Harold Russell
Encyclopedia
Harold John Russell was a Canadian-American
World War II
veteran who became one of only two non-professional actors to win an Academy Award
for acting (the other being Haing S. Ngor
). Russell also holds the unique honor of being the only person to receive two Academy Awards for the same role.
, Canada
and moved to Massachusetts with his family in 1933. In 1941, he was so profoundly affected by the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor
that he enlisted in the Army
on the following day.
While an Army instructor, and training with the U.S. 13th Airborne Division
stateside in 1944, a defective fuse detonated an explosive he was handling while making a training film. As a result, he lost both hands and was given two hooks to serve as hands. After his recovery, and while attending Boston University
as a full-time student, Russell was featured in an Army film called Diary of a Sergeant about rehabilitating war veterans.
saw the film on Russell, he cast him in The Best Years of Our Lives
with Fredric March
and Dana Andrews
. Russell played the role of Homer Parrish, a sailor who lost both hands during the war.
For his role as Parrish, Russell won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
in 1947. Earlier in the ceremony, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for "bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." The special award had been created because the Board of Governors very much wanted to salute Russell, a non-professional actor, but assumed he had little chance for a competitive win. It was the only time in Oscar history that the Academy has awarded two Oscars for the same performance.
Upon completion of the film, Wyler told Russell to return to school since there "weren't many roles for actors without hands." Russell returned to Boston University
and graduated with a business degree in 1949.
Russell authored two autobiographies, Victory in My Hands (1949) and The Best Years of My Life (1981).
in 1980 and Dogtown
in 1997. He also appeared in an episode of Trapper John, M.D.
in 1981 and a two-part episode of the television series China Beach
in 1989.
Russell became active in AMVETS
, serving three terms as National Commander. As such, he wrote to President Truman
in 1951, supporting his decision to dismiss General MacArthur
. In his letter, Russell wrote: "The issue is whether the ultimate civil authority
of the United States can tolerate actions in contempt of constitutional lines of authority. Any lessening of civil power over military power must inevitably lead away from democracy."
From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Russell served as the Chairman of the President's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, an unpaid position.
In 1982, Russell's son, Gerald, an airline pilot for Eastern Airlines, was convicted of shooting and killing another pilot in a crime of passion over an airline stewardess. Gerald was sentenced to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum 25 years; his request for parole in 2007 was rejected and he remains incarcerated.
In 1992, Russell needed money for his wife's medical expenses. In a controversial decision, he consigned his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor to Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions, and on August 6, 1992, in New York City, the Oscar sold to a private collector for $60,500. Russell defended his action, saying, "I don't know why anybody would be critical. My wife's health is much more important than sentimental reasons. The movie will be here, even if Oscar isn't." The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
has required all Oscar recipients since 1950 to sign an agreement forbidding them from selling their award; as a pre-1950 winner, Russell was exempt from this provision.
Russell died of a heart attack
on January 29, 2002 and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Wayland
, Massachusetts
.
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran who became one of only two non-professional actors to win an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for acting (the other being Haing S. Ngor
Haing S. Ngor
Dr. Haing Somnang Ngor was a Cambodian American physician, actor and author who is best known for winning the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his debut performance in the movie The Killing Fields, in which he portrayed Cambodian journalist and refugee Dith Pran. His mother was...
). Russell also holds the unique honor of being the only person to receive two Academy Awards for the same role.
Background
Harold Russell was born in North Sydney, Nova ScotiaNorth Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and moved to Massachusetts with his family in 1933. In 1941, he was so profoundly affected by the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
that he enlisted in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
on the following day.
While an Army instructor, and training with the U.S. 13th Airborne Division
U.S. 13th Airborne Division
The 13th Airborne Division was an airborne formation in the United States Army during World War II, and was commanded by Major General Eldridge Chapman. It was officially activated in August 1943 at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, remaining active until February 1946, but never saw combat.After...
stateside in 1944, a defective fuse detonated an explosive he was handling while making a training film. As a result, he lost both hands and was given two hooks to serve as hands. After his recovery, and while attending Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
as a full-time student, Russell was featured in an Army film called Diary of a Sergeant about rehabilitating war veterans.
The Best Years of Our Lives
When film director William WylerWilliam Wyler
William Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
saw the film on Russell, he cast him in The Best Years of Our Lives
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell, a United States paratrooper who lost both hands in a military training accident. The film is about three United States...
with Fredric March
Fredric March
Fredric March was an American stage and film actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1932 for Dr. Jekyll and Mr...
and Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
. Russell played the role of Homer Parrish, a sailor who lost both hands during the war.
