Warren Hull

John Warren Hull (January 17, 1903 – September 14, 1974), known professionally as Warren Hull, was an American actor and television personality active from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was one of the most popular serial actors in the action-adventure field.

Warren Hull
Hull in 1937
Born	John Warren Hull January 17, 1903 Gasport, New York, U.S.
Died	September 14, 1974 (aged 71) Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Resting place	North Cemetery
Nationality	American
Other names	J. Warren Hull
Education	Lockport High School
Alma mater	New York University Eastman School of Music
Occupation	Actor, radio and television personality
Years active	1923–1964
Spouse(s)	Agnes Briggs ​ ​ (m. 1926; div. 1928)​ Dorothy Daye ​ ​ (m. 1929; div. 1944)​ Elouise Gilmore Shea ​ ​ (m. 1945; div. 1950)​ Susan Fossum Stevens (m.1951; 1974)
Children	4

Early years

Warren Hull in 1953

Born in Gasport, New York, Hull was one of three children born to John and Laura (nee Shafer) Hull. Both of his parents were Quakers. Hull attended Lockport High School, graduating in 1922.[1] He then attended New York University with the intention of pursuing a career in business. He later decided to pursue a career in music and enrolled at the Eastman School of Music, where he studied voice. After completing his studies, he moved to New York City, where he became a chorus boy in Shubert operas and operettas. This eventually led to Hull working in Broadway musicals. In 1923, he began working as a radio announcer. Hull was the master of ceremonies for the first Your Hit Parade radio program and also worked as an announcer for The Beatrice Lillie Show.[2]

Career

Films

In the mid-1930s, Hull pursued a screen career.[2] He made his screen debut in 1934 for Educational Pictures, a short-subject studio. He co-starred opposite singer Sylvia Froos in the Young Romance series of musical comedies filmed in New York; Hull often joined Froos in song. In 1935 Hull was signed to a contract by Warner Bros., and spent the next few years playing leading men both in dramas and musicals.

When his Warners contract expired, Hull had no trouble finding work at other studios. He teamed with Patricia Ellis, one of his leading ladies at Warners, for the Republic Pictures musical Rhythm in the Clouds (1937). He also played romantic leads in a string of features for Monogram Pictures. Two of Hull's better-known appearances of this period were opposite Boris Karloff, in The Walking Dead (1936) and Night Key (1937). Some of Hull's early appearances have him billed as "J. Warren Hull."

In 1938, Columbia Pictures terminated its association with the Weiss Brothers, independent producers who had been making adventure serials for Columbia release, and decided to make its own cliffhangers. Warren Hull was signed for Columbia's first (and perhaps best) serial production, The Spider's Web (1938), based on a popular magazine character. Hull played three parts: criminologist Richard Wentworth, his masked-and-caped alter ego The Spider, and, in a second masquerade, lowlife mobster Blinky McQuade. The personable Hull brought a breezy sense of humor to his serial roles; he is probably the only serial hero who ever laughs on screen. Hull kept audiences following the Spider's thrilling exploits, making The Spider's Web the most popular and profitable serial of the year, outstripping such worthy cliffhangers as Buck Rogers and Dick Tracy Returns by a wide margin, according to a tally published in the Motion Picture Herald.

Pleased with Hull's performance, Columbia cast him as Mandrake the Magician in its 1939 serial. Universal Pictures starred the now-established serial hero in The Green Hornet Strikes Again! (1941) and Columbia put him back in the mask and cloak for The Spider Returns (1941).

