---
name: "Hugh Marlowe"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/hugh-marlowe"
fi1m_id: "hugh-marlowe"
imdb_id: "nm0549280"
tmdb_id: 10609
wikidata_id: "Q1334264"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "30 January 1911"
died: "2 May 1982"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 84
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-25T05:00:17.833667+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Hugh Marlowe

## Identity

Hugh Marlowe

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/hugh-marlowe
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** hugh-marlowe
- **IMDb ID:** nm0549280
- **TMDB ID:** 10609
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1334264
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Marlowe, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1334264, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0549280/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10609

Actor. Born 30 January 1911 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Died 2 May 1982.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 30 January 1911, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- **Died:** 2 May 1982
- **Active:** 1944–1960
- **Also known as:** Hugh Herbert Hipple, Хʼю Марлоу
- **Frequently works with:** [Darryl F. Zanuck](https://film.one/person/darryl-f-zanuck.md), [Dean Jagger](https://film.one/person/dean-jagger.md), [Gary Merrill](https://film.one/person/gary-merrill.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 85 (2), 1950s 86 (2), 1960s 78 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 83 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Action 1, Comedy 1, Family 1, Romance 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $31m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Marlowe, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1334264, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0549280/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10609

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*All About Eve*](https://film.one/film/all-about-eve.md) (90)
- **Tubi:** [*Meet Me in St. Louis*](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis.md) (87)
- **Pluto TV:** [*Elmer Gantry*](https://film.one/film/elmer-gantry.md) (78)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Hugh Marlowe

> A 20th Century Fox contract player cast for gravity and never allowed to put it down. Hugh Marlowe stood beside the lead for two decades, grave and unsmiling, and the films that used him best did not ask him to explain it.

Hugh Marlowe stands a little behind the star, hands still, jaw set, and says his lines as though someone in authority had approved them first. It is the same man in a bomber group, a Broadway drawing room and a flying-saucer picture: sombre, courteous, not given to smiling. Directors cast him for it, and there is a trade term for what they were buying. He was the humourless foil, the serious secondary man whose job is to be right about something nobody wants to hear.

He came to it by way of radio, where he had been an announcer, and the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse in the 1930s; his first film role was in 1936 and he played the title part in early radio *Adventures of Ellery Queen*. There is an early appearance as Colonel Darly in *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), then the contract at Fox, where the useful years are: Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately in *Twelve O'Clock High* (1949), the playwright Lloyd Richards in *All About Eve* (1950), Tom Stevens in *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951), and Howard Hawks's *Monkey Business* (1952). *Elmer Gantry* (1960) came later, as the Reverend Philip Garrison, and after that television, including a regular part on *Another World* from 1969 until he died in 1982.

The best of him is in *Twelve O'Clock High*. Gately is the officer Gregory Peck's Savage singles out for contempt and puts in charge of the Leper Colony, the crew of men nobody else wants, and Marlowe plays the humiliation with his mouth shut. We found ourselves watching him at the edge of Peck's scenes and wanting Henry King to cut to him and stay there, because the face was doing the work and the script kept moving on. It is the hardest part in the film and the one given least help, and he does not drop it. In *All About Eve* he has less to do, holding his ground in Mankiewicz's fierce company while the wit goes past him, which is what Lloyd Richards is for.

The limit is the same thing seen from the other side. Marlowe was typecast as the archetype of 1950s solemnity, and Hawks in *Monkey Business* uses the gravity as the joke, the man who will not laugh at anything. In the science-fiction films the sombre delivery lent every line a weight it did not always deserve, which is why those films still cast men like him. He was never the lead, and the studio system did not seem to think he should be.

Start with *Twelve O'Clock High*, and look past Peck. Then *The Day the Earth Stood Still*, to see what the seriousness was for when the film believed in it. He is the sort of actor we noticed on the third viewing, which is not a complaint; for the first two we were meant to be watching someone else.

## Biography

Hugh Marlowe (born Hugh Herbert Hipple) was an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 30 January 1911 and died in New York City on 2 May 1982.

Marlowe began his stage career in the 1930s at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. He worked in radio, stage, film and television, and appeared in films including *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), *Twelve O'Clock High* (1949), *All About Eve* (1950) as Lloyd Richards, *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951), *Monkey Business* (1952), *Earth vs. the Flying Saucers* (1956), *Elmer Gantry* (1960), *Birdman of Alcatraz* (1962) and *Seven Days in May* (1964).

