Name
Jack La Rue
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1902-05-03
Deathday
1984-01-11 (82 years old)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Jack La Rue (born Gaspere Biondolillo) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. La Rue went from high school to his first acting job, in Otis Skinner's road company production of Blood and Sand. He performed in Broadway plays from around 1923 to 1931. According to La Rue, while appearing in Mae West's play Diamond Lil, he was spotted by Howard Hawks, who offered him a part in the film Scarface, starring Paul Muni.
He moved to Hollywood, where he appeared in numerous films. However, Scarface was not one of them. La Rue stated in a newspaper article that, after four days, Hawks had to replace him with George Raft because La Rue was taller than Muni and had a more powerful voice. Later, however, Raft turned down the role of the despicable villain in The Story of Temple Drake, fearing it would damage his screen image, so the part went to La Rue. Sometimes mistaken for Humphrey Bogart, he played thugs and gangsters for the most part. However, director Frank Borzage atypically cast him as a priest in the 1932 version of A Farewell to Arms simply because, according to newspaper columnist Hubbard Keavy, he was "tired of seeing conventional characters". La Rue stated he turned down a role in The Godfather and many parts in the television series The Untouchables because of the way they portrayed Italian-Americans.
La Rue died of a heart attack at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 81. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.
Known For
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A tale of the World War I love affair, begun in Italy, between American ambulance driver L...
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Set in Prohibition era Chicago, bootlegger Robbo and his cronies refuse to pay the greedy ...
6.2
A federal tax agent goes undercover as a reporter and, working with a mobster's pretty boo...
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A World War I veteran’s dreams of becoming a master architect evaporate in the cold ligh...
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Harvey, the arrogant and spoiled son of an indulgent absentee-father, falls overboard from...
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Brash hoodlum Tom Connors enters Sing Sing cocksure of himself and disrespectful toward au...
7.2
Dashing pirate Geoffrey Thorpe plunders Spanish ships for Queen Elizabeth I and falls in l...
- 1933 42nd Street as Mug with Murphy (uncredited)
- 1932 Radio Patrol as Slick (uncredited)
- 1942 American Empire as Pierre - Beauchard Henchman
- 1932 A Farewell to Arms as Priest
- 1940 Fugitive from a Prison Camp as Red Nelson
- 1932 Man Against Woman as Alberti
- 1933 The Story of Temple Drake as Trigger
- 1945 Cornered as Diego, Hotel Valet
- 1946 Road to Utopia as LeBec
- 1948 No Orchids for Miss Blandish as Slim Grisson
- 1932 Three on a Match as Ace's Henchman (uncredited)
- 1932 Blessed Event as Louis De Marco
- 1941 Footsteps in the Dark as Ace Vernon
- 1940 Charlie Chan in Panama as Emil Manolo
- 1925 The King On Main Street as Member of King's Retinue (uncredited)
- 1937 Captains Courageous as Priest
- 1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods as Tomatoes
- 1947 My Favorite Brunette as Tony
- 1941 Gangs Inc. as Mickey Roman
- 1942 A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen as Tommy Gould
- 1935 The Spanish Cape Mystery as Gardner
- 1939 The Gang's All Here as Alberni
- 1935 Special Agent as Jake Andrews
- 1933 Gambling Ship as Pete Manning
- 1933 The Kennel Murder Case as Eduardo Grassi
- 1932 Night World as Henchman (uncredited)
- 1935 Remember Last Night? as Baptiste Bouclier
- 1932 Virtue as Toots O'Neil
- 1945 The Spanish Main as Lt. Escobar
- 1950 For Heaven's Sake as Tony Clark
- 1933 Terror Aboard as Gregory Cordoff
- 1935 Little Big Shot as Jack Doré
- 1942 The Payoff as John Angus
- 1942 Highways by Night as Johnny Lieber, Gangster
- 1941 Hard Guy as Vic Monroe
- 1964 For Those Who Think Young as Cronin's Business Associate
- 1946 Murder in the Music Hall as Bruce Wilton
- 1932 The Mouthpiece as Joe Garland (Uncredited)
- 1934 Secret of the Chateau as Lucien Vonaire
