell'' (film), a 1940 adventure film directed by James Whale * "Green Hell" (song), by Misfits *The traditional north loop of the Nürburgring race track *a former description of the Amazon jungle * ''Gr ...

'' (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 ''The Great Mr. Nobody'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Ben Markson and Kenneth Gamet. The film stars Eddie Albert, Joan Leslie, Alan Hale, Sr., William Lundigan, John Litel, Charles Trowbridge and Paul ...

'' (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 ''Destination Tokyo'' is a 1943 black and white American submarine war film. The film was directed by Delmer Daves in his directorial debut,McGee, Scott"Articles: 'Destination Tokyo' (1944)."''TCM.com'', 2019. Retrieved: August 15, 2019. and th ...

'' (1943) as 'Cookie' Wainwright * '' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) as Steve Gillis * '' Make Your Own Bed'' (1944) as Walter Whirtle * ''

Janie Janie may refer to: * Janie (given name) * ''Janie'' (1944 film), an American romantic comedy * ''Janie'' (2006 film), a short *Janie, West Virginia Janie is an unincorporated community and former coal town known as Mordue in Boone County, We ...

'' (1944) as Prof. Matthew Q. Reardon * '' Hollywood Canteen'' (1944) as Himself (cameo) * ''

Roughly Speaking ''Roughly Speaking'' is the sixteenth studio album by the Canadian rock band April Wine, released in November 2006. The album was recorded without computerized modern digital recording techniques. Instead, the group employed the same type of au ...

'' (1945) as Lew Morton * '' Hotel Berlin'' (1945) as Herman Plottke * '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945) as Big Mike Harrigan * ''

Escape in the Desert ''Escape in the Desert'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward A. Blatt and written by Marvin Borowsky and Thomas Job. The film stars Jean Sullivan, Philip Dorn, Irene Manning, Helmut Dantine, Alan Hale, Sr. and Samuel S. Hinds. Th ...

'' (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 ''That Way with Women'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Frederick de Cordova, written by Leo Townsend and Francis Swann, and starring Dane Clark, Martha Vickers, Sydney Greenstreet, Alan Hale, Sr., Craig Stevens and Barbara Brown. It ...

'' (1947) as Herman Brinker * '' Pursued'' (1947) as Jake Dingle * ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...

'' (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 ''The House Across the Street'' is a 1949 American comedy/newspaper film directed by Richard L. Bare and written by Russell S. Hughes. The film stars Wayne Morris, Janis Paige, Bruce Bennett, Alan Hale, Sr., James Mitchell and Barbara Bate ...

'' (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)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, Alan Sr. 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