Actor. He received recognition as an American stage and screen actor. He made his debut on Broadway with "Fiddler's Three." His first film in 1929 was the version of the Broadway play "Burlesque," retitled "Dance of Life". He also appeared in "Woman Trap" in 1929 and "The Shadow Laughs" in 1933. Born James Harold Skelley into a Roman Catholic family with seven siblings, he left home at age 15 to travel with the circus. Along the way, his professional name was changed to Hal Skelly. He toured with Barnum & Bailey Circus for a year and was always associated with minstrel, medicine, and burlesque shows, wearing character costumes. He acted in his first stage production, "The Time, the Place and the Girl, at the LaSalle Theater in Chicago" when he was 16, while playing professional baseball for a short time and being a prizefighter. Acting, singing, and dancing, he is credited with 12 Broadway plays, according to "Playbill" with the last being "Come What May" in 1934 shortly before his death. He married in 1914.
Actor. He received recognition as an American stage and screen actor. He made his debut on Broadway with "Fiddler's Three." His first film in 1929 was the version of the Broadway play "Burlesque," retitled "Dance of Life". He also appeared in "Woman Trap" in 1929 and "The Shadow Laughs" in 1933. Born James Harold Skelley into a Roman Catholic family with seven siblings, he left home at age 15 to travel with the circus. Along the way, his professional name was changed to Hal Skelly. He toured with Barnum & Bailey Circus for a year and was always associated with minstrel, medicine, and burlesque shows, wearing character costumes. He acted in his first stage production, "The Time, the Place and the Girl, at the LaSalle Theater in Chicago" when he was 16, while playing professional baseball for a short time and being a prizefighter. Acting, singing, and dancing, he is credited with 12 Broadway plays, according to "Playbill" with the last being "Come What May" in 1934 shortly before his death. He married in 1914.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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