Richard Comstock Hart (April 14, 1915 – January 2, 1951) was an American actor, who appeared in film and TV productions, but was most active on stage.

Biography

Early years

Born in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, Hart was the son and grandson of Henry Clay Hart and Richard Borden Comstock, leading Rhode Island lawyers. He went to

Moses Brown School Moses Brown School is an independent, Quaker, college preparatory school, currently with 774 students, located in Providence, Rhode Island,offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1784 by Moses Brown, a Quaker ab ...

and

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

, where he was an all-American soccer player. Richard's brother Henry became the husband of Leatrice Gilbert, daughter of the Hollywood stars John Gilbert and

Leatrice Joy Leatrice Joy (born Leatrice Johanna Zeidler; November 7, 1893 – May 13, 1985) was an American actress most prolific during the silent film era. Early life Joy was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to dentist Edward Joseph Zeidler. She at ...

Early acting career

Hart first worked as a journalist and at the Gorham Silver Company before becoming seriously interested in acting through a summer theater in

Tiverton, Rhode Island Tiverton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,359 at the 2020 census. Geography Tiverton is located on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, across the Sakonnet River from Aquidneck Island (also ...

. He was holidaying in the town and heard they needed a male juvenile. He got the job and decided to become an actor.Witch-Boy Commands Speedy Recognition; Notes of the Theater The Washington Post 8 Feb 1945: 5. Early in his career, "Hart earned as he learned by appearing in radio soap operas." Hart gained early experience with the Providence Players. He appeared opposite

Constance Bennett Constance Campbell Bennett (October 22, 1904 – July 24, 1965) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress and producer. She was a major Cinema of the United States, Hollywood star during the 1920s and 1930s; during the early 193 ...

in a production of '' Without Love''. He also performed with the Shoestring Players in Rhode Island. At Provincetown he was in ''Only the Heart'' by

Horton Foote Albert Horton Foote Jr. (March 14, 1916March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received Academy Awards for ''To Kill a Mockingbird'', which was adapted from the 1960 novel of the same name by Harper Lee, and the film, '' ...

Broadway

Hart went to New York to study with Tamara Daykarhanova's School for the Stage. He appeared on Broadway in ''Pillar to Post'' (1943-1944), which ran 31 performances. Hart's big break came when, as resident juvenile in a summer theater at the Brattle Playhouse in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

, he played John (the witch boy), the lead role in a new play trying out there, '' Dark of the Moon''. The Shuberts took it to Broadway (1945), keeping little of the original company except Carol Stone (who played Barbara Allen) and Hart, who went on to win a Theatre World Award for his debut. A Broadway run of 318 performances then led to a national tour and a contract for Hart with

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro ...

MGM

Hart made his film debut in ''

Desire Me ''Desire Me'' is a 1947 American romantic drama film starring Robert Mitchum and Greer Garson. It had a troubled production that included numerous directors and rewrites, and was released without a credited director. Plot In Paris, Marise Au ...

'' (1947) where he appeared alongside

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the homef ...

and

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

. Hart replaced Robert Montgomery in his role after that actor quarrelled with

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

. The movie had a troublesome production; after poor previews almost half of it was reshot. In between the original film and the reshoots Hart appeared in '' Green Dolphin Street'' (1947), where he was loved by two sisters, played by

Lana Turner Julia Jean "Lana" Turner ( ; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. ...

and

Donna Reed Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in ...

. Hart's third film for MGM was ''

B.F.'s Daughter ''B.F.'s Daughter'' is a 1948 drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin. It was adapted from John P. Marquand's 1946 novel of the same name, about a prominent couple whose marital tensions come to a boi ...

'' (1948), as the jilted first love of the title character, played by

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...

. He went over to

Eagle-Lion Films Eagle-Lion Films was the name of two distinct, though related, companies. In 1944, UK film magnate J. Arthur Rank created an American distribution company with the name to handle his British films. The following year, under a reciprocal distrib ...

to appear in ''

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the French First Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and Capital punishment in France, nu ...

'' (1949), a

Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of ''Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Paramo ...

production set during the French Revolution directed by

Anthony Mann Anthony Mann (born Emil Anton Bundsmann; June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967) was an American film director and stage actor. He came to prominence as a skilled director of ''Film noirs, film noir'' and Western film, Westerns, and for his Epic film ...

