Grayson Hall

Grayson Hall (September 18, 1922 – August 7, 1985) was an American television, film and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant garde theatrical performances in the 1960s-80s. Hall was nominated in 1964 for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the John Huston film The Night of the Iguana. She also played multiple prominent roles in the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows (1966–1971), and appeared on One Life to Live in 1982.

Early life

Hall was born Shirley H. Grossman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Joseph and Eleanor Grossman. Her father was from Latvia and her mother from South Africa.^[1] Joseph and Eleanor separated when Shirley was eight but never divorced. Hall became interested in acting, as an escape from a painful childhood, and auditioned for plays in New York City while she was still in high school. She landed her first professional job doing summer stock in Long Island in 1942.

In 1946, she married fellow actor Ted (Bradbart) Brooks in Los Angeles. They separated in 1949 and Shirley returned to New York. In 1952, she married writer Sam Hall. Their son, Matthew Hall, was born in 1958. She had always used the stage name Shirley Grayson, but Sam Hall called her Grayson, "like an old Army buddy", she said in an interview. She finally adopted Grayson Hall as her professional name.^[2]

Career

Having guest starred on various television programs during the mid-1950s, Hall made her film debut in 1961 in Run Across the River. Hall also made another film originally entitled Stacy's story but renamed as Satan in High Heels starring Meg Myles. Hall portrayed a cabaret club owner named Pepe. She disavowed participation in the film.

In September 1963, Hall traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to play the role of Judith Fellowes in John Huston's version of The Night of the Iguana, based on the original Tennessee Williams play. She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Judith Fellowes, a latent lesbian vocal instructor from a Texas women's college. In the original play, the character was not sympathetic but Huston rewrote the character, wanting more complexity and sympathy. She was featured as a kidnapped bank teller in Walt Disney's That Darn Cat! in 1965.

Dark Shadows

Hall's best-known television role was that of Dr. Julia Hoffman, on Dark Shadows, where she portrayed the loyal confidant and friend of the vampire, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid). Other key roles that she played on the show were those of Countess Natalie Dupres; Magda Rakosi, a Gypsy; Hoffman, a Mrs. Danvers-type housekeeper, Julia Collins; and Constance Collins, sister of Brutus Collins.^[3] She also appeared in both "Dark Shadows" feature films: House of Dark Shadows, again as Dr. Julia Hoffman, and Night of Dark Shadows, as a new character, housekeeper Carlotta Drake.

Theatre and post-Dark Shadows career

Before appearing in The Night of the Iguana and Dark Shadows, Hall had an active stage career in New York City. She portrayed Irma, the madam of an irregular bordello amidst a civil war in the controversial Jean Genet play The Balcony for over one year at the Circle in the Square theatre in Greenwich Village. It was the longest running off-Broadway play for many decades. After Dark Shadows ended in 1971, she had a brief stint as reporter Marge Grey on "All My Children" (1973). Hall continued acting on stage as Warda in Jean Genet's The Screens (1971–72) and The Lady in Gray/The Fly in Happy End (1977) which co-starred Meryl Streep and Christopher Lloyd.^[4] She was in the 1980 US Broadway premiere of The Suicide with Derek Jacobi and appeared opposite Geraldine Page, Carrie Nye and Madeline Sherwood in an Off-Broadway revival of "The Madwoman of Chailot".

She acted in the camp classic film Gargoyles, filmed in New Mexico and the Dan Curtis film The Great Ice Rip-Off opposite Lee J. Cobb and Gig Young. She starred in an ABC Wide World Mystery film "The Two Deaths of Sean Doolittle" which was written by her husband, Sam Hall. Her last onscreen role was that of Euphemia Ralston (Delila's scheming mother) in the soap opera One Life to Live from July 1982 until April 1983.

Death

After a six-month battle with lung cancer, Hall died in New York City in 1985, at age 62. She was cremated. A simple marker near her Hudson Valley home reads "Grayson Hall — August 7, 1985".

Selected filmography

References

Further reading

• Jamison, R.J. (2006). Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to Follow. iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-40462-6. 
• Hamrick, Craig & Jamison, R. J. Barnabas & Company: The Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows Revised (2012) iUniverse 2012

External links

• Grayson Hall at the Internet Movie Database
• Grayson Hall at the Internet Broadway Database
• Grayson Hall at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Grayson Hall at Find a Grave
• Grayson Hall biographical website