John Hodiak
John Hodiak (/ˈhoʊ.diː.æk/ HOH-dee-ak; April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film.
John Hodiak
April 16, 1914
October 19, 1955 (aged 41)
Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1939–1955
1
Early life[edit]
Hodiak was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Anna (Pogorzelec) and Walter Hodiak. He was of Ukrainian and Polish descent.[1] Hodiak grew up in Hamtramck, Michigan.
Acting career[edit]
Radio[edit]
When Hodiak first tried out for a radio acting job, he was turned down because of his accent. He became a caddie at a Detroit golf course, then worked at a Chevrolet automobile factory – and practised his diction. When he conquered the diction hurdle, he became a radio actor and moved to Chicago. There Hodiak created the role of the comic strip character Li'l Abner on radio.[2][3]
Hodiak also had the role of McCullough in the radio soap opera Girl Alone.[4][5]
Hollywood[edit]
Hodiak was cast in a few small parts at MGM, including A Stranger in Town (1943), I Dood It (1943) and Maisie Goes to Reno (1944).[6]
Personal life[edit]
Hodiak and actress Anne Baxter (whom he met while they were starring in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier) married on July 7, 1946, and divorced on January 27, 1953. They had one daughter, Katrina Hodiak, who became an actress.[2]
Death[edit]
At age 41, Hodiak suffered a fatal heart attack at his parents' home in Tarzana, California.[24] He was acting in On the Threshold of Space; it was decided that his performance was sufficient to release the movie.[25] He is interred in Block 303, Crypt D-1 of the main mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles. He left an estate of $25,000.[26]
Legacy[edit]
Hodiak has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Boulevard, for his work in radio.[27]