Introduction
Rudolph Bond (October 10, 1912 – March 29, 1982) was an American actor who was active from 1947 until his death. His work spanned Broadway, Hollywood and US television.
Biography
Bond was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second youngest of five children. He was raised in urban Philadelphia by his mother. He was educated in Philadelphia schools, and eventually received a BA degree from Central High, the only school in the nation certificated to grant such degrees.
At age 16 Bond was introduced to the world of acting. He was playing basketball with a group of friends when Julie Sutton, the director of a city amateur acting group (Neighborhood Players, which performed in the same building as the basketball area) approached the group and asked if anybody wanted to be in an upcoming play. He volunteered, and acted in several plays before leaving Philadelphia to join the United States Army. He spent four years in the army, was wounded while serving in World War II, and returned to Philadelphia upon his discharge.
Acting career
He continued acting in the Neighborhood Players until 1945, when he won second prize in the John Golden Award for Actors, which allowed him to enroll in Elia Kazan's Actor's Studio in New York City. Kazan got him a substantial role in two stage productions. After his success in the second (A Streetcar Named Desire), he was invited to Hollywood to recreate his stage role in the movie version. In 1951 he appeared in "Romeo and Juliet" at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York and in 1960 he toured in "Fiorello" (which starred Tom Bosley). He spent the next thirty years bouncing between California and New York, and between movie and television work.
http://www.zanestein.com/television.htm TELEVISION CREDITS
http://www.zanestein.com/movies.htm MOVIE CREDITS
http://www.zanestein.com/theater.htm THEATER CREDITS
Personal life
Bond met Alma Halbert when she auditioned for a Neighborhood Players role. He was 25, she was 15. They were married in 1948. They had three children: fraternal twins Jonathan and Janet [Brill], and Zane.
Alma went on to have a successful career on her own, as an analytical psychologist and author. She published sixteen books, and numerous articles both about psychiatry and about her Hollywood experiences.
Bond died in Denver, Colorado, outside the box office of a theater where the next day he was scheduled to begin appearing in a production of What the Babe Said (he was to portray Babe Ruth). Cause of death was heart attack.
Bond wrote an autobiography but it was not completed before he died. Alma completed it, added an introduction, and had it published in 2000.
Acting credits
Film
- 1950 - With These Hands as Business Agent (uncredited)
- 1951 - A Streetcar Named Desire as Steve Hubbel
- 1953 - Miss Sadie Thompson as Pvt. Hodges
- 1954 - On The Waterfront as Moose
- 1957 - Nightfall as Red
- 1957 - 12 Angry Men as Judge (uncredited)
- 1957 - The Brothers Rico as Charlie Gonzales
- 1957 - The Hard Man as John Rodman
- 1958 - Run Silent, Run Deep as Sonarman 1st Class Cullen
- 1959 - Middle of the Night as Gould
- 1960 - Because They're Young as Chris
- 1960 - The Mountain Road as Sgt. Miller
- 1960 - BUtterfield 8 as Big Man (uncredited)
- 1970 - Hercules in New York as Ship's Captain
- 1970 - Move as Detective Sawyer
- 1971 - Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? as News Dealer
- 1971 - Mr. Forbush and the Penguins as 3rd Pilot
- 1972 - The Godfather as Don Cuneo
- 1974 - The Super Cops as Policeman (uncredited)
- 1974 - The Taking of Pelham One Two Three as Phil, Police Commissioner
- 1979 - The Rose as Monty
Television credits
Bond appeared in over 100 TV shows. Episodes in which he is credited include:
- 1952: 2 series
- 1954: 2 series
- 1955: 2 series
- 1956: 6 series
- 1957: 2 series
- 1958: 5 series
- 1959: 3 series
- 1961: 1 series
- 1962: 1 series
- 1963: 5 series
- 1964: 3 series
- 1966: 1 series
- 1967: 1 series
- 1969: 2 series
- 1973: 1 series
- 1974: 2 series
- 1976: 1 series
- 1977: 2 series
- 1978: 3 series
- 1979: 3 series
New York stage credits
- 1947: O'Daniel
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- 1950: The Bird Cage
- 1951: Romeo and Juliet
- Glad Tidings
- 1952: Golden Boy
- Fiorello!
- After the Fall
- 1967: Illya Darling
- 1968: A Mother's Kisses
- 1972: Night Watch
- Alma H. Bond, p. 12
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0094036/
- http://broadwayworld.com/bwidb/people/Rudy_Bond Broadway World performer listing, accessed 4 October 2009
- Alma H. Bond, p. 10