Mordaunt Hall
Encyclopedia
Mordaunt Hall was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for The New York Times
, from October 1924 to September 1934.
His writing style was described in his New York Times obituary as "chatty, irreverent, and not particularly analytical.… The interest of other critics in analyzing cinematographic techniques was not for him."
Born Frederick William Mordaunt Hall in Guildford
, Surrey
, England, and known to his friends as "Freddie", he later claimed his full name was Frederick Wentworth Mordaunt Hall. His father was a school headmaster
in Tottenham
.
Hall immigrated to the United States at New York in 1902, and worked as an advance agent for Buffalo Bill
's Wild West show circa 1907, by which time he was already referred to as "an old newspaper man." In 1909 the theater impresario Oscar Hammerstein I
accused Hall and another reporter of assaulting him outside New York's Hotel Knickerbocker. He worked at the New York Press from 1909 to 1914, when he joined the New York Herald
.
He married Helen Rowe, an American, in 1909. She died in 1972.
Hall was commissioned a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
during World War I
, and did intelligence
work. He wrote about the wartime experiences of others in the book Some Naval Yarns (1917). He returned from service in 1919.
In 1919, Hall returned to England, where in the early 1920s he wrote movie intertitle
s, with young Alfred Hitchcock
designing and lettering them, at the Famous Players-Lasky
studio in the London borough of Islington
. The Halls returned to America in 1922, and his byline
first appeared in the New York Times that year. After retiring from the Times in 1934, he hosted a New York radio program on movies and movie players in 1934–1935, and was a drama critic for the Boston Transcript from 1936 to 1938. On December 10, 1941, two days after the United States entered World War II
, Hall became a U.S. citizen. He was working for the Columbia Broadcasting System in New York in 1942. He later joined the Bell Syndicate as a copy editor, and occasionally wrote articles. He died in New York City at age 94.
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, from October 1924 to September 1934.
His writing style was described in his New York Times obituary as "chatty, irreverent, and not particularly analytical.… The interest of other critics in analyzing cinematographic techniques was not for him."
Born Frederick William Mordaunt Hall in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, and known to his friends as "Freddie", he later claimed his full name was Frederick Wentworth Mordaunt Hall. His father was a school headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
in Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
.
Hall immigrated to the United States at New York in 1902, and worked as an advance agent for Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's Wild West show circa 1907, by which time he was already referred to as "an old newspaper man." In 1909 the theater impresario Oscar Hammerstein I
Oscar Hammerstein I
Oscar Hammerstein I was a businessman, theater impresario and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled opera's popularity in America...
accused Hall and another reporter of assaulting him outside New York's Hotel Knickerbocker. He worked at the New York Press from 1909 to 1914, when he joined the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
.
He married Helen Rowe, an American, in 1909. She died in 1972.
Hall was commissioned a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and did intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
work. He wrote about the wartime experiences of others in the book Some Naval Yarns (1917). He returned from service in 1919.
In 1919, Hall returned to England, where in the early 1920s he wrote movie intertitle
Intertitle
In motion pictures, an intertitle is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of the photographed action, at various points, generally to convey character dialogue, or descriptive narrative material related to, but not necessarily covered by, the material photographed.Intertitles...
s, with young Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
designing and lettering them, at the Famous Players-Lasky
Famous Players-Lasky
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company created on July 19, 1916 from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company -- originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays -- and Jesse L...
studio in the London borough of Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
. The Halls returned to America in 1922, and his byline
Byline
The byline on a newspaper or magazine article gives the name, and often the position, of the writer of the article. Bylines are traditionally placed between the headline and the text of the article, although some magazines place bylines at the bottom of the page, to leave more room for graphical...
first appeared in the New York Times that year. After retiring from the Times in 1934, he hosted a New York radio program on movies and movie players in 1934–1935, and was a drama critic for the Boston Transcript from 1936 to 1938. On December 10, 1941, two days after the United States entered 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...
, Hall became a U.S. citizen. He was working for the Columbia Broadcasting System in New York in 1942. He later joined the Bell Syndicate as a copy editor, and occasionally wrote articles. He died in New York City at age 94.
External links
- Some Naval Yarns, by Mordaunt Hall (Google Books online text).
- All New York Times movie reviews of Mordaunt Hall.