Young George Hall

ATMachine

Member
Saw these photos on an eBay auction and had to nab them, as a fan of Old Indy.

This is a publicity still of George Hall in the mid-1940s, around the time he was making his Broadway debut in the revue Call Me Mister (1946).

(The watermarks et al. are those of the eBay seller.)

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Handsome, eh?

Here's a publicity shot from Call Me Mister, where Hall is on the left:

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And another press image. Hall is just to the right of Betty Garrett here.

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On a more disquieting note... this is a clipping from 1955, when Hall testified as a "friendly witness" before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Apparently he was an ex-member of the Communist Party but now didn't hesitate to "name names" of fellow members in his local branch. (n)

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(I didn't bother buying that last one... it's still on eBay if anyone wants it.)
 

ATMachine

Member
Here's a link to George Hall's testimony before HUAC, available on the Internet Archive.

In his opening testimony he sums up his immigration to America and his acting career so far:

Mr. Tavenner. When and where were you born, Mr. Hall?

Mr. Hall. Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Tavenner. When did you come to this country ?

Mr. Hall. In 1938.

Mr. Tavenner. From Canada ?

Mr. Hall. Yes, sir.

Mr. Tavenner. Are you a naturalized American citizen?

Mr. Hall. Yes, sir. I became a citizen in Waco, Tex., February
1943, while I was in the United States Army.

Mr. Tavenner. For what period of time did you serve in the Armed
Forces of the United States ?

Mr. Hall. From 1942 to 1946, 3 years and 3 months and 14 days.

Mr. Tavenner. What is your occupation ?

Mr. Hall. I am an actor.

Mr. Tavenner. Do you reside in the city of New York ?

Mr. Hall. Yes, sir.

Mr. Tavenner. Where have you engaged in your occupation or
profession ? Has it been exclusively in the city of New York ?

Mr. Hall. No, sir. I have been practically all over the country in
the pursuit of my profession.

Mr. Tavenner. But New York has been your headquarters?

Mr. Hall. That is right ; yes, sir.

Mr. Tavenner. How long have you been engaged in the acting
profession professionally ?

Mr. Hall. Professionally in New York since 1946, but sort of semi-
professionally and amateurishly, I guess you might say all of my life,
all of my adult life.

Mr. Tavenner. Will you tell the committee, please, what your stage
credits have been ?

Mr. Hall. Call Me Mister, High Button Shoes, Insect Comedy,
Londoner, Touch and Go, Live Wire, An Anonymous Lover, Jones
Beach Spectacle, and Stockade ; and a great many things in stock and
what have you.

In New York specifically, I was in Call Me Mister, Londoner, Touch
and Go, The Insect Comedy, and The Live Wire, and the off-Broadway
production of Stockade.

Mr. Tavenner. Have you also been active in the field of television ?

Mr. Hall. Yes, sir.

Mr. Tavenner. Do you have any special television credits?

Mr. Hall. Well, I have been on the Ed Sullivan Show twice, on
Celebrity Time, many many times. And the last TV show I did was
the Man Behind the Badge, CBS production, and there have been
quite a few TV shows, and it is difficult to remember them all.

Mr. Tavenner. Have you also been engaged in the field of radio ?

Mr. Hall. Yes.

Mr. Tavenner. What radio programs have you engaged in ?

Mr. Hall. My radio activity has been mostly on the soap opera
called, Pepper Young's Family, which I have done on and off for quite
a number of years.

Mr. Tavenner. What was the first stage production that you took
part in ?

Mr. Hall. Call Me Mister.

Mr. Tavenner. When was that ?

Mr. Hall. The first New York professional production, in 1946.
 

Goodeknight

New member
Ooo, that chilling last one seems a must have for you. Why did you pass on it? We're just passing through history. That is history.
 

WilliamBoyd8

Active member
This George Hall might not be the same one who was "Old Indiana Jones".

The IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) "Young Indiana Jones" George Hall's credits include the British film "A Canterbury Tale" from 1944, but Canterbury's George Hall was a local police official.

IMDB George Hall (of "Young Indiana Jones")
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355598

IMDB lists around 20 George Halls.

:)
 

ATMachine

Member
goodeknight said:
Ooo, that chilling last one seems a must have for you. Why did you pass on it? We're just passing through history. That is history.
Your argument has compelled me... I bought the last photo as well. :p

I suppose Stoo will be jealous now....

PS: It does seem to be the "right" George Hall --- in his HUAC testimony he mentions being born in Toronto, in Canada, and having starred on Broadway in Call Me Mister in 1946. And we know "our" George Hall was from Toronto.
 
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Stoo

Well-known member
ATMachine said:
Saw these photos on an eBay auction and had to nab them, as a fan of Old Indy.
Nice score, ATMachine. Very unique. I also really appreciate the extra info you've posted since so little is known about the man. That testimony transcription is a gem...(Ex-Communist!)

I wonder what association the seller had with Mr. Hall and was he/she catering to fans of Old Indy? (Or possibly even fans of the "Remember WENN" series?):confused:
WilliamBoyd8 said:
This George Hall might not be the same one who was "Old Indiana Jones".
Oh, it's definitely him. One look at the top portrait photo made it immediately obvious to me. His smile is the same.:)
 

ATMachine

Member
Thanks, Stoo! The photos have arrived by now.... very nice they are. :D

The eBay sellers specialized in old Hollywood/Broadway photos of all sorts... not specifically George Hall. I only found them by doing a Google image search for George Hall in Call Me Mister (a connection suggested by the Internet Broadway Database). Once I saw the man in the photos, I recognized him straight away.
 

ATMachine

Member
I do wonder if his appearance before HUAC was motivated in part by being a Canadian by birth and becoming a naturalized American citizen during WWII - perhaps he was afraid they would revoke his citizenship and deport him if somebody else pointed a finger at him first. Still rather uncomfortable, though.
 
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