Henry Richard Hall, also known as Huntz Hall, was the 14th of 16 children born to an air conditioning repairman. He received his name "Huntz" from a brother who jokingly said his large nose made him look German. Growing up on the East Side, he didn't fit the tough street kid persona he often portrayed in the East Side Kids/Bowery Boys films.
Hall made his stage debut at just one year old in a play called "Thunder on the Left." After graduating from a Catholic grammar school, he attended the famous Professional Children's School in New York. He was a boy soprano with the Madison Square Quintette and even appeared in an experimental 1932 television broadcast.
Actor and director Martin Gabel helped Hall land a role in the play "Dead End" due to his impressive machine gun imitation skills, which satisfied playwright Sidney Kingsley. Hall went on to appear in a total of 81 East Side Kids/Bowery Boys features and serials, making him the most prolific actor in the franchise.
In 1940, Hall married 18-year-old dancer Elsie May Anderson, but they divorced in 1944. During World War II, Hall enlisted in the Army and after his discharge, he returned to Hollywood, where he began working in war films, playing soldiers. His impressive performance in "A Walk in the Sun" (1945) earned him the New York Theatre Critics Circle Blue Ribbon Award.
In 1948, Hall found himself in a similar predicament to Robert Mitchum, getting arrested for possession of marijuana, but he was acquitted by a jury. After the trial, he married showgirl Leslie Wright. In the early 1950s, Hall and former Bowery Boys actor Gabriel Dell teamed up for a "Hall and Dell" nightclub act that was incredibly successful, but it ultimately cost them their marriages. In 1953, Hall's and Dell's wives both sued for divorce, claiming the men prioritized the act over their relationships.
In 1954, Hall was arrested for fighting with the manager of a building where he was attending a party. The party was too noisy, and the manager asked the occupants to quiet down. Hall took offense and a fight ensued, resulting in his arrest for assault. He paid a $50 fine and was placed on probation.
In 1959, Hall was arrested for drunk driving. After staying out of trouble for some time, Hall has been content in retirement, occasionally working on film and television projects. In addition to owning 10% of the Bowery Boys pictures, Hall made wise oil and gas investments that paid off handsomely, ensuring a comfortable life.
