Hal Stalmaster

Harry Lapidus Stalmaster, known as Hal Stalmaster (born March 29, 1940), is an American former actor, known for his lead role in the 1957 Walt Disney film of the American Revolution, Johnny Tremain, based on the 1943 Esther Forbes novel of the same name.

Hal Stalmaster
Born
Harry Lapidus Stalmaster

(1940-03-29) March 29, 1940
Los Angeles, California, United States
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
OccupationFormer actor, talent agent
Spouse(s)Caryl S. Stalmaster
Nancy E. Stalmaster
Lynne Stalmaster Nobles
ChildrenCyndy Stalmaster
FamilyLynn Stalmaster (brother)

Early life and education

He was born in Los Angeles, California. Stalmaster attended Beverly Hills High School, located in Beverly Hills, California, and went on to attend the University of California, Los Angeles.

Career

Johnny Tremain

In the dramatization, Stalmaster is an apprentice silversmith who burns his hand and requires surgery for proper healing from the noted physician Joseph Warren, played by Walter Coy. Spurred to fight the British for colonial independence, young Tremain joins the Sons of Liberty and participates in the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's ride.[1]

Walt Disney dedicated Johnny Tremain "to the youth of the world . . . in whose spirit and courage rests the hope of eventual freedom for all mankind." Disney continued, "Johnny Tremain is about the nameless, unsung patriots whose hunger for freedom made possible the independence that is enjoyed in America today."

Stalmaster is the younger brother of former actor and casting director Lynn A. Stalmaster, a native of Omaha, Nebraska.[2] Stalmaster said that his brother "didn't help me one bit [in landing the role of Johnny Tremain]. He thought I was too young to start acting and besides, he didn't think I could act!"

Stalmaster was seventeen when Johnny Tremain was filmed. The film was not shown in its entirety on television until 1975 where it was featured on two consecutive broadcasts of The Wonderful World of Disney, which then aired on NBC.[3][4][5]

Other roles

In 1957, Stalmaster also played Olympic athlete Bob Richards as a child in the episode, "Leap to Heaven", of the ABC series, Cavalcade of America.

In 1959, he played the role of "Skinny" in the episode, "Misfits", of Nick Adams's western series on ABC, The Rebel.[2]

In 1960, Stalmaster portrayed Gwynn in three of the eight hour-long segments of the Walt Disney Presents miniseries, The Swamp Fox, with Leslie Nielsen in the title role of General Francis Marion of the southern theater of the American Revolution.[6]

After The Swamp Fox ended, Stalmaster did not act again until 1966, when he made his final performances on two network programs—as Borden in the episode, "Robbie and the Little Stranger", of Fred MacMurray's CBS sitcom, My Three Sons; and as Lieutenant Gurney in the episode, "Back to the Drawing Board", on Paul Burke's ABC adventure series about World War II, Twelve O'Clock High.[2]

Later career

After Stalmaster's acting career, he worked in casting for Disney and later became a talent agent.[7][8][9][10][11]

Personal life

Stalmaster and his wife, Caryl, reside in Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. His daughter from his first marriage is Cyndy Stalmaster of La Jolla, California.

Filmography

See also

References
  1. "Hal Stalmaster News". TV Guide. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  2. "Hal Stalmaster". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  3. "Johnny Tremain" (PDF). Variety. May 1, 1957. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  4. "'Johnny Tremain' at Neighborhood Houses". The New York Times. July 11, 1957. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  5. York, Neil L. (Fall 2008). Son of liberty: Johnny Tremain and the art of making American patriots.(Report). Early American Studies. 6(2). p. 422(26)
  6. Richard M. Millard (June 29, 1979). As American as -- Well, as the Movies. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). p. 29.
  7. Schellhammer, Michael (February 13, 2014). "10 Questions with Hal Stalmaster (Johnny Tremain)". Journal of the American Revolution. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  8. Lehman, Harry (Oct 22, 1971). Major Production Centers: On Camera Out West. Back Stage (Archive: 1960-2000). 12(43). p. 10, 13.
  9. Lehman, Harry (July 16, 1976). On Camera Out West. Back Stage (Archive: 1960-2000). 17(29). p. 19.
  10. Cynthia Hunter (1999) 'Hollywood, Here I Come!' (Yellow Deer Press) p. 309, 311.
  11. American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (1994) 'It's a Jungle Out There!' vol. 27–29.
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