Richard Hale (born James Richards Hale; November 16, 1892 – May 18, 1981) was an American opera and concert singer and later a

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

of film, stage and television. Hale's appearance usually landed him roles as either Middle Eastern or Native American characters.

Life and career

Born in

Rogersville, Tennessee Rogersville is a town in, and the county seat of, Hawkins County, Tennessee, Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers (pioneer), Joseph Roger ...

, Hale attended

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

on a singing scholarship. Upon graduation in 1914, he turned down an offer to join Columbia's English department, choosing instead to join Minnie Maddern Fiske's theater group. Hale's 1921 debut at Aeolian Hall began a successful career in opera as a

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

; he toured Europe and the United States. The 1927 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' film review of '' The Unknown'' credits "Richard Hale, baritone" as singing "The Pirate's Frolic". During the 1930s, Hale performed at the Berkshire Playhouse in

Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridge is ...

. Hale also narrated ''

Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...

'' for

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, ...

, at Tanglewood, with

Serge Koussevitsky Sergei Alexandrovich KoussevitzkyKoussevitzky's original Russian forename is usually transliterated into English as either "Sergei" or "Sergey"; however, he himself adopted the French spelling "Serge", using it in his signature. (SeThe Koussevit ...

conducting. Hale was also the narrator for

Arthur Fiedler Arthur Fiedler (December 17, 1894 – July 10, 1979) was an American conductor known for his association with both the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one ...

's 1953 RCA recording of the same music with the

Boston Pops The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Sym ...

Actors Richard Hale and Ann Devorak in 1946 film Abilene Town

In later life, he turned more and more to acting. His most notable role was in the 1956 film '' Friendly Persuasion'', starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

. He was also notable as the Soothsayer who warns "Beware the Ides of March!" in the Shakespeare film ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 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 a civil war, ...

'' (1953). In ''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

'' his character's name was Richard Hale. Hale also appeared in ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'' (1962) as the sinister neighbour Nathan Radley. He was also known for his portrayal of Father Manuel Ferreira in ''

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima ''The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima'' is a Warner Color feature film made in 1952. It was promoted as a fact-based treatment of the events surrounding the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima, in Portugal, in 1917. It stars Susan Whitney as Lúc ...

''. He made four guest appearances on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', including murder victim George Lutts in 1957 in the show's third episode, "The Case of the Nervous Accomplice," and general store owner Robert Tepper in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Violent Village." He also appeared in television programs such as ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'' (as Judge Hookstratten in the episode "Bolt from the Blue" written and directed by Robert Altman and starring Roger Moore in which the "hanging judge" sings a mournful ballad near the opening and again at the closing of the episode), ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'', '' Rawhide'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'', '' Green Acres'', ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'', '' Bonanza'', '' Gunsmoke'', '' The Wild Wild West'' (as Sedgewick in the fourth-season episode "The Night of the Sedgewick Curse"), ''Star Trek'' (as Goro in the third-season episode "

The Paradise Syndrome "The Paradise Syndrome" is the third episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Margaret Armen and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast October 4, 1968. In the episode, an ...

"), ''Harry O'' (as Jud Kane in the second-season episode "Victim"), '' Adam-12'', ''

Here Come the Brides ''Here Come the Brides'' is an American comedy Western series from Screen Gems that aired on the ABC television network from September 25, 1968 to April 3, 1970. It was loosely based on Asa Mercer's efforts in the 1860s to import marriageable wo ...

'' (as Old Indian in the second-season episode "The Last Winter"), and as Uncle Gilbert on an episode of ''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

.'' His death, aged 88, was due to problems relating to cardiovascular disease.

Partial filmography

* ''

None Shall Escape ''None Shall Escape'' is a 1944 war film. Even though the film was made during World War II, the setting is a post-war Nuremberg-style war crimes trial. Alexander Knox plays Wilhelm Grimm, a Nazi officer who is on trial, and the story unfolds th ...

'' (1944) – Rabbi David Levin * ''

Knickerbocker Holiday ''Knickerbocker Holiday'' is a 1938 musical written by Kurt Weill (music) and Maxwell Anderson (book and lyrics); based loosely on Washington Irving's ''Knickerbocker's History of New York'' about life in 17th-century New Netherland (old New ...

'' (1944) – Tammany * '' The Girl in the Case'' (1944) – John Heyser * ''

Counter-Attack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

'' (1945) – Gen. Kalinev (uncredited) * '' A Thousand and One Nights'' (1945) – Kofir * ''

Abilene Town ''Abilene Town'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, Edgar Buchanan, Rhonda Fleming and Lloyd Bridges. Adapted from Ernest Haycox's 1941 novel ''Trail Town'', the production's ...

'' (1946) – Charlie Fair * ''

Badman's Territory ''Badman's Territory'' is a 1946 American Western film starring Randolph Scott. It was followed by the loose sequels '' Return of the Bad Men'' (1948) and ''Best of the Badmen'' (1951). Plot Just north of Texas and west of the Oklahoma borde ...

'' (1946) – Ben Wade * ''

The Devil's Mask ''The Devil's Mask'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Henry Levin and starring Anita Louise, Jim Bannon and Michael Duane. The film was the second of three B pictures based on the popular radio series '' I Love a Mystery''. As well a ...

'' (1946) – Curator Raymond Halliday (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Dared'' (1946) – Reginald Fogg * '' The Other Love'' (1947) – Professor Linnaker * ''Queen Esther'' (1948) – Mordecai * '' Port Said'' (1948) – Mario Giustano * ''Life of St. Paul Series'' (1949) – Sergius Paulus * ''

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend ''The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend'' is a 1949 romantic comedy Western film starring Betty Grable and featuring Cesar Romero and Rudy Vallee. It was directed by Preston Sturges and written by him based on a story by Earl Felton. The film ...