- 1940 Forgotten Girls as Eddie Nolan
- 1937 Trapped by G-Men as Fred Drake
- 1933 The Girl in 419 as Sammy
- 1939 Murder in Soho as Steve Marco
- 1940 East of the River as Frank 'Frisco' Scarfi
- 1943 The Girl from Monterrey as Al Johnson
- 1943 A Scream in the Dark as Cross
- 1933 To the Last Man as Jim Daggs
- 1937 That I May Live
- 1933 Headline Shooter as Ricci
- 1944 Dangerous Passage as Mike
- 1934 Good Dame as Bluch Brown
- 1944 Machine Gun Mama as Jose
- 1935 Under the Pampas Moon as Bazan
- 1942 X Marks the Spot as Marty Clark
- 1934 Straight Is the Way as Monk
- 1944 The Desert Song as Lt. Bertin
- 1936 Dancing Pirate as Lt. Chago (Baltazar's Aide)
- 1938 Valley of the Giants as Ed Morrell
- 1944 Follow the Leader as Larry
- 1944 The Last Ride as Joe Genna
- 1936 Yellow Cargo as Al Perrelli
- 1936 Born to Fight as Smoothy Morgan
- 1936 The Bridge of Sighs as Packy Lacy
- 1936 It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) as Smiley Clark
- 1936 Ellis Island as Dude
- 1934 Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen as Bert
- 1936 Mind Your Own Business as Cruger
- 1937 Dangerous Holiday as Gollenger
- 1937 Her Husband Lies as 'Trigger'
- 1947 Robin Hood of Monterey as Don Ricardo Gonzales
- 1938 Under the Big Top as Ricardo Le Grande
- 1944 Leave It to the Irish as Rockwell
- 1932 Lawyer Man as Spike Murphy (uncredited)
- 1930 Follow the Leader as Gangster (uncredited)
- 1943 You Can't Beat the Law as Cain
- 1935 His Night Out as Joe Ferranza
- 1934 The Fighting Rookie as Patrolman Jim Trent
- 1967 The Spy in the Green Hat as Federico 'Feet' Stilletto
- 1926 Fine Manners as New Year's Eve Celebrant
- 1943 The Law Rides Again as Duke Dillon
- 1936 Strike Me Pink as Mr. Thrust
- 1946 Santa Fe Uprising as Bruce Jackson
- 1935 Calling All Cars as Jerry Kennedy
- 1932 While Paris Sleeps as Julot
- 1947 Bush Pilot as Paul Girard
- 1935 Times Square Lady as Jack Kramer
- 1935 After the Dance as Mitch
- 1962 40 Pounds of Trouble as Nick the Greek (uncredited)
- 1936 A Tenderfoot Goes West as James "Killer" Madden
- 1933 Christopher Strong as Carlo
- 1952 Ride the Man Down as Kennedy
- 1939 In Old Caliente as Manuel Delgardo / Sujarno
- 1934 Take the Stand as George Gaylord
- 1945 Steppin' in Society as Bow Tie
- 1943 The Sultan's Daughter as Rata
- 1945 Dakota as Suade
- 1935 The Daring Young Man as Cubby
- 1938 Arson Racket Squad as Bud Morgan
- 1933 The Woman Accused as Little Maxie
- 1943 Pistol Packin' Mama as Johnny Rossi
- 1932 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang as Ackerman (uncredited)
- 1943 Never a Dull Moment as Joey
- 1940 Enemy Agent as Alex
- 1941 Swamp Woman as Pierre Pertinax Pontineau Briand Broussicourt d'Olivier, aka Pete Oliver
- 1943 Smart Guy as Matt Taylor
- 1934 No Ransom as Larry Romero
- 1946 In Old Sacramento as Laramie
- 1935 Waterfront Lady as Tom Braden
- 1940 The Sea Hawk as Lt. Ortega
- 1941 Ringside Maisie as Ricky Du Prez
- 1941 Gentleman from Dixie as Thad Terrill
- 1939 Big Town Czar as Mike Luger
- 2003 Complicated Women as Self (archive footage)
- 1997 Bogart: The Untold Story as Self (archive footage)
- 1932 The All-American as Joe Fiore
- 1932 20,000 Years in Sing Sing as Prisoner at Check-In (uncredited)
- 1938 I Demand Payment as Smiles Badolio
- 1942 Pardon My Sarong as Tabor (uncredited)
- 1925 The Lucky Devil as Prizefight Attendant
- 1943 Secret Service In Darkest Africa as Hassan
- 1928 The House of Terror
- 1935 The Headline Woman as Phil Zarias
- 1976 Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood as Silent Film Villain
- 1935 Men of the Hour as Nick Thomas
- 1934 Hollywood on Parade No. B-10 as Self
- 1975 Paesano as Bartender
- 1966 The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. ( 1 episode ) as Cassie
- 1957 Perry Mason ( 1 episode ) as Cafe Proprietor
- 1953 General Electric Theater ( 1 episode ) as Nick Rocco
- 1955 The Millionaire ( 1 episode ) as Cricket Rosselli
- 1949 Lights Out ( 157 episodes ) as Narrator (voice)
- 1953 General Electric Theater ( 1 episode ) as Ralphie Fargo
- 1969 Love, American Style ( 1 episode ) as Mr. Smith
- 1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ( 2 episodes ) as Federico 'Feet' Stilletto
- 1957 Tombstone Territory ( 1 episode ) as Padre Miguel
- 1955 MGM Parade ( 1 episode ) as self
