Jack Haley

For other people named Jack Haley, see Jack Haley (disambiguation).

Jack Haley
Haley in Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)
Born	John Joseph Haley August 10, 1898(1898-08-10) Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died	June 6, 1979(1979-06-06) (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Actor, vaudevillian
Years active	1927–79
Spouse	Florence McFadden (1921-79; his death); 2 children

John Joseph "Jack" Haley (August 10, 1898 – June 6, 1979) was an American stage, radio, and film actor best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and Kansas farmworker Hickory in The Wizard of Oz.

Biography

Career

Haley (far left) in a trailer for Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)

Haley starred in vaudeville as a song-and-dance comedian. One of his closest friends was fellow vaudeville alumnus Fred Allen, who would frequently mention "Mr. Jacob Haley of Newton Highlands, Massachusetts" on the air. In the early 1930s Haley starred in comedy shorts for Vitaphone in Brooklyn, New York. His wide-eyed, good-natured expression landed him supporting roles in musical feature films like Poor Little Rich Girl with Shirley Temple, Higher and Higher with Frank Sinatra and the Irving Berlin musical Alexander's Ragtime Band. Both Poor Little Rich Girl and Alexander's Ragtime Band were released by Twentieth Century-Fox. Haley was under contract to them at the time, and also appeared in the Fox films Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Pigskin Parade, the latter marking his first appearance with Judy Garland.

Haley returned to musical comedies in the 1940s. Most of his '40s work was for RKO Radio Pictures. He surrendered the job in 1947 when he refused to appear in a remake of RKO's old story property Seven Keys to Baldpate; Phillip Terry took the role.

"The Tin Man": The Wizard of Oz

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer hired Haley for The Wizard of Oz after another song-and-dance comic, Buddy Ebsen, who was originally set to play the Tin Man, had a near-fatal reaction from inhaling the aluminum dust makeup. This character was known as the Tin Woodman in the original book. The makeup was switched to a paste, to avoid risking the same reaction for Haley. The new makeup did cause an eye infection which caused Haley to miss four days of filming, but he received treatment in time to prevent permanent damage. Haley did not take to the makeup or to the discomfort of the costume very kindly. When being interviewed about the film years later by Tom Snyder, he remarked that many people had commented that making the film must have been fun. Haley's reply: "Like hell it was; it was work!" Haley's natural voice (which he used for the "Hickory" character) was moderately gruff. For the Tin Woodman, he spoke more softly, which he later said was the tone of voice he used when reading stories to his children. Oz was one of Haley's two MGM films (the other was Pick a Star , a 1937 Hal Roach production distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer).

Personal life

Haley (second from left) on May 30, 1979, one week before his death

Haley was raised Roman Catholic. He married Florence McFadden, a native of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on February 25, 1921, and they remained married until his death. Flo Haley opened a successful beauty shop and counted many show people among her customers. (The establishment became known informally as "Flo Haley's House of Correction.")

The couple had one son, Jack Haley, Jr. (later a successful film producer) and one daughter, Gloria. Jack Haley, Jr. was married to Liza Minnelli, daughter of his father's Oz co-star Judy Garland, in 1974. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979. Haley, Jr. died in 2001.

In 1972, Haley made his daughter, Gloria, the sole owner of his written memoirs. In 1978, she published them in the form of the hardcover book Heart of the Tin Man. Gloria Haley-Parnassus died on May 1, 2010. She is survived by her daughter Adrienne and her son Barry.

Jack Haley and his wife Flo were the Godparents to Miel Roman, the daughter of singer Dick Roman and model Honey Merrill Roman. He was the uncle of Republican congressman Bob Dornan.

Death

Jack and Florence Haley's grave at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California. Their son, Jack Haley, Jr., is buried next to them.

Haley died of a heart attack on June 6, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, aged 80. Only a short time previously, he had made an appearance at that year's Academy Awards ceremony with Ray Bolger, who had played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. He was still active only a week prior to his death. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.

Filmography

Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6435 Hollywood Blvd.

Features

• Broadway Madness (1927)
• Follow Thru (1930)
• Mr. Broadway (1933)
• Sitting Pretty (1933)
• Here Comes the Groom (1934)
• Spring Tonic (1935)
• Redheads on Parade (1935)
• The Girl Friend (1935)
• Coronado (1935)
• F-Man (1936)
• Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
• Pigskin Parade (1936)
• Mister Cinderella (1936)
• Pick A Star (1937)
• She Had to Eat (1937)
• Wake Up and Live (1937)
• Danger - Love at Work (1937)
• Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937) (Cameo)
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
• Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)
• Hold That Co-ed (1938)
• Thanks for Everything (1938)
• The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Moon Over Miami (1941)
• Navy Blues (1941) (Haley's only film for Warner Brothers)
• Beyond the Blue Horizon (1942)
• Higher and Higher (1943)
• Take It Big (1944)
• One Body Too Many (1944)
• Scared Stiff (1945)
• George White's Scandals (1945)
• Sing Your Way Home (1945)
• People Are Funny (1946)
• Vacation in Reno (1946)
• Norwood (1970)
• New York, New York (1977) (uncredited cameo)

Short Subjects

• Then Came the Yawn (1932)
• Wrongorilla (1933)
• Hollywood on Parade No. A-9 (1933)
• Salt Water Daffy (1933)
• Screen Snapshots: Famous Fathers and Sons (1946)
• Screen Snapshots: The Skolsky Party (1946)

External links

• Jack Haley at the Internet Movie Database
• Jack Haley at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jack Haley at Find a Grave