Rondo Hatton was an American journalist and actor who was born on April 22, 1894. Hatton established a consistent career in movies because of his distinctive facial characteristics, which were the product of acromegaly, after several years of writing for The Tampa Tribune. He became a cult hero after starring in horror films with Universal Studios near the end of his life.
Hatton was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, at the Kee Mar College girls’ infirmary. Hatton’s family moved about a lot during his childhood until settling in Hillsborough, Florida. He was the Handsomest Boy in his class his senior year after excelling in track and football at Hillsborough High School.
When Hatton was working as a reporter for The Tampa Tribune covering the making of Hell Harbor (1930), director Henry King recognized him and hired him for a minor part. Hatton traveled to Hollywood in 1936 after some hesitation to seek a career incomparable, often uncredited, bit and extra roles.
His most prominent role was as a contestant-extra in the RKO production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s ‘ugly man competition.’ In the 1943 picture The Ox-Bow Incident, he had another supporting role as Gabe Hart, a member of the lynch mob.
Hatton suffered a series of heart attacks around Christmas 1945 as a direct effect of his acromegalic illness. He died of a heart attack on February 2, 1946, at his house on South Tower Drive in Los Angeles. His remains were taken to Tampa, Florida, where he was laid to rest at the American Legion Cemetery.
The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards have honored Hatton in name and likeness since 2002. Hatton’s face is depicted on the physical trophy, which is modeled on the bust of ‘The Creeper,’ who Hatton played in the 1946 Universal Pictures movie House of Horrors.
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