From 1969 until his death he was a regular on the daytime soap opera *Another World*, playing Jim Matthews.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Elmer Gantry* (1960), Fi1m 78, as Rev. Philip Garrison — [page](https://film.one/film/elmer-gantry.md)
- *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951), Fi1m 82, as Tom Stevens — [page](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still.md)
- *All About Eve* (1950), Fi1m 90, as Lloyd Richards — [page](https://film.one/film/all-about-eve.md)
- *Twelve O'Clock High* (1949), Fi1m 83, as Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately — [page](https://film.one/film/twelve-oclock-high.md)
- *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), Fi1m 87, as Colonel Darly — [page](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Last Shot You Hear* (1969), as Charles Nordeck
- *How to Steal the World* (1968), as Grant
- *Judd, for the Defense* (1967), series, Actor
- *Castle of Evil* (1966), as Doc Corozal
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, as Grant
- *Another World* (1964), series, Actor
- *Seven Days in May* (1964), as Harold McPherson
- *Arrest and Trial* (1963), series, Actor
- *13 Frightened Girls* (1963), as John Hull
- *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Harold
- *The Virginian* (1962), series, as Clay Billings, Ed Wells
- *Birdman of Alcatraz* (1962), as Roy Comstock
- *The Long Rope* (1961), as Jonas Stone
- *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960), series, as Mr. Maxwell
- *Elmer Gantry* (1960), as Rev. Philip Garrison — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/elmer-gantry.md)
- *Rawhide* (1959), series, as Sam Garner
- *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Brander Harris, Cmdr. James Edward Page, Jarvis Baker, Ernest Stone, Doctor Lambert, Guy Munford
- *The Black Whip* (1956), as Lorn Crawford
- *Earth vs. the Flying Saucers* (1956), as Dr. Russell A. Marvin
- *World Without End* (1956), as John Borden
- *Matinee Theater* (1955), series, Actor
- *Illegal* (1955), as Ray Borden
- *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Harold Skinner, Rev. Richard Fell, District Attorney Bernard Butler, Baxter, Dr. Ralph Mannick
- *Climax!* (1954), series, as Jim Dekker
- *Garden of Evil* (1954), as John Fuller
- *Casanova's Big Night* (1954), as Stefano Di Gambetta
- *The Stand at Apache River* (1953), as Colonel Morsby
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Fred Rutledge
- *Way of a Gaucho* (1952), as Don Miguel Aleondo
- *Monkey Business* (1952), as Hank Entwhistle
- *Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie* (1952), as Ed Jordan
- *Diplomatic Courier* (1952), as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- *Bugles in the Afternoon* (1952), as Capitano Garnett
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as Frank
- *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951), as Tom Stevens — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still.md)
- *Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell* (1951), as Reverend Watson
- *Rawhide* (1951), as Rafe Zimmerman
- *All About Eve* (1950), as Lloyd Richards — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/all-about-eve.md)
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Rev. Spence, Oliver
- *Night and the City* (1950), as Adam Dunn
- *Twelve O'Clock High* (1949), as Lieutenant Colonel Ben Gately — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/twelve-oclock-high.md)
- *Come to the Stable* (1949), as Robert Masen
- *Studio One* (1948), series, as Howard Vining, Harry Radcliff
- *The Philco Television Playhouse* (1948), series, Actor
- *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), as Colonel Darly — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/meet-me-in-st-louis.md)
- *Mrs. Parkington* (1944), as John Marbey
- *Marriage Is a Private Affair* (1944), as Joesph I. Murdock
- *For God and Country* (1943), as Mark Richards
- *Between Two Women* (1937), as Priest
- *Married Before Breakfast* (1937), as Kenneth
- *It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)* (1936), as Edward Forrest
- *The Jonker Diamond* (1936), as Younger Jonker
- *Brilliant Marriage* (1936), as Richard G. Taylor, III

## Gallery

- ![Hugh Marlowe](https://film.one/media/person/105021/gallery-2cb4a1a029d2.jpg) Hugh Marlowe — unknown (20th Century Fox), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Hugh_Marlowe_in_All_About_Eve.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Original theatrical release poster for the 1950 film All About Eve.](https://film.one/media/person/105021/gallery-7bcebdce1c6f.jpg) Original theatrical release poster for the 1950 film All About Eve. — "Copyright 1950 By Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.", Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/All_About_Eve_%281950_poster%29.jpg/1280px-All_About_Eve_%281950_poster%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Original theatrical release poster for the 1950 film All About Eve.](https://film.one/media/person/105021/gallery-68596ec9712a.jpg) Original theatrical release poster for the 1950 film All About Eve. — "Copyright 1950 By Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.", Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/All_About_Eve_%281950_poster_-_retouch%29.jpg/1280px-All_About_Eve_%281950_poster_-_retouch%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lana Turner and Hugh Marlowe in Marriage is a Private Affair (1944)](https://film.one/media/person/105021/gallery-69fad2ae9af6.jpg) Lana Turner and Hugh Marlowe in Marriage is a Private Affair (1944) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Lana_Turner_and_Hugh_Marlowe.jpg/1280px-Lana_Turner_and_Hugh_Marlowe.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Photo of Santos Ortega as Inspector Queen (father of Ellery), Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen and Marian Shockley as Ellery's asistant, Nikki, from the radio progr (1939)](https://film.one/media/person/105021/gallery-bd47d34ab2e9.jpg) Photo of Santos Ortega as Inspector Queen (father of Ellery), Hugh Marlowe as Ellery Queen and Marian Shockley as Ellery's asistant, Nikki, from the radio progr (1939) — CBS Radio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Santos_Ortega_Hugh_Marlowe_Marian_Shockley_Ellery_Queen_on_radio_1939.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/hugh-marlowe