For his role as Parrish, Russell won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
in 1947. Earlier in the ceremony, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for "bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." The special award had been created because the Board of Governors very much wanted to salute Russell, a non-professional actor, but assumed he had little chance for a competitive win. It was the only time in Oscar history that the Academy has awarded two Oscars for the same performance.
Upon completion of the film, Wyler told Russell to return to school since there "weren't many roles for actors without hands." Russell returned to Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and graduated with a business degree in 1949.
Russell authored two autobiographies, Victory in My Hands (1949) and The Best Years of My Life (1981).
Later years
Russell appeared in only two other films after his debut, Inside MovesInside Moves
Inside Moves is a drama film directed by Richard Donner.- Plot :After a failed suicide attempt leaves a man named Rory partially crippled, he finds himself living in a run-down house in Oakland, California...
in 1980 and Dogtown
Dogtown (film)
Dogtown is a 1997 drama film by George Hickenlooper about life in the small Missouri town of Cuba, Missouri starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Jon Favreau, Rory Cochrane, Harold Russell, and Natasha Gregson Wagner. The film is 93-minute long and was shot entirely in Torrance, California...
in 1997. He also appeared in an episode of Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
in 1981 and a two-part episode of the television series China Beach
China Beach
China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans...
in 1989.
Russell became active in AMVETS
AMVETS
AMVETS or American Veterans is a volunteer-led organization formed by World War II veterans which accepts honorably discharged veterans as members....
, serving three terms as National Commander. As such, he wrote to President Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
in 1951, supporting his decision to dismiss General MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
. In his letter, Russell wrote: "The issue is whether the ultimate civil authority
Civil authority
Civil authority is that apparatus of the state other than its military units that enforces law and order. It is also used to distinguish between religious authority and secular authority...
of the United States can tolerate actions in contempt of constitutional lines of authority. Any lessening of civil power over military power must inevitably lead away from democracy."
From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Russell served as the Chairman of the President's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, an unpaid position.
In 1982, Russell's son, Gerald, an airline pilot for Eastern Airlines, was convicted of shooting and killing another pilot in a crime of passion over an airline stewardess. Gerald was sentenced to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum 25 years; his request for parole in 2007 was rejected and he remains incarcerated.
In 1992, Russell needed money for his wife's medical expenses. In a controversial decision, he consigned his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor to Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions, and on August 6, 1992, in New York City, the Oscar sold to a private collector for $60,500. Russell defended his action, saying, "I don't know why anybody would be critical. My wife's health is much more important than sentimental reasons. The movie will be here, even if Oscar isn't." The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
has required all Oscar recipients since 1950 to sign an agreement forbidding them from selling their award; as a pre-1950 winner, Russell was exempt from this provision.
Russell died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on January 29, 2002 and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Wayland
Wayland
Wayland is a Germanic given name, from wela "battle" and, nand "brave", corresponding to German Wieland, Scandinavian Völund/Vølund...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | The Best Years of Our Lives The Best Years of Our Lives The Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 American drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell, a United States paratrooper who lost both hands in a military training accident. The film is about three United States... |
Homer Parrish | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Honorary Academy Award Golden Globes - Special Award for Non-professional acting |
| 1980 | Inside Moves Inside Moves Inside Moves is a drama film directed by Richard Donner.- Plot :After a failed suicide attempt leaves a man named Rory partially crippled, he finds himself living in a run-down house in Oakland, California... |
Wings | |
| 1981 | Trapper John, M.D. Trapper John, M.D. Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986.... |
Leo Hopkins | TV episode - "The Days of Wine and Leo" aka: "Harold Russell Story" |
| 1989 | China Beach China Beach China Beach is an American dramatic television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam, which was nicknamed "China Beach" by unknown foreigners, most likely Americans... |
Uncle Conal | TV episodes - "The World, Pts. 1 & 2" |
| 1997 | Dogtown Dogtown (film) Dogtown is a 1997 drama film by George Hickenlooper about life in the small Missouri town of Cuba, Missouri starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Jon Favreau, Rory Cochrane, Harold Russell, and Natasha Gregson Wagner. The film is 93-minute long and was shot entirely in Torrance, California... |
Blessed William |