Michael Hall
Born(1926-09-07)September 7, 1926
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
DiedMay 24, 2020(2020-05-24) (aged 93)
Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, art collector, art dealer
Years active1946–1960 (as actor)
SpouseThomas Malmberg

Michael Hall (September 7, 1926 – May 24, 2020) was a former American actor[1] who later was an art dealer and collector.[2]

As an actor, he is best known for his role as Rob Stephenson, the son of Fredric March’s character in the film The Best Years of Our Lives.

Personal life

Hall was born on September 7, 1926, in Wichita, Kansas[3] the only child of Maurice Everette Hall, Sr. (1897–1959)[4] and Vera Elizabeth Bray Hall (1901–1994).[5] His father worked in the petroleum industry and the family moved between California[6] and Missouri[7] during his childhood.

Hall won the declamation contest at Denver High School in 1943, and in 1947 the Boston Globe reported that he was attending the University of California at Los Angeles. Hall also said that he didn't like girls his age and found Radcliffe undergraduates to be "typical giggly undergraduates." He said that he preferred old women but that they did not like him. Studio publicity called his mother "his best pal."[8]

Later in life he reportedly became a friend and traveling companion of the heiress Doris Duke.[9]

Career

Acting

According to Hall, the character he played in Best Years of Our Lives was not developed further because his contract ended in the middle of filming, and Samuel Goldwyn refused to pay extra to rehire him.[9]

In a 1947 interview with the Boston Globe, Hall told the newspaper that he didn't really enjoy acting and would rather be a rancher. He said that he acted because he was "good at it," and that he had just turned down an offer to do a film in Great Britain for the Rank Organization. Hall said that he hoped to appear on Broadway in Hamlet or L'Aiglon.[8]

In addition to The Best Years of Our Lives, Hall had credited roles in three films, The Last Musketeer, Black Hills Ambush, and Blood of Dracula. He also appeared in numerous television programs in the 1950s.[1] His last credited role as an actor was in a 1960 episode of Johnny Midnight.

Art collector and dealer

Hall's friendship with the actress Marion Davies granted him access to William Randolph Hearst's art collection as it was being dissolved. He thus was able to acquire early Chinese stone sculptures and "the purported marriage bed of the 16th-century Florentine noblewoman Maria Salviati, on which Hall subsequently slept for many years."[9]

In 1963, following his acting career, Hall moved to New York City to work as an art collector and dealer, opening a gallery at 6 East 79th Street.[10] His early mentors in art collecting included Wilhelm Valentiner and John Pope-Hennessy.[9]

He ran his gallery from what has been described as "a series of progressively larger apartments and townhouses that he occupied on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, each of them filled to bursting with his ever-growing collections."[9][2] Pieces from his collections would be included in exhibits and museums such as the Yale University Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.[9]

He was considered an expert in Renaissance and mannerist sculpture.[9]

Death

Hall died at his home in Miami Beach, Florida, on May 24, 2020.[1] He was survived by his husband, Thomas Malmberg.[9]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1946Tomorrow Is ForeverFraternity BoyUncredited
1946The Best Years of Our LivesRob Stephenson
1949Samson and DelilahPrinceUncredited
1950Katie Did ItDelivery BoyUncredited
1952The Last MusketeerJohnny Becker
1952Black Hills AmbushLarry Stewart
1953Flight NurseG.I.Uncredited
1954Francis Joins the WACSGeorgeUncredited
1957Blood of DraculaGlenn

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Michael Hall".
  2. 1 2 Rozhon, Tracie (May 1994). "Habitats/Changing Town Houses; A Collector Adds Space for His Art". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Colorado, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 98
  4. ↑ State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics
  5. ↑ Connecticut Department of Health. Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2001. Hartford, CT, USA: Connecticut Department of Health
  6. ↑ United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls
  7. ↑ United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls
  8. 1 2 Adams, Marjory (27 February 1947). "Michael Hall, 19, Hopes to Play Role of 'Hamlet' on Broadway". The Boston Globe. p. 9. Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Levenson, Jay (16 June 2020). "In memory of Michael Hall, a committed connoisseur and an unforgettable character". Apollo Magazine.
  10. ↑ "Palm Beach Collections, Featuring the Michael Hall Collection, Live and Online".
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