Hank Worden (born Norton Earl Worden)
July 23, 1901 – December 6, 1992
Back in the early days of this blog, as I was trying to figure out what this thing would and would not cover, I decided to put a real limit on birthdays, which felt a bit like filler. Along the way, I’ve decided not to commemorate the births of some of the genre’s real heavyweights.
Then there’s Hank Worden. There’s no way I could let this one go by. So many films were enriched by his presence, even if his part’s not much more than a cameo. And on the list of people who I’d like to have met, he’d be in the Top 10.
I probably don’t need to point out that the image above is from John Ford’s The Searchers (1956). So, to put a little Hank in your day, which of his many roles is your favorite?
Favourite role?
You’ve chosen it for me, “Old Mose Harper” in The Searchers. A type of performance he’d been perfecting for many years, but he rarely had so much screen time before, so thank you to John Ford for that.
The one I find particularly interesting is his role as “Doc” in One- Eyed Jacks (1961).
He’s only in the first five minutes or so, and with all the editing/ meddling that picture went through, it seems that there must’ve been more to Hank’s part.
I’ll cast a vote for Poordevil in “The Big Sky”. He’s a unique and interesting character, and I don’t even think I recognized that it was Hank Worden until the second or third time I saw the movie.
My favorite Worden role is definitely Mose.
I love the bit in FRENCHIE (1950) where Hank plays Mr Grady the
town assayer.Another wonderful character actor Paul Burns playing
“Red Nose” goes into Hanks office with some fake gold and the entire
town clears out for the hills.Did any other character actor in history
play the town drunk better than Mr Burns? Seeing the two of them in
the same scene was pure magic.
I have a great fondness for Hank’s “world’s oldest waiter” in Twin Peaks.
Hank was my friend. I shared a house with him for several years in the 1980s. A sweeter man you’d never meet. He left me his hat and spurs from Red River. Thanks for the nice tribute.