John Hodiak

albatros1 ( 2007-11-26 )

Source: not available

John Hodiak (April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but grew up in Hamtramck, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. At age eleven, he began acting in church plays and from then on he wanted to be an actor even turning down a baseball contract with a St. Louis Cardinals farm club. Hodiak worked as a caddy and a factory worker while practicing his diction to eliminated his accent. He became a radio actor and moved to Chicago. After a short stint in the Army, he arrived in Hollywood in 1942 and signed a motion picture contract with MGM. Hodiak was cast in a few small parts at his home studio. He then caught the eye of director Alfred Hitchcock and, emerged as a major movie star in Lifeboat (1944), followed by that of Maj. Joppolo in A Bell For Adano (1945). Other notable roles were as Col. Martin in Command Decision (1948)opposite Clark Gable and as Pvt. Jarvess in Battleground (1949). In 1953, Hodiak went to New York and originated the role of Lieutenant Maryk in Paul Gregory's production of the play The Caine Mutiny Court Martial. At the age of forty-one, Hodiak suffered a fatal heart attack at the home of his parents in Tarzana, California. He was married to Anne Baxter from 1946 to 1953. John Hodiak has 1 star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his work in Radio.