Jack La Rue

DOB: 1902-05-03

DOD: 1984-01-11

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.

Starred In

1933
Movie

42nd Street

1932
Movie

Radio Patrol

1942
Movie

American Empire

1932
Movie

A Farewell to Arms

1932
Movie

Man Against Woman

1945
Movie

Cornered

1946
Movie

Road to Utopia

1932
Movie

Three on a Match

1932
Movie

Blessed Event

1941
Movie

Gangs Inc.

1935
Movie

Special Agent

1933
Movie

Gambling Ship

1932
Movie

Night World

1932
Movie

Virtue

1945
Movie

The Spanish Main

1950
Movie

For Heaven's Sake

1933
Movie

Terror Aboard

1935
Movie

Little Big Shot

1942
Movie

The Payoff

1942
Movie

Highways by Night

1941
Movie

Hard Guy

1932
Movie

The Mouthpiece

1940
Movie

Forgotten Girls

1937
Movie

Trapped by G-Men

1933
Movie

The Girl in 419

1939
Movie

Murder in Soho

1940
Movie

East of the River

1933
Movie

To the Last Man

1937
Movie

That I May Live

1933
Movie

Headline Shooter

1944
Movie

Dangerous Passage

1934
Movie

Good Dame

1944
Movie

Machine Gun Mama

1942
Movie

X Marks the Spot

1943
Movie

The Desert Song

1936
Movie

Dancing Pirate

1944
Movie

Follow the Leader

1944
Movie

The Last Ride

1936
Movie

Yellow Cargo

1936
Movie

Born to Fight

2007
Movie

Girl 27

1936
Movie

Ellis Island

1937
Movie

Dangerous Holiday

1937
Movie

Her Husband Lies

1938
Movie

Under the Big Top

1932
Movie

Lawyer Man

1930
Movie

Follow the Leader

1935
Movie

His Night Out

1926
Movie

Fine Manners

1936
Movie

Strike Me Pink

1946
Movie

Santa Fe Uprising

1935
Movie

Calling All Cars

1932
Movie

While Paris Sleeps

1947
Movie

Bush Pilot

1935
Movie

Times Square Lady

1935
Movie

After the Dance

1933
Movie

Christopher Strong

1952
Movie

Ride the Man Down

1939
Movie

In Old Caliente

1934
Movie

Take the Stand

1945
Movie

Dakota

1938
Movie

Arson Racket Squad

1933
Movie

The Woman Accused

1940
Movie

Enemy Agent

1941
Movie

Swamp Woman

1943
Movie

Smart Guy

1934
Movie

No Ransom

1946
Movie

In Old Sacramento

1935
Movie

Waterfront Lady

1940
Movie

The Sea Hawk

1941
Movie

Ringside Maisie

1939
Movie

Big Town Czar

2003
Movie

Complicated Women

1932
Movie

The All-American

1938
Movie

I Demand Payment

1942
Movie

Pardon My Sarong

1925
Movie

The Lucky Devil

1935
Movie

The Headline Woman

1957
Tv

Perry Mason

1949
Tv

Lights Out