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Porter Hall

Porter Hall

Actor · Died October 6, 1953, aged 65 · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Clifford Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 – October 6, 1953) was an American character actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s. Hall played movie villains or comedic incompetent characters. Hall was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and began his career touring as a stage actor with roles in productions of The Great Gatsby and Naked in 1926. Hall made his film debut in the 1931 drama Secrets of a Secretary. He made his last onscreen appearance in the 1954 film Return to Treasure Island, which was released after his death. He was probably best remembered for four roles: a senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, an atheist in Going My Way, the nervous, ill-tempered Granville Sawyer, who administers a psychological test to Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street, and a train passenger who encounters a man (Fred MacMurray) who has just committed a murder in Double Indemnity. On October 6, 1953, Hall died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California at the age of 65. His interment was at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. Hall had two children, David and Sarah Jane.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 18, 1888
Died
October 6, 1953 (aged 65)
From
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
45 on MovieCove · 76 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What are Porter Hall's films like?

Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
32%
Bonds
22%
Power
14%
Self
14%
Society
12%
Ideas
5%
Survival
2%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 21 · Serious 12 · Dark 7

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 13 · Stylized 24 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 11 · Charged 23 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 23 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 12

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 26 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 22 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 36 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 3 of 10 analyzed roles.

Shadow
3 of 10
Threshold guardian
3 of 10
Shapeshifter
2 of 10
Mentor
2 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Joyful
14
Thrilling
10
Romantic
12
Hopeful
9
Other
35

How their films linger

Fun19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy23
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Porter Hall's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Porter Hall's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

76 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page.

  • Return to Treasure Island(1954)

    as Maximillian 'Maxie' Harris

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Vice Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Jack Hartrampf

  • Pony Express(1953)

    as Jim Bridger

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Four Star Playhouse(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as J. R. Martin

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Holiday for Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Louie

  • The Half-Breed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Kraemer

  • Carbine Williams(1952)

    as Sam Markley

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Ace in the Hole(1951)

    as Jacob Q. Boot

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Intruder in the Dust(1949)

    as Nub Gowrie

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend(1949)

    as Judge O'Toole

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Chicken Every Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Sam Howell

  • That Wonderful Urge(1948)

    as Attorney Ketchell

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • You Gotta Stay Happy(1948)

    as Mr. Caslon

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Unconquered(1947)

    as Leach

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Singapore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Mr. Bellows

  • Miracle on 34th Street(1947)

    as Granville Sawyer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Kiss and Tell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Bill Franklin

  • Week-End at the Waldorf(1945)

    as Stevens

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Murder, He Says(1945)

    as Mr. Johnson

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Blood on the Sun(1945)

    as Arthur Bickett

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Bring on the Girls(1945)

    as Dr. Efrington

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Mark of the Whistler(1944)

    as Joe Sorsby

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Miracle of Morgan's Creek(1943)

    as Jacob Woodson, Justice of the Peace

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Great Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as President Franklin Pierce

  • Double Indemnity(1944)

    as Mr. Jackson

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Standing Room Only (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Hugo Farenhall

  • Going My Way(1944)

    as Mr. Belknap

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Woman of the Town(1943)

    as Mayor Dog Killey

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Desperadoes(1943)

    as Banker Clanton

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • A Stranger in Town(1943)

    as Judge Austin Harkley

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Butch Minds the Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Brandy Smith

  • The Remarkable Andrew (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Chief Clerk Art Slocumb

  • Mr. and Mrs. North (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as George Heyler

  • Sullivan's Travels(1941)

    as Mr. Hadrian

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Parson of Panamint(1941)

    as Jonathan Randall

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Arizona(1940)

    as Lazarus Ward

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Trail of the Vigilantes(1940)

    as Sheriff Korley

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Dark Command(1940)

    as Angus McCloud

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • His Girl Friday(1940)

    as Murphy

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Henry Goes Arizona (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Banker Edward G. Walsh (uncredited)

  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

    as Senator Monroe

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • They Shall Have Music(1939)

    as Mr. Flower

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Grand Jury Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Anthony Pelton

  • Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police(1939)

    as Man in Drummond's Dream

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Tom Sawyer, Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Uncle Silas Phelps

  • The Arkansas Traveler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Mayor Daniels

  • King of Alcatraz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Matthew Talbot

  • Men with Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Hiram F. Jenkins

  • Prison Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Chiston R. Bradby

  • Stolen Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as 'Von' Offer

  • Bulldog Drummond's Peril(1938)

    as Dr. Botulian

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Dangerous to Know(1938)

    as Mayor Bradley

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Scandal Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as James Wilson

  • Wells Fargo(1937)

    as James Oliver

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • True Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mr. Hartman

  • This Way Please (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as S.J. Crawford

  • Souls at Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Court Prosecutor

  • Wild Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Bill Court

  • Make Way for Tomorrow(1937)

    as Harvey Chase

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • King of Gamblers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as George Kramer

  • Bulldog Drummond Escapes(1937)

    as Norman Merridew

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The General Died at Dawn(1936)

    as Peter Perrie

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Plainsman(1936)

    as Jack McCall

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Let's Make a Million (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Spencer

  • Satan Met a Lady(1936)

    as Milton Ames

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • And Sudden Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as District Attorney

  • The Princess Comes Across(1936)

    as Darcy

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Snowed Under (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Arthur Layton

  • Too Many Parents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mrs. Saunders

  • The Story of Louis Pasteur(1936)

    as Dr. Rossignol

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Petrified Forest(1936)

    as Jason Maple

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Case of the Lucky Legs(1935)

    as Col. Bradbury

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Murder in the Private Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Alden Murray

  • The Thin Man(1934)

    as Herbert MacCaulay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Cheat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Leslie (uncredited)

  • Secrets of a Secretary(1931)

    as Drunk

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 76 titles from 1931 to 1954.

Biggest box office

Ace in the Hole (1951)

$2.3M worldwide

Highest rated

Double Indemnity (1944)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Film career

Top draw in 9 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting76 of 76: 76 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score70th

By decade

1930s37 · acting1940s31 · acting1950s8 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 23 roles
343944

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Porter Hall's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 44; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Midcredits score across 45 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 45 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

The Parson of Panamint (1941)

56th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Double Indemnity (1944)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 39 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Porter Hall's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles6–35 · median 26 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles1–21 · median 7 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles3–10 · median 4 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles26–55 · median 33 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles2–36 · median 28 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Porter Hall work with?

People who share at least 2 of Porter Hall's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gene Lockhart shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers