The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc.

Hal Price Real name: Harry F. Price 1886 - 1964

Hal Price's Hollywood career began around 1930 and continued into the early 1950s.  Short, pudgy and balding, Price generally wore a vest, suit, or bartender's apron, and his primary roles were that of the local law officer, townsman, mayor, store owner, ranch owner, barkeep, etc.

Special thanks to Dale Crawford, Nick Curry and Jim Sorensen for the following information and investigative work on Hal Price:

Harry F. 'Hal' Price was born June 24, 1886 in Waukegon, Ohio to John Price and Angy Vine Price.  He passed away from arteriorsclerosis (heart disease) at the age of 77 on April 15, 1964, at the Glendale Sanitarium, Glendale, California.  Price was cremated and interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale California.  His wife's name was Josephine, and her occupation was 'PBX instructor'.  He had resided in California for 30 years (which would equate to 1934); his home address was 1427 Carroll Avenue, Los Angeles; and his occupation and last employer was 'actor' and Columbia Pictures.

(Old Corral webmaster note: as a retired 'Ma Bell' employee, my guess is that Mrs. Price was a switchboard trainer for Pacific Bell Telephone.)

Les Adams has Price in 256 sound era films, of which 147 are westerns and 4 are serials. Les adds some further details to Price's film career:

Interesting in that his employer was listed as Columbia, although he was only in 17 westerns for them and they were mostly far between across twenty years of western film appearances --- but his first (WESTERN CODE, 1932, Tim McCoy) and his last (JUNCTION CITY, 1952, Charles Starrett) were made there.

He was in more feature films in the 30's than westerns.  He made about a half-dozen John Wayne and Bob Steele Monograms in 1933-34, a few Larry Damour Columbia westerns with Ken Maynard, Bob Allen and Jack Luden in the 1935-37 years (along with some indie stuff), with most of his 1937-1940 westerns for Monogram and Republic. He was nearly a fixture at Monogram and PRC primarily in the 1940-1942 period with some scattered roles at Republic. From then on, it was nearly all Republic with a few at Columbia. Scattered again is the term for his Columbia westerns as there was a seven-year gap between his next-to-last (RETURN OF THE DURANGO KID, 1945) and last (JUNCTION CITY, 1952) at that studio.

Offhand, I can recall only a couple of out-and-out henchie roles and only three or so where he was the 'Brains' gang leader.  The majority of his roles were some kind of town leader or businessman or rancher. He did bartend in at least a dozen saloons, but was also a lawman (Sheriff, Marshal, et al) of some kind at least 45 times. Monogram let him do a few grizzly sidekick roles (maybe four or so) with Jack Randall, Tom Keene and Tex Ritter.

For westerns only, I have him working for: Republic (46 films), Monogram (36 films), PRC (20 films), Columbia (17 films), with the rest mostly indies. I've only spotted him in one Universal western (BAD MAN FROM RED BUTTE) and only one Cassidy film.

You also may want to go to the In Search Of ... webpage on the Old Corral. Then go to the link for the California Death Records, and you should find a record for Hal Price. You should also find a record for him in the Social Security Death Index.

Price's film work from the mid 1940s through the early 1950s is relatively light. Perhaps the reason is that Hal Price was doing plays. In researching the career of Eddie Dew, we found several 1945-1948 credits for Dew in the play "The Red Mill" with runs in New York and Washington, DC. Also listed among the cast members is Hal Price.

The Internet Broadway Database has 1945-1947 productions of "The Red Mill", and you'll find Hal Price: http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=1732

The National Theater in Washington, DC includes several 1947 and 1948 runs of "The Red Mill". On this lengthy webpage, do a Search/Find for Hal Price: http://www.nationaltheatre.org/mainstage/mainstagepast1925-1949.htm

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has information on Hal Price.  Click HERE.

  The Internet Movie Database has a record for singer and comic actress Lu Leonard (1927-2004) noting that her real name was May Lou Price and she was Hal Price's daughter. Click HERE.

LA Weekly has a photo and a bit more information on Lu Leonard at: http://www.laweekly.com/ink/printme.php?eid=54237

Above from L-to-R are Fred Parker, Forrest Taylor, Johnny Mack Brown (all 'duded' up) and Hal Price in a lobby card from DESERT PHANTOM (A. W. Hackel/Supreme, 1936). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Earl Dwire (face hidden), Hal Price (with beard), Lois Wilde, Jack Randall, Chick Hannon and Ernie Adams in a crop from a lobby card from DANGER VALLEY (Monogram, 1937). Price was Randall's sidekick in this film. (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Hal Price, Charlie King and Robert Fiske in a scene from THE APACHE KID (Republic, 1941), one of the series starring Don Barry. Above, from L-to-R are: Hal Price, Al 'Fuzzy' St. John, Frank Hagney and George Houston as Tom Cameron, the Lone Rider, in a lobby card from THE LONE RIDER FIGHTS BACK (PRC, 1941). (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from L-to-R are Bob Steele, Bob Livingston, William Farnum, Budd Buster, Hal Price and Wally West. In the right corner are two unidentifieds and the far right is Bud Osborne. Crop from a lobby card from the Three Mesquiteers' GANGS OF SONORA (1941). (Courtesy of Bill Telfer) Above from L-to-R are Dennis Moore, Christine McIntyre, Raymond Hatton and Johnny Mack Brown in WEST OF THE RIO GRANDE (Monogram, 1944).  In the background are Hal Price (purple shirt), and Steve Clark is standing behind Johnny Mack's hat.