Actor. He was an American actor of the first half of the 20th century, who was a sad-eyed leading man of Hollywood films. Born in Pittsburgh of Ukrainian-Polish descent, he was a stock clerk at Detroit's Chevrolet factory when he began his acting career in local radio programs. He signed a contract with MGM in 1942, but his gritty style was not a good fit there and he was frequently loaned out to other studios. Hodiak first gained notice as the leftist sailor Kovac in Alfred Hitchcock's classic "Lifeboat" in 1944 and followed this with equally fine performances in "A Bell for Adano" in 1945 and "Somewhere in the Night" in 1946, all made at 20th Century-Fox. Perhaps his best-known Metro credit was as Judy Garland's leading man in the musical "The Harvey Girls" in 1946. He was most often cast as a tough but sensitive military man, with roles in such films as "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" in 1944, "Command Decision" in 1948, "Battleground" in 1949, "The Miniver Story" in 1950, "Mission Over Korea" in 1953, and "On the Threshold of Space" in 1956. He also played Lt. Maryk in the original Broadway production of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" in 1953. Ironically, in real life Hodiak was excused from military service because of hypertension. From 1946 to 1953 he was married to actress Anne Baxter.
Actor. He was an American actor of the first half of the 20th century, who was a sad-eyed leading man of Hollywood films. Born in Pittsburgh of Ukrainian-Polish descent, he was a stock clerk at Detroit's Chevrolet factory when he began his acting career in local radio programs. He signed a contract with MGM in 1942, but his gritty style was not a good fit there and he was frequently loaned out to other studios. Hodiak first gained notice as the leftist sailor Kovac in Alfred Hitchcock's classic "Lifeboat" in 1944 and followed this with equally fine performances in "A Bell for Adano" in 1945 and "Somewhere in the Night" in 1946, all made at 20th Century-Fox. Perhaps his best-known Metro credit was as Judy Garland's leading man in the musical "The Harvey Girls" in 1946. He was most often cast as a tough but sensitive military man, with roles in such films as "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" in 1944, "Command Decision" in 1948, "Battleground" in 1949, "The Miniver Story" in 1950, "Mission Over Korea" in 1953, and "On the Threshold of Space" in 1956. He also played Lt. Maryk in the original Broadway production of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" in 1953. Ironically, in real life Hodiak was excused from military service because of hypertension. From 1946 to 1953 he was married to actress Anne Baxter.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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