Samuel B. Hardy (March 21, 1883 – October 16, 1935) was an American stage and

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

who appeared in feature films during the silent and early

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

eras. Born in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, Hardy attended Yale but left there to become an actor on stage. He entered the world of film with

Biograph Studios Biograph Studios was an early film studio and laboratory complex, built in 1912 by the Biograph Company at 807 East 175th Street, in The Bronx, New York City, New York, which was preceded by two locations in Manhattan. History 841 Broadway ...

. Hardy appeared in about 85 movies between 1915 and 1935, he was often in comedic roles. His best-known role to modern audiences is perhaps Charles Weston, the theatrical agent, in the 1933 film classic ''

King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

''. Hardy appeared opposite Marie Cahill in the 1910 play '' Judy Forgot'' and the 1915 film adaptation. He raised funds for Harold Lloyd's venture with others, the Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals. Hardy became ill while he was working in the film ''Shoot the Chutes'', starring Eddie Cantor. He did not survive emergency surgery at a hospital and died of intestinal problems.

Partial filmography

* '' Judy Forgot'' (1915) - Freddy * ''Over Night'' (1915) - Percy Darling * '' At First Sight'' (1917) - Hartly Poole * ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' (1918) - Simon Legree * '' A Woman's Experience'' (1918) - George Roydant * '' Almost Married'' (1919) - Lt. James 'Jim' Winthrop Jr. * ''His Father's Wife'' (1919) - Lieutenant James 'Jim' Winthrop Jr. * '' Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford'' (1921) - J. Rufus Wallingford * '' Mighty Lak' a Rose'' (1923) - Jerome Trevor * '' Little Old New York'' (1923) - Cornelius Vanderbilt * ''

The Half-Way Girl ''The Half-Way Girl'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by John Francis Dillon that was filmed around the Jersey Shore. Plot As described in a film magazine reviews, Poppy La Rue is given a job in the hotel as “private hostess� ...

'' (1925) - Jardine * '' Bluebeard's Seven Wives'' (1925) - Gindelheim * '' When Love Grows Cold'' (1926) - William Graves * '' The Savage'' (1926) - Managing Editor * '' The Great Deception'' (1926) - Handy * ''

Prince of Tempters ''Prince of Tempters'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent romance film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Lois Moran, Ben Lyon, and Lya De Putti. It is based on the 1924 novel ''The Ex-Duke'' by the British writer E. Phillips Oppenheim. ...

'' (1926) - Apollo Beneventa * '' The Perfect Sap'' (1927) - Nick Fanshaw * '' Orchids and Ermine'' (1927) - Hank * '' High Hat'' (1927) - Tony * '' Broadway Nights'' (1927) - Johnny Fay * ''

The Life of Riley ''The Life of Riley'' is an American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, as well as two different television series, and a comic book. Radio series The radio program initially aired on the B ...

'' (1927) - Al Montague * ''

A Texas Steer ''A Texas Steer'' is a lost 1927 American silent film directed by Richard Wallace and starring Will Rogers. It was a cinematic adaptation from an eponymous play by Charles H. Hoyt.Mordaunt HallA Texas Steer (1927) ''The New York Times'', Janu ...

'' (1927) - Brassy Gall * '' Burning Up Broadway'' (1928) - Spike * '' Turn Back the Hours'' (1928) - 'Ace' Kearney * '' The Big Noise'' (1928) - Philip Hurd * '' Diamond Handcuffs'' (1928) - Spike * ''

The Butter and Egg Man ''The Butter and Egg Man'' is a 1925 play by George S. Kaufman, the only play he wrote without collaborating. It was a Broadway theatre, Broadway hit during the 1925–26 season at the Longacre Theatre. Adapted to film six times, it is still perf ...

'' (1928) - Joe Lehman * '' The Night Bird'' (1928) - Gleason * '' Outcast'' (1928) - Jack * '' Give and Take'' (1928) - Craig - the Industrialist * ''

The Rainbow ''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle for growt ...

'' (1929) - Derbyy Scanlon * '' The Rainbow Man'' (1929) - Doc Hardy * '' A Man's Man'' (1929) - Charlie * ''

On with the Show! ''On with the Show!'' is a 1929 American sound ( All-Talking) pre-Code musical film produced by Warner Bros. Filmed in two-color Technicolor, the film became the first all-talking, all-color feature-length film, and the second color film relea ...

'' (1929) - Jerry * ''

Big News ''Big News'' was a Philippine television news broadcasting show broadcast by ABC. Originally anchored by Duds Rivera and Bong Lapira, it aired from March 19, 1962 to September 22, 1972. The newscasts returned on February 24, 1992. The show conc ...

