Paul Hartman

Paul Hartman
Hartman with Fay Wray in The Pride of the Family, 1953.
Born	(1904-03-01)March 1, 1904 San Francisco, California
Died	October 2, 1973(1973-10-02) (aged 69) Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–1972
Spouse	Grace Hartman

Paul Hartman (March 1, 1904–October 2, 1973) was an American dancer, stage performer and television character actor.

Biography

Born in San Francisco, California, Hartman, like Fred Astaire, began performing as a dancer with his sister. In 1922, he teamed up with Grace Barrett for a long and successful dancing comedy vaudeville act that consisted of them both paying homage to and gently mocking the popular dances of the day, from ballet to swing. The two married in 1927.

Along with Grace, Paul made his Broadway debut in Ballyhoo of 1932 alongside Bob Hope, but the show was not a success. The two found success with Cole Porter's Red Hot and Blue a few years later, and continued to flourish on the Great White Way. The main premise of their act involved the crisp and witty Grace overwhelming the gangly, slackjawed Paul, intermittently cut with dance numbers and musical comedy routines.

The Hartmans' success led them to Hollywood, but Paul only saw limited success there, most prominently appearing alongside Frank Sinatra and Victor Borge in 1943's Higher and Higher. Upon the Hartmans' return to Broadway, they resolved to take charge and write their own revue. 1948's Angel in the Wings was a smash success, and both Hartmans were named best lead performer at the first ever Tony Awards held that same year.

The two were then offered a sitcom on NBC, and The Hartmans (at Home) showed promise, but audiences didn't take to the show, which often featured canned scripts and little opportunity for the couple to show off their physical and musical abilities. Paul and Grace returned to Broadway, where they spent three years in a number of variety shows and revues.

Hartman's wife Grace was diagnosed with cancer in 1952. She died in 1955. Television and Hollywood had once again risen to the top of the entertainment world, and the convenience of television shooting and a quick paycheck lured Paul out to Los Angeles once more. Hartman began appearing in the 1953-1954 ABC situation comedy, The Pride of the Family, as Albie Morrison, the father and head of the household. Fay Wray, formerly on King Kong, played his wife, Catherine, and Natalie Wood and Robert Hyatt played his children, Ann and Junior Morrison, respectively. Hartman also appeared with Robert Morse in the 1967 film version of "How To Suceed In Business Without Really Trying." Hartman returned one last time to Broadway in 1957, but then past 50, he tired of the hectic stage life. He continued to play bit parts in movies and television throughout the rest of his life, most famously as handyman Emmett Clark on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. In a nod to his earlier life, he is seen doing a dance routine at Howard Sprague's party in the Andy Griffith episode "The Wedding", and in the RFD episode "The Charity", he can be seen doing a soft shoe routine with costar Ken Berry. In addition, he had small parts on Petticoat Junction, Love, American Style, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Ben Casey, The Twilight Zone, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Family Affair and many other shows. He is also notable for roles in films such as Inherit the Wind (1960).

Hartman died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California at the age of 69.

External links

• Paul Hartman at Find a Grave
• Paul Hartman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Paul Hartman at IMDb