In 1979, Hall was living at his sister's house on Atoll while undergoing painful chemotherapy treatments for incurable bladder cancer. PL met Hall. He learned that Hall was an inventor in addition to being an actor. Once Hall took a picture of PL's house using a wide screen lens Hall invented. "The picture was over a foot long, and I've still got it somewhere," PL said.
On December 13, 1979, Hall's brother-in-law, Edward Bayman, heard a gunshot. "He ran into Hall's room and found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," said Los Angeles Police Detective Russell Lyons. News crews from ABC, NBC, CBS and local television stations descended on the neighborhood to cover Hall's death along with reporters from numerous newspapers. Vans, cars and trucks were parked up and down Atoll Avenue. One car blocked the PL's driveway.
As I tried to imagine the media circus in our neighborhood, I realized today--December 13, 2009--was the 30 year anniversary of his death. It seemed eerie that I would meet PL on this particular day and he would tell me this particular story. It felt like I was in an episode of "
Until next time, I'll see you around the neighborhood. -- Jeff S.
God Bless his soul.
ReplyDeleteI just watched the Hurricane movie starring Jon Hall. My God he was gorgeous. They just don't make them like that anymore. I'm sorry he was so ill he felt he had to end it all. Illness must have been very hard on a guy like that. May God rest his soul. I hope to meet him in the ever after.
ReplyDeleteThanks for you comments, Kathleen. You've reminded me that I never watched "Hurricane." Guess I know what I'm doing tonight :). All the best.
DeleteI just watched the Hurricane movie starring Jon Hall. My God he was gorgeous. They just don't make them like that anymore. I'm sorry he was so ill he felt he had to end it all. Illness must have been very hard on a guy like that. May God rest his soul. I hope to meet him in the ever after.
ReplyDeleteI SAW HIM IN THE MOVIE "KIT CARSON" WHOM HE PLAYED WHEN I WAS ONLY 7 OR 8 YEARS OLD. I'M 80 NOW AND HAVE A COPY OF THAT MOVIE. IT HAD EVERYTHING IN IT THAT A YOUNG BOY WOULD LIKE AND THEN SOME. IT EVEN HAS EVERYTHING IN IT THAT AN 80 YEAR OLD MAN WOULD ENJOY. IT HAD SOME GREAT LINES LIKE.... "NO SENSE GOING WHERE YOU'VE BEEN WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES YOU HAVEN'T BEEN" " IT'S ONLY HALF PAST APRIL" "THERE'S NO INDIANS WITHIN 50 MILES OF HERE", THEN AN ATTACK . THROWING AN AX AT A SPANISH SOLDIER OF MEXICO, TIED TO A TREE, IN ORDER TO GET HIM TO TALK ABOUT WHO WAS SUPPLYING GUNS TO THE INDIANS
ReplyDeleteAmen. I have prayed for him.
ReplyDeleteI typed up a long comment but when I went through the registration verification process the entire comment had disappeared. I haven’t got the energy to write it all again from scratch, so just let me say:
ReplyDeleteR.I.P. Jon Hall. 💐