---
name: "Porter Hall"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/porter-hall"
fi1m_id: "porter-hall"
imdb_id: "nm0356004"
tmdb_id: 14975
wikidata_id: "Q3399241"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 September 1888"
died: "6 October 1953"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 86
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 9
updated: "2026-09-25T02:31:34.186084+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."
---

# Porter Hall

## Identity

Porter Hall

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/porter-hall
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** porter-hall
- **IMDb ID:** nm0356004
- **TMDB ID:** 14975
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3399241
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Hall, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3399241, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0356004/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14975

Actor. Born 18 September 1888 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Died 6 October 1953.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 September 1888, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- **Died:** 6 October 1953
- **Active:** 1934–1951
- **Also known as:** Clifford Porter Hall, 波特·霍尔
- **Frequently works with:** [Gene Lockhart](https://film.one/person/gene-lockhart.md), [Billy Wilder](https://film.one/person/billy-wilder.md), [Leo McCarey](https://film.one/person/leo-mccarey.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 86, as actor, over 9 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 86 (3), 1940s 86 (5), 1950s 87 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 88 to 84 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 8 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 8 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 6, Drama 5, Crime 3, Romance 3, Adventure 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 16 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $35m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Hall, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3399241, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0356004/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14975

## Streaming the US now

- **Pluto TV:** [*His Girl Friday*](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md) (90)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Ace in the Hole*](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md) (87)
- **Disney+:** [*Miracle on 34th Street*](https://film.one/film/miracle-on-34th-street.md) (85)

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

## Fi1m on Porter Hall

> Porter Hall gave nervous, irritable and pompous supporting men a sharpness we value. He was effective across comedy and drama, though the habit of casting him as unpleasant company could make his presence a little predictable.

Mr Jackson's caution in *Double Indemnity* (1944) is a good reason to notice Porter Hall. We tend to remember the nervous, ill-tempered and pompous men, but here is a supporting actor who could make simple wariness interesting. His characters need not be agreeable to be worth watching. We rate the clarity of his character work, particularly in films where the leading players give us plenty else to look at.

His film debut came in 1931, followed by steady character work through the 1930s and 1940s. In *His Girl Friday* (1940), where he plays Murphy, he is part of Howard Hawks's clamorous newspaper comedy. We laughed at Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell's sparring because of the precision with which they conduct it. Hawks makes the work attractive without pretending the people are decent. Hall fits comfortably into that unflattering company, although the leads remain the reason to begin here.

Preston Sturges casts him as Mr Hadrian in *Sullivan's Travels* (1941), another film with use for an actor practised in human self-importance. The filmmaker who thinks comedy beneath him supplies plenty of that, while Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake keep the comedy human. Hall's contribution belongs within that larger achievement; we would not mistake a good supporting turn for the main reason to see the film. Billy Wilder gives his cautious Mr Jackson a more distinctive place in *Double Indemnity*, and the part is worth seeking out for Hall himself.

Later came Granville Sawyer, the ill-tempered psychologist in *Miracle on 34th Street* (1947), and Jacob Q. Boot in Wilder's *Ace in the Hole* (1951). That return to Wilder is worth noting in a career that moved between comedy and drama without escaping typecasting. There is a limit to how often irritability alone can surprise us, and our appreciation of Hall comes with that reservation. His effectiveness in different kinds of film matters more than the sheer number of disagreeable men he played. Start with *Double Indemnity*, and give Mr Jackson a little of the attention usually reserved for the leads.

## Biography

Porter Hall was an American character actor. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he began his career as a stage actor and appeared in Broadway productions including *The Great Gatsby* in 1926. He made his film debut in the 1931 drama *Secrets of a Secretary*.

Hall appeared in numerous films during the 1930s and 1940s. He is credited as Mr. Jackson in *Double Indemnity* (1944). Other roles include Senator Monroe in *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), Murphy in *His Girl Friday* (1940), Granville Sawyer in *Miracle on 34th Street* (1947), and Herbert MacCaulay in *The Thin Man* (1934). His final screen appearance was in the 1954 film *Return to Treasure Island*, released after his death on 6 October 1953 in Los Angeles.

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

## On Fi1m (9)

- *Ace in the Hole* (1951), Fi1m 87, as Jacob Q. Boot — [page](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md)
- *Miracle on 34th Street* (1947), Fi1m 85, as Granville Sawyer — [page](https://film.one/film/miracle-on-34th-street.md)
- *Double Indemnity* (1944), Fi1m 92, as Mr. Jackson — [page](https://film.one/film/double-indemnity.md)
- *Going My Way* (1944), Fi1m 74, as Mr. Belknap — [page](https://film.one/film/going-my-way.md)
- *Sullivan's Travels* (1941), Fi1m 88, as Mr. Hadrian — [page](https://film.one/film/sullivans-travels.md)
- *His Girl Friday* (1940), Fi1m 90, as Murphy — [page](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md)
- *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), Fi1m 84, as Senator Monroe — [page](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md)
- *Make Way for Tomorrow* (1937), Fi1m 91, as Harvey Chase — [page](https://film.one/film/make-way-for-tomorrow.md)
- *The Thin Man* (1934), Fi1m 84, as Herbert MacCaulay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-thin-man.md)

## Complete filmography (76)

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

- *Return to Treasure Island* (1954), as Maximillian 'Maxie' Harris
- *Vice Squad* (1953), as Jack Hartrampf
- *Pony Express* (1953), as Jim Bridger
- *Four Star Playhouse* (1952), series, as J. R. Martin
- *Holiday for Sinners* (1952), as Louie
- *The Half-Breed* (1952), as Kraemer
- *Carbine Williams* (1952), as Sam Markley
- *Ace in the Hole* (1951), as Jacob Q. Boot — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/ace-in-the-hole.md)
- *Intruder in the Dust* (1949), as Nub Gowrie
- *The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend* (1949), as Judge O'Toole
- *Chicken Every Sunday* (1949), as Sam Howell
- *That Wonderful Urge* (1948), as Attorney Ketchell
- *You Gotta Stay Happy* (1948), as Mr. Caslon
- *Unconquered* (1947), as Leach
- *Singapore* (1947), as Mr. Bellows
- *Miracle on 34th Street* (1947), as Granville Sawyer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/miracle-on-34th-street.md)
- *Week-End at the Waldorf* (1945), as Stevens
- *Kiss and Tell* (1945), as Bill Franklin
- *Murder, He Says* (1945), as Mr. Johnson
- *Blood on the Sun* (1945), as Arthur Bickett
- *Bring on the Girls* (1945), as Dr. Efrington
- *The Mark of the Whistler* (1944), as Joe Sorsby
- *The Miracle of Morgan's Creek* (1944), as Jacob Woodson, Justice of the Peace
- *The Great Moment* (1944), as President Franklin Pierce
- *Double Indemnity* (1944), as Mr. Jackson — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/double-indemnity.md)
- *Standing Room Only* (1944), as Hugo Farenhall
- *Going My Way* (1944), as Mr. Belknap — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/going-my-way.md)
- *The Woman of the Town* (1943), as Mayor Dog Killey
- *The Desperadoes* (1943), as Banker Clanton
- *A Stranger in Town* (1943), as Judge Austin Harkley
- *Butch Minds the Baby* (1942), as Brandy Smith
- *The Remarkable Andrew* (1942), as Chief Clerk Art Slocumb
- *Mr. and Mrs. North* (1942), as George Heyler
- *Sullivan's Travels* (1941), as Mr. Hadrian — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/sullivans-travels.md)
- *The Parson of Panamint* (1941), as Jonathan Randall
- *Arizona* (1940), as Lazarus Ward
- *Trail of the Vigilantes* (1940), as Sheriff Korley
- *Dark Command* (1940), as Angus McCloud
- *His Girl Friday* (1940), as Murphy — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md)
- *Henry Goes Arizona* (1939), as Banker Edward G. Walsh (uncredited)
- *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), as Senator Monroe — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md)
- *They Shall Have Music* (1939), as Mr. Flower
- *Grand Jury Secrets* (1939), as Anthony Pelton
- *Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police* (1939), as Man in Drummond's Dream
- *Tom Sawyer, Detective* (1938), as Uncle Silas Phelps
- *The Arkansas Traveler* (1938), as Mayor Daniels
- *King of Alcatraz* (1938), as Matthew Talbot
- *Men with Wings* (1938), as Hiram F. Jenkins
- *Prison Farm* (1938), as Chiston R. Bradby
- *Stolen Heaven* (1938), as 'Von' Offer
- *Bulldog Drummond's Peril* (1938), as Dr. Botulian
- *Dangerous to Know* (1938), as Mayor Bradley
- *Scandal Street* (1938), as James Wilson
- *Wells Fargo* (1937), as James Oliver
- *True Confession* (1937), as Mr. Hartman
- *This Way Please* (1937), as S.J. Crawford
- *Souls at Sea* (1937), as Court Prosecutor
- *Wild Money* (1937), as Bill Court
- *Make Way for Tomorrow* (1937), as Harvey Chase — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/make-way-for-tomorrow.md)
- *King of Gamblers* (1937), as George Kramer
- *Bulldog Drummond Escapes* (1937), as Norman Merridew
- *The General Died at Dawn* (1936), as Peter Perrie
- *The Plainsman* (1936), as Jack McCall
- *Let's Make a Million* (1936), as Spencer
- *Satan Met a Lady* (1936), as Milton Ames
- *And Sudden Death* (1936), as District Attorney
- *The Princess Comes Across* (1936), as Darcy
- *Snowed Under* (1936), as Arthur Layton
- *Too Many Parents* (1936), as Mrs. Saunders
- *The Story of Louis Pasteur* (1936), as Dr. Rossignol
- *The Petrified Forest* (1936), as Jason Maple
- *The Case of the Lucky Legs* (1935), as Col. Bradbury
- *Murder in the Private Car* (1934), as Alden Murray
- *The Thin Man* (1934), as Herbert MacCaulay — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-thin-man.md)
- *The Cheat* (1931), as Leslie (uncredited)
- *Secrets of a Secretary* (1931), as Drunk

## Gallery

- ![New Paramount Personalities 1937 (2)](https://film.one/media/person/103478/gallery-9901a9a3706e.jpg) New Paramount Personalities 1937 (2) — Paramount Pictures / Photographers not credited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/New_Paramount_Personalities_1937_%282%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Porter Hall](https://film.one/media/person/103478/gallery-29e6b9f1c481.jpg) Porter Hall — Photographer:DeForrest Studios, San Francisco., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Porter_Hall_1930.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Porter Hall](https://film.one/media/person/103478/gallery-02e1f679c384.jpg) Porter Hall — Image via TMDB
- ![Porter Hall](https://film.one/media/person/103478/gallery-2dbf0b8104a3.jpg) Porter Hall — Image via TMDB

---
© 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/porter-hall