Jack La Rue
Acting
Born May 3, 1902, New York City, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
- 1976Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood — Silent Film Villain
- 1975Paesano — Bartender
- Love, American Style — Mr. Smith
- 1967The Spy in the Green Hat — Federico 'Feet' Stilletto
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. — Cassie
- 1964For Those Who Think Young — Cronin's Business Associate
- 1964Robin and the 7 Hoods — Tomatoes
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Federico 'Feet' Stilletto
- 196240 Pounds of Trouble — Nick the Greek (uncredited)
- Perry Mason — Cafe Proprietor
- Tombstone Territory — Padre Miguel
- The Millionaire — Cricket Rosselli
- General Electric Theater — Nick Rocco, Ralphie Fargo
- 1952Ride the Man Down — Kennedy
- 1950For Heaven's Sake — Tony Clark
- Lights Out — Narrator (voice)
- 1948No Orchids for Miss Blandish — Slim Grisson
- 1947Bush Pilot — Paul Girard
- 1947My Favorite Brunette — Tony
- 1947Robin Hood of Monterey — Don Ricardo Gonzales
- 1946In Old Sacramento — Laramie
- 1946Murder in the Music Hall — Bruce Wilton
- 1946Road to Utopia — LeBec
- 1946Santa Fe Uprising — Bruce Jackson
- 1945Cornered — Diego, Hotel Valet
- 1945Dakota — Suade
- 1945Steppin' in Society — Bow Tie
- 1945The Spanish Main — Lt. Escobar
- 1944Dangerous Passage — Mike
- 1944Follow the Leader — Larry
- 1944Leave It to the Irish — Rockwell
- 1944Machine Gun Mama — Jose
- 1944The Desert Song — Lt. Bertin
- 1944The Last Ride — Joe Genna
- 1943A Scream in the Dark — Cross
- 1943Never a Dull Moment — Joey
- 1943Pistol Packin' Mama — Johnny Rossi
- 1943Secret Service In Darkest Africa — Hassan
- 1943Smart Guy — Matt Taylor
- 1943The Girl from Monterrey — Al Johnson
- 1943The Law Rides Again — Duke Dillon
- 1943The Sultan's Daughter — Rata
- 1943You Can't Beat the Law — Cain
- 1942A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen — Tommy Gould
- 1942American Empire — Pierre - Beauchard Henchman
- 1942Highways by Night — Johnny Lieber, Gangster
- 1942Pardon My Sarong — Tabor (uncredited)
- 1942The Payoff — John Angus
- 1942X Marks the Spot — Marty Clark
- 1941Footsteps in the Dark — Ace Vernon
- 1941Gangs Inc. — Mickey Roman
- 1941Gentleman from Dixie — Thad Terrill
- 1941Hard Guy — Vic Monroe
- 1941Ringside Maisie — Ricky Du Prez
- 1941Swamp Woman — Pierre Pertinax Pontineau Briand Broussicourt d'Olivier, aka Pete Oliver
- 1940Charlie Chan in Panama — Emil Manolo
- 1940East of the River — Frank 'Frisco' Scarfi
- 1940Enemy Agent — Alex
- 1940Forgotten Girls — Eddie Nolan
- 1940Fugitive from a Prison Camp — Red Nelson
- 1940The Sea Hawk — Lt. Ortega
- 1939Big Town Czar — Mike Luger
- 1939In Old Caliente — Manuel Delgardo / Sujarno
- 1939Murder in Soho — Steve Marco
- 1939The Gang's All Here — Alberni
- 1938Arson Racket Squad — Bud Morgan
- 1938I Demand Payment — Smiles Badolio
- 1938Under the Big Top — Ricardo Le Grande
- 1938Valley of the Giants — Ed Morrell
- 1937Captains Courageous — Priest
- 1937Dangerous Holiday — Gollenger
- 1937Her Husband Lies — 'Trigger'
- 1937That I May Live
- 1937Trapped by G-Men — Fred Drake
- 1936A Tenderfoot Goes West — James "Killer" Madden
- 1936Born to Fight — Smoothy Morgan
- 1936Dancing Pirate — Lt. Chago (Baltazar's Aide)
- 1936Ellis Island — Dude
- 1936It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) — Smiley Clark
- 1936Mind Your Own Business — Cruger
- 1936Strike Me Pink — Mr. Thrust
- 1936The Bridge of Sighs — Packy Lacy
- 1936Yellow Cargo — Al Perrelli
- 1935After the Dance — Mitch
- 1935Calling All Cars — Jerry Kennedy
- 1935His Night Out — Joe Ferranza
- 1935Little Big Shot — Jack Doré
- 1935Men of the Hour — Nick Thomas
- 1935Remember Last Night? — Baptiste Bouclier
- 1935Special Agent — Jake Andrews
- 1935The Daring Young Man — Cubby
- 1935The Headline Woman — Phil Zarias
- 1935The Spanish Cape Mystery — Gardner
- 1935Times Square Lady — Jack Kramer
- 1935Under the Pampas Moon — Bazan
- 1935Waterfront Lady — Tom Braden
- 1934Good Dame — Bluch Brown
- 1934Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen — Bert
- 1934No Ransom — Larry Romero
- 1934Secret of the Chateau — Lucien Vonaire
- 1934Straight Is the Way — Monk
- 1934Take the Stand — George Gaylord
- 1934The Fighting Rookie — Patrolman Jim Trent
- 193342nd Street — Mug with Murphy (uncredited)
- 1933Christopher Strong — Carlo
- 1933Gambling Ship — Pete Manning
- 1933Headline Shooter — Ricci
- 1933Terror Aboard — Gregory Cordoff
- 1933The Girl in 419 — Sammy
- 1933The Kennel Murder Case — Eduardo Grassi
- 1933The Story of Temple Drake — Trigger
- 1933The Woman Accused — Little Maxie
- 1933To the Last Man — Jim Daggs
- 193220,000 Years in Sing Sing — Prisoner at Check-In (uncredited)
- 1932A Farewell to Arms — Priest
- 1932Blessed Event — Louis De Marco
- 1932I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang — Ackerman (uncredited)
- 1932Lawyer Man — Spike Murphy (uncredited)
- 1932Man Against Woman — Alberti
- 1932Night World — Henchman (uncredited)
- 1932Radio Patrol — Slick (uncredited)
- 1932The All-American — Joe Fiore
- 1932The Mouthpiece — Joe Garland (Uncredited)
- 1932Three on a Match — Ace's Henchman (uncredited)
- 1932Virtue — Toots O'Neil
- 1932While Paris Sleeps — Julot
- 1930Follow the Leader — Gangster (uncredited)
- 1928The House of Terror
- 1926Fine Manners — New Year's Eve Celebrant
- 1925The King On Main Street — Member of King's Retinue (uncredited)
- 1925The Lucky Devil — Prizefight Attendant
Appearances as themselves (4)
- 2003Complicated Women — Self (archive footage)
- 1997Bogart: The Untold Story — Self (archive footage)
- MGM Parade — self
- 1934Hollywood on Parade No. B-10 — Self