Earl Hammond, a renowned thespian, embarked on a remarkable 70-year career in the performing arts, acting in radio, movies, television, and on Broadway. Born Erwin Saul Hamburger on June 17, 1921, in New York City, Hammond's journey in the entertainment industry began at the tender age of seven when he started working as a professional actor on radio. For over 50 years, he continued to work in radio, earning a recurring role on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" in the 1940s and appearing on the "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" from 1979 to 1982.
Hammond's family relocated to Buffalo, where he began his radio career on WGR in 1938, shortly after graduating from high school. He later moved to California, where he studied drama at Los Angeles City College, graduating in 1941. However, his education was interrupted when he was drafted and served in the Army during World War II. After being demobilized, Hammond returned to New York City and resumed his acting career, appearing in theater and on the radio.
Hammond made his television debut on the Kraft Theatre in 1947, followed by a recurring role as Sergeant Lane on the TV series Rocky King, Detective in 1953. He continued to appear regularly on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s, but his TV work slowed down in the 1970s. Interestingly, he didn't make his film debut until 1962, in the B-movie Satan in High Heels.
Hammond's Broadway credits include three plays from 1957 to 1959. He appeared in the short-lived musical "Livin' The Life" in the spring of 1957, played Roddy McDowall's father in Compulsion in the 1957-58 season, and last performed on the Great White Way in the unsuccessful musical "Juno" in the spring of 1959.
In his later years, Hammond transitioned to voice acting, providing voice-overs for several TV series, including Star Blazers, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers, Silverhawks, and Thundercats. He also lent his voice to audio tapes and was personally selected by Pope John Paul II to be the voice of his audio book, "Crossing the Threshold of Hope".
Sadly, Earl Hammond passed away on May 17, 2002, at the age of 80, due to heart failure.