Return to Broadway

Hart left MGM to go back to the stage. Back on Broadway he appeared in a flop, ''Leaf and Bough'' (1949) (co-starring

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

), then in April 1949 took over for

Sam Wanamaker Samuel Wanamaker (born Samuel Wattenmacker; June 14, 1919 – December 18, 1993) was an American actor and director, whose career on stage and in film and television spanned five decades. He began his career on Broadway theatre, Broadway, but sp ...

in ''Goodbye, My Fancy'' (1948-1949) which ran for 446 performances in all. Hart had a hit as the original Uncle Desmonde in ''The Happy Time'' (1950-1951) opposite Claude Dauphin and

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite. Gabor voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the Disney animations ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), and ''The Rescuers Down Under'' ...

which ran 614 performances. Hart had to leave the show during its run because of his TV commitments.

Television

While acting on Broadway, Hart was busy in television. He appeared in episodes of ''

The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Gol ...

'' ("Dark of the Moon"), '' The Clock'' ("Expert Opinion"), ''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (later known as ''Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Jane Wyman Theatre, The Jane Wyman Show'' and ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the firs ...

'' ("Heartbeat/Mardi Gras"), ''

The Ford Theatre Hour ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 195 ...

'' ("Outward Bound", "She Loves Me Not"), ''

The Silver Theatre ''The Silver Theatre'' is an American television program, television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 3, 1949, to June 26, 1950, and was hosted by Conrad Nagel. It was also known as ''Silver Theater''. Most of the show's episodes ...

'' ("Star over Bridgeport"), '' Masterpiece Playhouse'', ("Hedda Gabler"), ''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948, and ended on Sept ...

'' ("Redemption", an adaptation of "

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

", "Kyra Zelas", "The Light That Failed", "The Passionate Pilgrim"). In October 1950, Hart began playing

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1928 by the American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971). It is also the name of their main fictional detective, a mystery writer in New York City ...

in the

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in ...

series ''

The Adventures of Ellery Queen ''The Adventures of Ellery Queen'' is the title of two separate television series made in the 1950s. They are based on the fictional detective Ellery Queen and the cases he solves with his father Inspector Richard Queen. ''The Adventures of Ell ...

'' — the first to do so on TV.RICHARD HART, 35, ACTOR, SUCCUMBS: Leading Player on Television, Stage and Screen Stricken With a Heart Attack Talbot. New York Times 4 Jan 1951: 30.

Lee Bowman Lee Bowman (December 28, 1914 – December 25, 1979) was an American film and television actor. According to one obituary, "his roles ranged from romantic lead to worldly, wisecracking lout in his most famous years". Career Born in Cincinnati, ...

took over the role when Hart died.

Personal life

In 1938, Hart married his teenage sweetheart, Eugenia Getchell; they had one son, Christopher, now Christopher Rawson. Hart's desire to work in New York City led to a divorce from his wife, who chose to stay in Providence with Christopher in 1942. Hart later married actress Louise Valery, whom he had met in ''Dark of the Moon''; they had two daughters, Hillary and Sheila. While Hart was estranged from Louise, "reportedly, in 1947, a son, Richard Lee Hart, was born out of wedlock with Phyllis Eileen Buswell." He reportedly lived with actress

Felicia Montealegre Felicia Montealegre Bernstein ( Felicia María Cohn Montealegre; February 6, 1922 – June 16, 1978) was an American actress born in Costa Rica.National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Decimal Files, compiled 1910–1949; ...

during the last four years of his life. He shows up briefly as her boyfriend in

Maestro (2023 film) ''Maestro'' is a 2023 American biographical romantic drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with ...

Death

Hart died at French Hospital of a

coronary occlusion A coronary occlusion, or coronary artery disease, is the partial or complete Coronary artery disease, obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition was first discussed in 1910 by William Osler, Sir William Osler. This condition s ...

on January 2, 1951. He was 35 years old.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * Christopher Rawson

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 21, 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Richard 1915 births 1951 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Providence, Rhode Island Brown University alumni Theatre World Award winners American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players 20th-century American male actors Moses Brown School alumni Burials at Swan Point Cemetery