Henry Hull

Henry Hull
Henry Hull, 1923
Born	Henry Watterson Hull October 3, 1890(1890-10-03) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	March 8, 1977(1977-03-08) (aged 86) Cornwall, England, UK
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1917–1966
Spouse	Juliet van Wyck Fremont (1913-1971) (her death)
Children	3

Henry Watterson Hull (October 3, 1890 – March 8, 1977) was an American character actor with a unique voice, most noted for playing the lead in Universal Pictures's Werewolf of London (1935).

Life and career

Hull was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His parents were William Madison Hull and Elinor Bond Vaughn.

Early in his career, Hull appeared frequently on Broadway;^{[citation needed]} he created the role of Jeeter Lester in the long-running play Tobacco Road (1933), based on the novel by Erskine Caldwell.

Hull appeared in 74 films between 1917 and 1966, often playing supporting characters like the uncle of Tyrone Power's love interest Nancy Kelly in Jesse James (1939). He appeared as Charles Rittenhouse, a wealthy industrialist in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944). Two other notable roles were as Abel Magwitch in the 1934 version of Great Expectations and in the last film of veteran director Tod Browning, Miracles for Sale (1939). He also appeared in the Werewolf of London in 1935.

In 1955, Hull appeared as a college professor forced to retire at sixty-five in an episode of CBS's sitcom, Meet Mr. McNutley, later renamed The Ray Milland Show. He also guest starred on CBS's Appointment with Adventure and John Payne's NBC western series, The Restless Gun. In 1960, Hull appeared on Bonanza, portraying a scout for General John Charles Fremont (who in real life was the grandfather of Hull's wife^{[citation needed]}). In 1961, Hull played an elderly man befriended by a young outlaw, portrayed by James Coburn, in NBC's The Outlaws.

Hull's last film was The Chase (1966) with Marlon Brando and Robert Redford.

Family

Hull was married to Juliet Van Wyck Fremont (1886–1971) from 1913 until her death in 1971. She was a granddaughter of Civil War general and explorer John C. Frémont and Jessie Ann Benton, the daughter of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton. The couple had three children, Henry Jr., Shelley (1919–2005, named after Henry's late brother) and Joan. When his wife died in 1971 Hull went to England to spend his last years with his daughter. He died in Cornwall at his daughter's residence on March 8, 1977.

Hull had at least two brothers who were involved in the theater. Shelley Hull was a popular leading man, in fact more popular than Henry, and would have become a well known actor had he not died in 1919 during the Spanish Influenza epidemic. Shelley was married to Josephine Sherwood who later became a well known movie character actress under her late husband's surname Hull. Hull's other brother Howard Hull was also an actor and is the lesser known but oldest of the three brothers. He was married until his death in 1937 to stage star Margaret Anglin.

Partial filmography

• One Exciting Night (1922)
• Midnight (1934)
• Great Expectations (1934)
• Werewolf of London (1935)
• Paradise for Three (1938)
• Yellow Jack (1938)
• Three Comrades (1938)
• Boys Town (1938)
• The Great Waltz (1938)
• Jesse James (1939)
• The Spirit of Culver (1939)
• Stanley and Livingstone (1939)
• Miracles for Sale (1939)
• Babes in Arms (1939)
• Bad Little Angel (1939)
• My Son, My Son! (1940)
• The Return of Frank James (1940)
• High Sierra (1941)
• Lifeboat (1944)
• Objective, Burma! (1945)
• Deep Valley (1947)
• Mourning Becomes Electra (1947)
• Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948)
• Fighter Squadron (1948)
• Portrait of Jennie (1948)
• Colorado Territory (1949)
• The Fountainhead (1949)
• The Great Gatsby (1949)
• Rimfire (1949)
• Song of Surrender (1949)
• The Great Dan Patch (1949)
• Inferno (1953)
• Thunder Over the Plains (1953)
• Man with the Gun (1955)
• The Buckskin Lady (1957)
• The Proud Rebel (1958)
• The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958)
• The Buccaneer (1958)
• Master of the World (1961)
• The Chase (1966)
• "Thomas And Friends" (1984 - 1995)

External links

• Henry Hull at the Internet Movie Database
• Henry Hull at the Internet Broadway Database
• Henry Hull at preservehollywood.org
• Henry Hull at Find a Grave