'' (1949) – Mr. Gus Basserman (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) – Himself (uncredited) * '' The Pilgrimage Play'' (1949) – Pontius Pilate * ''

Convicted In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is co ...

'' (1950) – Judge (uncredited) * '' The Desert Hawk'' (1950) – Imam – the Holy One (uncredited) * ''

Kim Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

'' (1950) – Hassan Bey * '' Inside Straight'' (1951) – Mr. Deering (uncredited) * '' Soldiers Three'' (1951) – Govind-Lal * ''

Night Into Morning ''Night Into Morning'' is a 1951 American drama film starring Ray Milland, John Hodiak and Nancy Davis. Plot Everything is going very well for college professor Phillip Ainley (Ray Milland), who has a loving wife and son and an offer to teach a ...

'' (1951) – Judge (uncredited) * '' The Law and the Lady'' (1951) – Sheriff (uncredited) * '' Angels in the Outfield'' (1951) – Dr. Blane, Psychiatrist (uncredited) * ''

The Unknown Man ''The Unknown Man'' is a 1951 American courtroom drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Walter Pidgeon, Ann Harding and Barry Sullivan. Plot Defense attorney Dwight Bradley Masen ( Walter Pidgeon) is successful in seeking the acqui ...

'' (1951) – Cocktail Party Guest (uncredited) * '' The Man with a Cloak'' (1951) – Durand * ''

Flame of Araby ''Flame of Araby'' (a.k.a. ''Flame of the Desert'') is a 1951 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Charles Lamont starring Maureen O'Hara and Jeff Chandler. British film star Maxwell Reed made his American film debut in the picture. ...

'' (1951) – King Chandra (uncredited) * ''

Young Man with Ideas ''Young Man with Ideas'' is a 1952 romantic comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Ruth Roman and Glenn Ford. It was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay concern a young small-town lawyer, who moves his family from Monta ...

'' (1952) – Vishto (uncredited) * ''

Scaramouche Scaramouche () or Scaramouch (; from Italian Scaramuccia , literally "little skirmisher") is a stock clown character of the 16th-century commedia dell'arte (comic theatrical arts of Italian literature). The role combined characteristics of the ...

'' (1952) – Perigore * '' When in Rome'' (1952) – Professor Homer Sandway (uncredited) * ''

'' (1952) – Father Ferreira * '' Caribbean'' (1952) – Ship's Doctor (uncredited) * ''

Springfield Rifle The term Springfield rifle may refer to any one of several types of small arms produced by the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the United States armed forces. In modern usage, the term "Springfield rifle" most commonly ref ...

'' (1952) – Gen. Halleck (uncredited) * '' Rogue's March'' (1953) – Igor – Russian Emissary * '' San Antone'' (1953) –

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

* ''

'' (1953) – Soothsayer * '' The Vanquished'' (1953) – Colonel (uncredited) * '' Sea of Lost Ships'' (1953) – Captain Welch * '' The Diamond Queen'' (1953) – Gabriel Tavernier * '' Red Garters'' (1954) – Dr. J. Pott Troy * '' Passion'' (1954) – Don Domingo (uncredited) * ''

Drum Beat A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes ...

'' (1954) – General Sherman (uncredited) * ''

Jupiter's Darling ''Jupiter's Darling'' is a 1955 American Eastman Color musical romance film released by MGM and directed by George Sidney filmed in CinemaScope. It starred Esther Williams as the Roman woman Amytis, Howard Keel as Hannibal, the Carthaginian mi ...

'' (1955) – Auctioneer (uncredited) * '' Canyon Crossroads'' (1955) – Joe Rivers * '' Moonfleet'' (1955) – Starkill * '' A Man Alone'' (1955) – Judge Witham (uncredited) * ''

Pillars of the Sky ''Pillars of the Sky'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Jeff Chandler and Dorothy Malone. Plot Oregon Country 1868: Indians of many tribes trust Sgt. Emmett Bell, who rides into Dr. Joseph ...

'' (1956) – Isaiah * '' Friendly Persuasion'' (1956) – Purdy * '' Short Cut to Hell'' (1957) – AT * '' Voice in the Mirror'' (1958) – Gaunt Man (uncredited) * '' Ben-Hur'' (1959) – Gaspar (uncredited) * ''

Sergeants 3 ''Sergeants 3'' is a 1962 American comedy/Western film directed by John Sturges and starring Rat Pack icons Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. It was the last film to feature all five members of the Ra ...

'' (1962) – White Eagle * ''

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

'' (1962) – Tyrus * ''

'' (1962) – Nathan Radley * '' Good Neighbor Sam'' (1964) – Mr. Bernier (uncredited) * '' Scandalous John'' (1971) – Old Indian * ''The Limit'' (1972) – Man in Park * ''

One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In ...

'' (1973) – Old Indian * ''

Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins ''Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins'' is a 1975 American comedy-drama film directed by Dick Richards and written by John Kaye. The film was the second film credit for Jerry Bruckheimer, who was an associate producer. The film features the song "H ...

'' (1975) – Reverend Culpepper – The Jesus Freak * ''

Escape to Witch Mountain ''Escape to Witch Mountain'' is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' in 1975 which spawned the ''Witch Mountain'' franchise. The novel was illustrated by ...

'' (1975) – Bolt's Servant (uncredited) * '' Family Plot'' (1976) – A.A. Adamson (uncredited) * '' Evil Town'' (1977) – Lester Wylie

References

External links

* *
Richard Hale
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, Richard 1892 births 1981 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors 20th-century American male opera singers People from Rogersville, Tennessee