Russell Hardie

Russell Hardie
Hardie in Broadway to Hollywood (1933)
Born
William Russell Hardie

(1904-05-21)May 21, 1904
DiedJuly 21, 1973(1973-07-21) (aged 69)
OccupationActor
Years active1929โ€“1966

William Russell Hardie (May 20, 1904[1] or May 21, 1904[2] โ€“ July 21, 1973) was an American film actor.

Early years

Hardie was born in Griffins Mills, New York,[3] or Buffalo, New York.[1] He was the son of William and Katherine Hardie[2] (nee Katherine Pauly). Growing up, Hardie's family lived near the Roycroft community, and, although his father was a blacksmith, his career interests varied as he saw different craftspeople there demonstrate their skills. He quit school to work for his father, who eventually advised him to find another career because of the limited number of horses in Buffalo.[3]

Hardie continued his education in night schoo, studying shorthand and stenography. He worked briefly as a stenographer in the Erie Railroad's freight offices before he was made an office boy. More night school led to his becoming a full-fledged secretary. He left the railroad to work at a Ford plant but soon lost that job. His first involvement with acting came when he had a small part in a play while he worked for a stock theater company as its secretary. After two years that company failed, and he began selling vacuum cleaners.[3]

Career

Hardie moved to New York with $85 borrowed from his mother. When that money was gone, he found work with a stock theater company, after which he worked with stock troupes in Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Greenwich, Connecticut. Following those engagements he made his Broadway debut in The Criminal Code, which ran for eight months in New York City and three months on the road.[3]

He appeared in twenty-seven moving pictures between 1930 and 1966, including an uncredited part in Camille in 1936 and as a Pentagon general in Fail Safe in 1964.[4]

Death

He died on July 21, 1973, in Clarence, New York at age 69.[5]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1930 The Costello Case Jimmie
1933 Broadway to Hollywood Ted Hackett Jr.
1933 Stage Mother Fred Lorraine
1933 Christopher Bean Warren Creamer
1934 As the Earth Turns Ed
1934 Men in White Dr. Michaelson
1934 Operator 13 Lt. Gus Littledale
1934 Murder in the Private Car John Blake
1934 Pursued David Landeen
1934 Hell in the Heavens 2nd Lt. Hartley
1934 The Band Plays On Mike O'Brien
1934 Sequoia Bob Alden
1935 West Point of the Air Phil Carter
1935 Speed Devils Dan Holden
1935 In Old Kentucky Dr. Lee Andrews
1936 The Harvester David Langston
1936 Down to the Sea John Kaminas
1936 Meet Nero Wolfe Manuel Kimball
1936 Killer at Large Tommy Braddock
1936 Camille Gustave Uncredited
1951 The Frogmen Capt. Radford Uncredited
1951 The Whistle at Eaton Falls Dwight Hawkins
1958 Cop Hater Detective Lt. Byrnes
1964 Fail Safe Gen. Stark
1966 The Group Mr. Davison (final film role)

References

  1. ^ a b "Russell Hardie". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  2. ^ a b Wilson, Scott (September 5, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-7864-7992-4. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Russell Hardie Got Chance As Actor Because He Looked Shoddy and Fresh From the Farm". St. Louis Star-Times. April 20, 1937. p. 16. Retrieved March 5, 2026 โ€“ via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Hal Erickson. "Russell Hardie". AllMovie. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "RUSSELL HARDIE, 69, CHARACTER ACTOR". The New York Times. July 23, 1973. Retrieved May 19, 2018.