Jack Haley
He also portrayed farmworker Hickory, who appeared in the Kansas sequences, in the film.
Biography
Career
Haley starred in vaudeville as a song-and-dance comedian. One of his closest friends was fellow vaudeville alumnus Fred Allen, who would frequently mention "Mr.
In the early 1930s Haley starred in comedy shorts for Vitaphone in Brooklyn, New York. His wide-eyed, good-natured expression landed him supporting roles in musical feature films like Poor Little Rich Girl with Shirley Temple, Higher and Higher with Frank Sinatra and the Irving Berlin musical Alexander's Ragtime Band.
Both Poor Little Rich Girl and Alexander's Ragtime Band were released by Twentieth Century-Fox.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer hired Haley for The Wizard of Oz after another song-and-dance comic, Buddy Ebsen, who was originally set to play the Tin Man, had a near-fatal reaction from inhaling the aluminum dust makeup. The new makeup did cause an eye infection which caused Haley to miss four days of filming, but he received treatment in time to prevent permanent damage. Haley did not take to the makeup or to the discomfort of the costume very kindly.
When being interviewed about the film years later by Tom Snyder, he remarked that many people had commented that making the film must have been fun. Haley's reply: "Like hell it was; it was work!"
Haley's natural voice (which he used for the "Hickory" character) was moderately gruff.
Rogers", which he later said was the tone of voice he used when reading stories to his children. He surrendered the job in 1947 when he refused to appear in a remake of RKO's old story property Seven Keys to Baldpate; Phillip Terry took the role.
Personal life
He married Florence McFadden, a native of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on February 25, 1921, and they remained married until his death.
Flo Haley opened a successful beauty shop and counted many show people among her customers. (later a successful film producer) and one daughter, Gloria. Jack Haley, Jr.
was married to Liza Minnelli, daughter of his father's Oz co-star Judy Garland, in 1974. Only a short time previously, he had made an appearance at that year's Academy Awards ceremony with Ray Bolger, who had played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.
Filmography
Features
Jack Haley (far left of photo) in a trailer for the 1938 film Alexander's Ragtime Band
Jack Haley (second from left), in a photo taken on May 30, 1979, one week before his death
Broadway Madness (1927)
Follow Thru (1930)
Mr. Broadway (1933)
Sitting Pretty (1933)
Here Comes the Groom (1934)
Spring Tonic (1935)
Redheads on Parade (1935)
The Girl Friend (1935)
Coronado (1935)
F-Man (1936)
Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
Pigskin Parade (1936)
Mister Cinderella (1936)
Pick A Star (1937)
She Had to Eat (1937)
Wake Up and Live (1937)
Danger - Love at Work (1937)
Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937) (Cameo)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)
Hold That Co-ed (1938)
Thanks for Everything (1938)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Moon Over Miami (1941)
Navy Blues (1941)
Beyond the Blue Horizon (1942)
Higher and Higher (1943)
Take It Big (1944)
One Body Too Many (1944)
Scared Stiff (1945)
George White's Scandals (1945)
Sing Your Way Home (1945)
People Are Funny (1946)
Vacation in Reno (1946)
Norwood (1970)
Short Subjects
Then Came the Yawn (1932)
Wrongorilla (1933)
Hollywood on Parade No.