'' (1929) - Joe Reno * ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

'' (1929) - Dave Walker * ''

Acquitted In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal means that the criminal prosecution has failed to prove that the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charge presented. It certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an o ...

'' (1929) - Frank Egan * '' Mexicali Rose'' (1929) - Happy Manning * '' The Girl from Mexico'' (1929) * '' Burning Up'' (1930) - Windy 'Wally' Wallace * ''

Song of the West ''Song of the West'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical Western film produced by Warner Bros., and photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the 1928 Broadway musical ''Rainbow'' by Vincent Youmans (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (ly ...

'' (1930) - Davolo * ''

True to the Navy ''True to the Navy'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle for Paramount Pictures. The film stars Clara Bow as a counter girl at a San Diego drugstore with a predilection for sailors. Eventually, she sets her ...

'' (1930) - Brady * '' The Gay Nineties'' (1930)(*aka The Floradora Girl) - Harry Fontaine * ''

Borrowed Wives ''Borrowed Wives'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer. It stars silent performers Vera Reynolds, Rex Lease, and Sam Hardy (actor), Sam Hardy. It was distributed by Tiffany Pictures. Plot P ...

'' (1930) - G.W. Parker * ''The Leather Pushers'' (1930) - Rooney - Kane's Manager * ''

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

'' (1930) - J.B. Berkley * ''

June Moon ''June Moon'' is a play by George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner. Based on the Lardner short story "Some Like Them Cold," about a love affair that loses steam before it ever gets started, it includes songs with words and music by Lardner but is n ...

'' (1931) - Sam Hart * '' The Millionaire'' (1931) - McCoy * '' Annabelle's Affairs'' (1931) - James Ludgate * '' The Miracle Woman'' (1931) - Bob Hornsby * '' The Magnificent Lie'' (1931) - Larry * '' Peach O'Reno'' (1931) - Judge Jackson * '' The Dark Horse'' (1932) - Mr. Black * '' Make Me a Star'' (1932) - Jeff Baird * ''

The Phantom of Crestwood ''The Phantom of Crestwood'' is a 1932 American pre-Code murder-mystery film released by Radio Pictures, directed by J. Walter Ruben, and starring Ricardo Cortez, Karen Morley, Richard "Skeets" Gallagher, Anita Louise, H.B. Warner, and Pauli ...

'' (1932) - Pete Harris * ''

Face in the Sky ''Face in the Sky'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film starring Spencer Tracy and Stuart Erwin. The film was directed by Harry Lachman and released by Fox Film. Plot Two sign painters find themselves blackmailed by a beautiful woman dete ...

'' (1933) - Triplet The Great * ''

Goldie Gets Along ''Goldie Gets Along'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair and starring Lili Damita, Charles Morton and Sam Hardy. The screenplay was written by William A. Drake, based on the 1931 novel of the same title by ...

'' (1933) - Sam Muldoon * ''

'' (1933) - Charles Weston * '' The Big Brain'' (1933) - Slick Ryan * '' Three-Cornered Moon'' (1933) - Hawkins * '' Ann Vickers'' (1933) - Ignatz Spaulding * '' Curtain at Eight'' (1933) - Martin Gallagher - Captain of Detectives * '' Little Miss Marker'' (1934) - Benny the Gouge * ''

Aunt Sally Aunt Sally is a traditional England, English game usually played in Pub game, pub gardens and fairgrounds, in which players throw sticks or battens at a ball, known as a 'dolly', balanced on top of a stick; traditionally, a model of an old woma ...

'' (1934) - Michael 'King' Kelly * '' I Give My Love'' (1934) - Pogey * '' Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round'' (1934) - Jack Summers * '' Night Alarm'' (1934) - Editor Stephen Caldwell * '' The Gay Bride'' (1934) - Daniel J. Dingle * ''

Break of Hearts ''Break of Hearts'' is a 1935 RKO film starring Katharine Hepburn and Charles Boyer. The screenplay was written by the team of Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman, with Anthony Veiller, from a story by Lester Cohen, specifically for Hepburn ...

'' (1935) - Marx * '' Hooray for Love'' (1935) - Mr. Ganz - aka Abbey * '' Powdersmoke Range'' (1935) - Big Steve Ogden (final film role)

Bibliography

* Goldner, Orville & Turner, George Eugene. ''The Making of King Kong: The Story Behind a Film Classic''. A. S. Barnes, 1975. * Low, Rachael. ''History of the British Film: Filmmaking in 1930s Britain. George Allen & Unwin, 1985 .

References

External links

* *
Portrait gallery
(University of Washington, Sayre collection)
findagrave.com TRAVALANCHE: Sam Hardy: Friend of Fields from the Follies
Travalanche) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Sam 1883 births 1935 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from New Haven, Connecticut 20th-century American male actors RKO Pictures contract players