Line #27 Creator/RondoHatton


1	[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rondo-hatton_7908.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:240:He'd always have his Hatton.]]
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4	Rondo Hatton (April 22, 1894 – February 2, 1946) was an American actor who appeared in various {{B Movie}}s before his death in 1946.
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6	His striking physical features were caused by a growth hormone disorder called acromegaly, which was also known to affect the late Wrestling/AndreTheGiant and Creator/RichardKiel. It didn't make Hatton as tall as them, since he developed the condition ''after'' reaching his full adult height of 5'9".
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8	Hatton was born in Hagerstown, Maryland to a pair of schoolteachers and moved to Tampa, Florida in his teens. A popular athlete and student, he played high school football; attending the University of Florida, he briefly played quarterback for the Florida Gators. The first signs of his acromegaly manifested towards the end of this period, with [[https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1999/06/27/in-love-with-a-monster/ Hatton's nose and mouth broadening slightly]]. Hatton served in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and it was some time after leaving the service that the symptoms became bad enough to lead to a diagnosis. Studio publicity would later claim Hatton's condition resulted from poison gas, but this is medically implausible as adult-onset acromegaly is caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland.
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10	Hatton returned to Tampa after the war, working initially as a high school football coach and freelance writer. As his symptoms worsened, he underwent several painful surgeries in an attempt to arrest his condition's spread (notably, he had metal implants placed in his cheeks, which contributed to his signature appearance and speech patterns) and battled depression and social anxiety. Hatton lost most of his money in a failed real estate deal, which also caused the break-up of his first marriage. By the end of the decade, however, Hatton found steady work as a sportswriter and reporter for the Tampa ''Herald'', his unique appearance and amiable personality making him a well-known fixture in the local social scene.
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12	It was in this capacity that Hatton, in 1930, met film director Henry King while the latter was shooting ''Hell's Harbor'' in Tampa. Hatton interviewed King at a press conference; King was struck by the reporter's appearance and offered him a bit part in the movie. Hatton obliged, but declined King's offer to move to Hollywood and act full-time. Like many sufferers of acromegaly, however, Hatton eventually developed severe arthritis which made it difficult for him to walk or stand for long periods of time. When he was no longer able to work as a reporter, Hatton's second wife, Mae, convinced him to relocate to California and pursue acting full-time.
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14	[[FaceOfAThug Due to his condition, he'd usually play a thug of some kind]]. He occasionally appeared in more substantial parts, like a member of the lynch mob in ''Film/TheOxBowIncident'', in an attempt to show he possessed range outside of minor horror roles. This led to his role as the backbreaking murderer known as "The Creeper", who appeared in three Universal films late to his career, which cemented his status as a cult actor. Hatton died of a heart attack soon after finishing the last of these films, ''Film/TheBruteMan'', at age 51.
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16	Hatton was [[https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/arts/movies/2020/11/12/documentary-explores-the-beauty-of-rondo-hatton-tampas-disfigured-horror-icon/ described]] by filmmaker Joe O'Connell as "a really normal guy who was weird looking." Hatton was known as a hard-working NiceGuy who made friends easily - he was rumored to be a ladies' man in his younger days - and was HappilyMarried to his wife Mae from 1934 to 1946. He gained a wide fanbase by making himself accessible to the public: he corresponded regularly with his fans, especially children, and he and his wife would occasionally even entertain Hatton's fans at their home in Beverly Hills. Hatton also engaged in philanthropic efforts; among other causes, he organized fundraisers for disabled war veterans and volunteered at hospitals in L.A. to entertain patients.
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18	Despite his relatively short career, Hatton's appearance and unique screen presence has ensured his continued popularity long after his death. Among other honors, Hatton is the namesake of the [[https://rondoaward.com/ Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards]], which annually award research into and preservation of classic horror movies.
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21	!!Rondo Hatton on TV Tropes:
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23	* ''Film/InOldChicago'' -- Body guard
24	* ''Film/AlexandersRagtimeBand'' -- Barfly
25	* ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1939 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1939) -- "Ugly man"
26	* ''Film/TheOxBowIncident'' (1943) -- Gabe Hart
27	* ''Film/ThePearlOfDeath'' (1944) -- The Hoxton Creeper
28	* ''Film/JungleCaptive'' (1945) -- Moloch, the Brute
29	* ''The Spider Woman Strikes Back'' (1946) -- Mario
30	* ''Film/{{House of Horrors\|1946}}'' (1946) -- The Creeper
31	* ''Film/TheBruteMan'' (1946) -- The Creeper
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33	!!The man exemplifies these tropes:
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35	* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Characters that look like Hatton have appeared in ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' (as a psychic), ''ComicBook/TheRocketeer'' (as a homicidal former circus strongman) and ''Comicbook/JudgeDredd'' (a crooked lawyer).
36	* {{Expy}}: His looks were copied for the brutish Lothar in ''Film/TheRocketeer'', and one of the aliens in ''Film/MenInBlackII''.
37	* FaceOfAThug: Hatton's intimidating appearance was caused by acromegaly. The pain and physical limitations that came with it forced him to give up his career as a reporter, but his face opened the door to a movie career for the last decade of his life.
38	* PrettyBoy: Before he was afflicted with acromegaly, Hatton was boyishly good-looking. He was said to be quite [[TheCharmer the charmer]] and ladies' man, too.
39	* ShellShockedVeteran: From [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne The Great War]]. In fact, studio publicity claimed that his disfigurement was due to [[BlatantLies exposure to mustard gas on the Western front]].
40	* TypeCasting: Due to his looks, most of Hatton's roles were thugs and murderers.
41	* UglyGuyHotWife: His second wife Mae was a pretty blonde who met Hatton at a Gasparilla event in Tampa, and fell in love with him after a brief conversation. The two were, by all accounts, HappilyMarried and Mae strongly encouraged Rondo to pursue acting.

Context Creator / RondoHatton