Rondo Hatton

Born April 22, 1894 · Hagerstown, Maryland, USA

Rondo Hatton (April 22, 1894 – February 2, 1946) was an American actor and journalist known for his work during the 1930's and 40's. Originally taking up work as a sports journalist for the Tampa Tribune, Hatton quickly transitioned into warfront reporting after the start of World War I, documenting the frontlines of both France and the Mexican border during the Pancho Villa Expedition before complications from his acromegaly forced him to be honorably discharged shortly after the war. Having previously worked as an extra for films such as Hell Harbor (1930) and Safe in Hell (1931), Hatton moved to Hollywood in 1936 and dedicated his career to acting full-time, starring in films like The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and Universal Pictures' "Brute Man" duology before his untimely death at the age of 51 due to further complications from his acromegaly. While only a mild success in his lifetime, Rondo Hatton's influence on cult cinema continued to thrive even after his death, inspiring the appearance of the character Lothar in the Rocketeer franchise as well as the creation of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards in 2002.