Jack La Rue
123 movies · 7 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 3, 1902
- Died
- Jan 11, 1984 (age 81)
- Place of birth
- New York City, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Gaspere Biondolillo · Jack LaRue · The Latin Lover (nickname) · Gaspare Biondolillo
Biography
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.
Read the full biography
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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Jack La Rue: movies and TV shows
Acting (130)
- 1976 Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
as Silent Film Villain
- 1975 Paesano
as Bartender
- 1969
- 1967 The Spy in the Green Hat
as Federico 'Feet' Stilletto
- 1966
- 1964
- 1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods
as Tomatoes
- 1964 For Those Who Think Young
as Cronin's Business Associate
- 1962 40 Pounds of Trouble
as Nick the Greek (uncredited)
- 1957
- 1957
- 1955
- 1953
- 1952 Ride the Man Down
as Kennedy
- 1950 For Heaven's Sake
as Tony Clark
- 1948 No Orchids for Miss Blandish
as Slim Grisson
- 1947 Robin Hood of Monterey
as Don Ricardo Gonzales
- 1947 Bush Pilot
as Paul Girard
- 1947 My Favorite Brunette
as Tony
- 1946 Santa Fe Uprising
as Bruce Jackson
- 1946 In Old Sacramento
as Laramie
- 1946 Murder in the Music Hall
as Bruce Wilton
- 1946 Road to Utopia
as LeBec
- 1945 Dakota
as Suade
- 1945 Cornered
as Diego, Hotel Valet
- 1945 The Spanish Main
as Lt. Escobar
- 1945 Steppin' in Society
as Bow Tie
- 1944 Dangerous Passage
as Mike
- 1944 The Last Ride
as Joe Genna
- 1944 Leave It to the Irish
as Rockwell
- 1944 Machine Gun Mama
as Jose
- 1944 Follow the Leader
as Larry
- 1944 The Desert Song
as Lt. Bertin
- 1943 Smart Guy
as Matt Taylor
- 1943 The Sultan's Daughter
as Rata
- 1943 Pistol Packin' Mama
as Johnny Rossi
- 1943 Never a Dull Moment
as Joey
- 1943 A Scream in the Dark
as Cross
- 1943 The Girl from Monterrey
as Al Johnson
- 1943 The Law Rides Again
as Duke Dillon
- 1943 Secret Service In Darkest Africa
as Hassan
- 1943 You Can't Beat the Law
as Cain
- 1942 American Empire
as Pierre - Beauchard Henchman
- 1942 The Payoff
as John Angus
- 1942 X Marks the Spot
as Marty Clark
- 1942 Highways by Night
as Johnny Lieber, Gangster
- 1942 Pardon My Sarong
as Tabor (uncredited)
- 1942 A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen
as Tommy Gould
- 1941 Swamp Woman
as Pierre Pertinax Pontineau Briand Broussicourt d'Olivier, aka Pete Oliver
- 1941 Hard Guy
as Vic Monroe
- 1941 Gentleman from Dixie
as Thad Terrill
- 1941 Ringside Maisie
as Ricky Du Prez
- 1941 Gangs Inc.
as Mickey Roman
- 1941 Footsteps in the Dark
as Ace Vernon
- 1940 East of the River
as Frank 'Frisco' Scarfi
- 1940 Fugitive from a Prison Camp
as Red Nelson
- 1940 The Sea Hawk
as Lt. Ortega
- 1940 Enemy Agent
as Alex
- 1940 Forgotten Girls
as Eddie Nolan
- 1940 Charlie Chan in Panama
as Emil Manolo
- 1939 In Old Caliente
as Manuel Delgardo / Sujarno
- 1939 Big Town Czar
as Mike Luger
- 1939 The Gang's All Here
as Alberni
- 1939 Murder in Soho
as Steve Marco
- 1938 I Demand Payment
as Smiles Badolio
- 1938 Valley of the Giants
as Ed Morrell
- 1938 Under the Big Top
as Ricardo Le Grande
- 1938 Arson Racket Squad
as Bud Morgan
- 1937
- 1937 Trapped by G-Men
as Fred Drake
- 1937 Captains Courageous
as Priest
- 1937 Dangerous Holiday
as Gollenger
- 1937 Her Husband Lies
as 'Trigger'
- 1936 Mind Your Own Business
as Cruger
- 1936 Yellow Cargo
as Al Perrelli
- 1936 Ellis Island
as Dude
- 1936 Born to Fight
as Smoothy Morgan
- 1936 A Tenderfoot Goes West
as James "Killer" Madden
- 1936 It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)
as Smiley Clark
- 1936 Dancing Pirate
as Lt. Chago (Baltazar's Aide)
- 1936 The Bridge of Sighs
as Packy Lacy
- 1936 Strike Me Pink
as Mr. Thrust
- 1935 Remember Last Night?
as Baptiste Bouclier
- 1935 The Spanish Cape Mystery
as Gardner
- 1935 Waterfront Lady
as Tom Braden
- 1935 His Night Out
as Joe Ferranza
- 1935 Special Agent
as Jake Andrews
- 1935 Little Big Shot
as Jack Doré
- 1935 The Daring Young Man
as Cubby
- 1935 After the Dance
as Mitch
- 1935 Under the Pampas Moon
as Bazan
- 1935 The Headline Woman
as Phil Zarias
- 1935 Men of the Hour
as Nick Thomas
- 1935 Times Square Lady
as Jack Kramer
- 1935 Calling All Cars
as Jerry Kennedy
- 1934 Secret of the Chateau
as Lucien Vonaire
- 1934 No Ransom
as Larry Romero
- 1934 Straight Is the Way
as Monk
- 1934 Take the Stand
as George Gaylord
- 1934 The Fighting Rookie
as Patrolman Jim Trent
- 1934 Good Dame
as Bluch Brown
- 1934 Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen
as Bert
- 1933 The Kennel Murder Case
as Eduardo Grassi
- 1933 To the Last Man
as Jim Daggs
- 1933 Headline Shooter
as Ricci
- 1933 Gambling Ship
as Pete Manning
- 1933 The Girl in 419
as Sammy
- 1933 The Story of Temple Drake
as Trigger
- 1933 Terror Aboard
as Gregory Cordoff
- 1933 42nd Street
as Mug with Murphy (uncredited)
- 1933 Christopher Strong
as Carlo
- 1933 The Woman Accused
as Little Maxie
- 1932 Lawyer Man
as Spike Murphy (uncredited)
- 1932 20,000 Years in Sing Sing
as Prisoner at Check-In (uncredited)
- 1932 A Farewell to Arms
as Priest
- 1932 Man Against Woman
as Alberti
- 1932 I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
as Ackerman (uncredited)
- 1932 Three on a Match
as Ace's Henchman (uncredited)
- 1932 Virtue
as Toots O'Neil
- 1932 The All-American
as Joe Fiore
- 1932 Blessed Event
as Louis De Marco
- 1932 Radio Patrol
as Slick (uncredited)
- 1932 While Paris Sleeps
as Julot
- 1932 Night World
as Henchman (uncredited)
- 1932 The Mouthpiece
as Joe Garland (Uncredited)
- 1930 Follow the Leader
as Gangster (uncredited)
- 1928
- 1926 Fine Manners
as New Year's Eve Celebrant
- 1925 The King On Main Street
as Member of King's Retinue (uncredited)
- 1925 The Lucky Devil
as Prizefight Attendant
Talk shows and appearances (5)
- 2003
- 1997
- 1955 MGM Parade
1 episode
- 1949 Lights Out
157 episodes
- 1934