Radio and television

In the mid-1940s, Hull returned to radio announcing, appearing with frequency on such programs as Your Hit Parade and Vox Pop. During World War II, Hull traveled about the country and in Canada, putting on Vox Pop before servicemen at camps and bases.[3] After the War, he did Vox Pop broadcasts from France, Britain, Alaska and Puerto Rico. In 1947, he hosted The Warren Hull Show, for CBS radio. During this time, Hull also hosted Cavalcade of Bands for Dumont radio. The following year, he began hosting the radio series Strike It Rich. He continued as host when the series was adapted for television in 1951.[2] In 1953–54, Warren Hull, with former Miss America Bess Myerson, hosted a game show called "The Big Payoff" that lasted for several seasons. Hull was also the emcee of Spin to Win, only the second game show created by the team of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. During the next two decades he hosted TV programs such as Top Dollar, Beat the Odds, and Public Prosecutor. By the early 1960s, Hull was largely retired and was living in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 1962, he came out of retirement to host the game show Who in the World.[4]

Personal life

Hull was married four times and had four children.[1] His first three marriages ended in divorce. His fourth marriage to Susan Fossum Stevens lasted until his death in 1974.[5]

Death

On September 14, 1974, Hull died of congestive heart failure at Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, at the age of 71.[2] His funeral was held on September 18 at the Church of the Epiphany in Southbury, Connecticut, after which he was buried at the New North Cemetery in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut.[5]

For his contributions to the radio and television industry, Warren Hull has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star for radio is located at 6270 Hollywood Blvd., and the star for television is located at 6135 Hollywood Blvd.[6]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1935	Personal Maid's Secret	Jimmy
1935	Miss Pacific Fleet	Sgt. Tom Foster
1936	Freshman Love	Bob Wilson
1936	The Walking Dead	Jimmy
1936	The Law in Her Hands	Asst. Dist. Atty. Robert Mitchell
1936	The Big Noise	Ken Mitchell
1936	Bengal Tiger	Joe Larson
1936	Love Begins at 20	Jerry Wayne
1936	Fugitive in the Sky	Terry Brewer
1937	Her Husband's Secretary	Barton 'Bart' Kingdon
1937	Night Key	Jim Travers
1937	Michael O'Halloran	Dr. Douglas Bruce
1937	Rhythm in the Clouds	Bob McKay
1937	Paradise Isle	Kennedy
1937	A Bride for Henry	Henry Tuttle
1938	Hawaii Calls	Cmdr. Milburn
1938	The Spider's Web	Richard Wentworth / The Spider / Blinky McQuade	Serial
1938	Smashing the Spy Ring	Phil Dunlap
1939	Star Reporter	John Randolph / John Charles Benton
1939	Mandrake the Magician	Mandrake the Magician	Serial
1939	Should a Girl Marry?	Dr. Robert Benson
1939	Girl from Rio	Steven Ward
1939	Crashing Thru	Constable Kelly
1940	Yukon Flight	Bill Shipley
1940	Hidden Enemy	Bill MacGregor
1940	The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady	Bob Penyon
1940	The Last Alarm	Frank Rogers
1940	Marked Men	Bill Carver
1940	Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride	Donald Gregory
1940	Remedy for Riches	Tom Stewart
1940	The Green Hornet Strikes Again!	Britt Reid / Green Hornet	Serial
1941	The Spider Returns	Richard Wentworth / The Spider / Blinky McQuade	Serial
1941	Bowery Blitzkrieg	Tom Brady

References

1. Fierch, Frederick G. (2010). Royalton, Middleport, and Hartland. Arcadia Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 0-738-57238-1.
2. "Warren Hull, veteran radio TV host, was star of 'Strike It Rich' show". St. Petersburg Times. September 19, 1974. pp. 11–B. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
3. Warren Hull, Radio TV Host of ‘Strike It Rich,’ Dead at 71. The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
4. Remington, Fred (June 27, 1962). "'Strike It Rich' Was Agony Show For Warren Hull". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 66. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
5. "TV host Warren Hull funeral set for tomorrow". Bangor Daily News. September 17, 1974. p. 22. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
6. "Warren Hull". latimes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.

External links

• Warren Hull at the Internet Broadway Database
• Warren Hull at AllMovie
• Warren Hull at IMDb
• Warren Hull at Find a Grave