MovieChat Forums > The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) Discussion > Alan Hale

Alan Hale

posted 18 years ago by tgemberl
7 replies | jump to latest

I liked the movie. It's quite inspirational. Just one funny thing I want to relate about my experience of watching it. I noticed one of the stars was named Alan Hale, and at first I wondered if it could be the one in Gilligan's Island (the skipper). I did think Robert Preston (Marcus) looked an awful lot like him. Of course I realized this is 30 years before the series, so it seemed unlikely. More aging would happen in that time. I guess that theory was finally disproven by looking at the credits, both at the end and on the box. But I do think there is some resemblance. I suppose this is a good example of how you can be misled by partial similarities.

I think Alan Hale was his gentle, scholarly slave, who bears absolutely no resemblance to "the skipper."

"Extremism in the pursuit of moderation is no vice."

[–] harold-9 17 years ago

Alan Hale played the role of Burbix, Marcus' 2nd in command during they raid for the horses and thereafter to the end of the film. His son Alan Hale, Jr was also an actor and played the Skipper on Gilligan's Island.

[–] s-hill4 17 years ago

Here's another important correction (in addition to distinguishing between Alan
Hale Sr. and Alan Hale Jr.). The lead role of Marcus in "Pompeii" was played by
Preston FOSTER, not Robert Preston. -- Steven P. Hill.

[–] kimpunkrock 16 years ago

The original poster just cannot get it right.
His mind is in the 60's while he is grasping for the 30's.
Just a thought.

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index.jsp?cid=186977

The Truth is out there.

[–] hg_b1 11 years ago

That is why the 'skipper' character was called Alan Hale Jr.

[–] Diosprometheus 10 years ago

It is probably good that the OP did not see Alan Hale play Little John in Doug Fairbanks' Robin Hood else he might confuse him as the actor who played Little John in Errol Flynn's Adventures of Robin Hood. In the famous words of Foghorn Leghorn, "That's a Joke, Son, that's a joke."

[–] beepstein 9 years ago

I get it!

[–] jcoughlin-79876 8 years ago

The "gentle, scholarly slave" (character name Leaster) was actually played by veteran actor Wyrley Birch. The role of Leaster probably represents the apex of Birch's screen career, although Wyrley was active in the theater for more than fifty years and later was seen in many early television dramas and comedies. Birch is one of 22 performers whose careers are explored in the recent book Forgotten Faces of Fantastic films published in late 2015 by Midnight Marquee Press.