John Hodiak
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2010) |
John Hodiak | |
---|---|
in A Lady Without Passport (1950) | |
Born | John Hodiak April 16, 1914 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | October 19, 1955 Tarzana, California, U.S. | (aged 41)
Cause of death | Coronary thrombosis |
Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Block 303, Crypt D-1, of the main mausoleum |
Years active | 1939–1955 |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
John Hodiak (April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film.
Early life
Hodiak was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Walter Hodiak (October 25, 1888 – August 21, 1962) and Anna Pogorzelec (February 28, 1888 – October 17, 1971). He was of Ukrainian and Polish descent.[1] Hodiak grew up in Hamtramck, Michigan.
Acting career
Hodiak had his first theatrical experience at age 11, acting in Ukrainian and Russian plays at the Ukrainian Catholic Church. From the moment he first appeared on the stage, he resolved to become an actor. Hodiak was not even swayed when as a third baseman on his local high school baseball team, he was offered a contract with a St. Louis Cardinals farm club. He turned the offer down.
Radio
When Hodiak first tried out for a radio acting job, he was turned down because of his accent. He became a caddy at a Detroit golf course, then worked at a Chevrolet automobile factory – and practiced his diction. When he conquered the diction hurdle, he became a radio actor and moved to Chicago. There Hodiak created the role of the comic strip character Li'l Abner on radio.[2] Hodiak also had the role of McCullough in the radio soap opera Girl Alone.[3]
Hollywood
Hodiak arrived in Hollywood in 1942 and signed a motion picture contract with MGM. He refused to change his name, saying, "I like my name. It sounds like I look."
Hodiak was cast in a few small parts at MGM. He then caught the eye of director Alfred Hitchcock and, on loan-out to 20th Century Fox, emerged as a major movie star in Lifeboat (1944) opposite Tallulah Bankhead. More big roles followed, notably that of Maj. Joppolo in A Bell For Adano (1945) opposite Gene Tierney.[2]
Despite his success, in 1949, a string of bad choices in film led to Hodiak being voted "box office poison" by exhibitors.[4]
In 1953, he played the Apache chief Cochise in the film Conquest of Cochise, with Robert Stack, Rico Alaniz, and Carol Thurston.
Broadway
In 1953, Hodiak went to New York and made his Broadway debut in The Chase. The play was a failure, but its star received fantastic critical notices. He then originated the role of Lieutenant Maryk in Paul Gregory's production of the play The Caine Mutiny Court Martial by Herman Wouk adapted from his novel The Caine Mutiny. The play ran for two years and Hodiak's portrayal brought him nationwide acclaim.
When the show closed after its U.S. tour, Hodiak began work on Trial (1955) at MGM, playing the prosecuting attorney. When it wrapped, he played Major Ward Thomas in On the Threshold of Space (1956) at 20th Century Fox.
Personal life
Hodiak and actress Anne Baxter married on July 7, 1946, and divorced on January 27, 1953. They had one daughter, Katrina Hodiak (born July 9, 1951), who became an actress.[2] Hodiak was a frequent visitor to the famous King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas. He and others were guests of Zachary Scott, whose sister had married into the ranch owner's family.
Death
At the age of 41, Hodiak suffered a fatal heart attack in the bathroom of the Tarzana, California home he had built for his parents.[5] He was shaving and getting ready to go to the studio to complete his scenes in On the Threshold of Space. It was later decided his performance was far enough along to release the movie. He is interred in Block 303, Crypt D-1, of the main mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles.
Legacy
Hodiak has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Boulevard, for his work in radio.
Filmography
- 1943 - A Stranger in Town ... Hart Ridges (Adams's landlord)
- 1943 - I Dood It ... Roy Hartwood
- 1943 - Swing Shift Maisie ... Clerk (uncredited)
- 1944 - Lifeboat ... John Kovac
- 1944 - Song of Russia ... Boris Bulganov
- 1944 - Maisie Goes to Reno ... Philip Francis "Flip" Hennahan
- 1944 - Marriage Is a Private Affair ... Lieutenant Tom Cochrane West
- 1944 - Sunday Dinner for a Soldier ... Sgt. Eric Moore
- 1945 - A Bell For Adano ... Maj. Victor P. Joppola
- 1946 - The Harvey Girls ... Ned Trent
- 1946 - Somewhere in the Night ... George W. Taylor
- 1946 - Two Smart People ... Ace Connors
- 1947 - The Arnelo Affair ... Tony Arnelo
- 1947 - Desert Fury ... Eddie Bendix
- 1947 - Love from a Stranger ... Manuel Cortez
- 1948 - Homecoming... Dr. Robert Sunday
- 1948 - Command Decision ... Col. Edward Rayton Martin
- 1949 - The Bribe ... Tugwell 'Tug' Hintten
- 1949 - Battleground ... Pvt. Donald Jarvess
- 1949 - Malaya ... Kellar
- 1950 - Ambush ... Capt. Ben Lorrison
- 1950 - A Lady Without Passport ... Pete Karczag
- 1950 - The Miniver Story ... Spike Romway
- 1951 - Night Into Morning ... Tom Lawry
- 1951 - The People Against O'Hara ... Louis Barra
- 1951 - Across the Wide Missouri ... Brecan
- 1952 - The Sellout ... Chick Johnson
- 1952 - Battle Zone ... Danny
- 1953 - Ambush at Tomahawk Gap ... McCord
- 1953 - Mission Over Korea ... Capt. George Slocum
- 1953 - Conquest of Cochise ... Cochise
- 1954 - Dragonfly Squadron ... Maj. Matthew Brady
- 1955 - Trial ... Dist. Atty. John J. Armstrong
- 1956 - On the Threshold of Space ... Maj. Ward Thomas (final film role)
Radio appearances
Year | Program | Episode/source |
---|---|---|
1952 | Suspense | The Big Heist[6] |
1953 | Suspense | Gold of the Adomar[7] |
1953 | Suspense | The Mountain[8] |
1961 | Hallmark Playhouse | The Desert Shall Rejoice[9] |
References
- ^ "Successor to Gable?". Big Springs Daily Herald. September 30, 1943. p. 4. Retrieved June 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Maltin 1994, p. 491.
- ^ Fairfax, Arthur (December 28, 1940). "Mr. Fairfax Replies" (PDF). Movie Radio Guide. 10 (12): 43. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Mary Armitage's Film Close-ups." Sunday Mail (Adelaide) Sunday Magazine Supplement, January 29, 1949, p. 3. Retrieved: May 18, 2013.
- ^ "Actor John Hodiak Dies Of Heart Attack at 41" Schenectady Gazette, October 20, 1955, p. 29.
- ^ Kirby, Walter (November 30, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 48. Retrieved June 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kirby, Walter (January 18, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 20, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kirby, Walter (March 15, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 46. Retrieved June 25, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Those Were the Days". Nostalgia Digest. 37 (4): 38–39. Autumn 2011.
Bibliography
- Maltin, Leonard. "John Hodiak". Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia. New York: Dutton, 1994. ISBN 0-525-93635-1.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1914 births
- 1955 deaths
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male radio actors
- American radio personalities
- Male actors from Pittsburgh
- American people of Polish descent
- American people of Ukrainian descent
- Donaldson Award winners
- People from Hamtramck, Michigan
- Male actors from Michigan
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
- Burials at Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles
- 20th-century American male actors