Warren Hymer: An actual case of blacklisting


Warren Hymer (February 25, 1906 – March 25, 1948) was the son of John Bard Hymer a playwright (who had nine Broadway plays to his credit) Warren’s mother, Eleanor,  was an actress.


Hymer appeared in 129 films between 1929 and 1946, as well as the 1928 Broadway play, The Grey Fox. In most of his roles, he played a tough guy from the streets but actually, Hymer was a Yale University graduate.
In the late 1930s, Columbia Pictures boss Harry Cohn had Hymer removed from the studio after he showed up for work drunk. Hymer responded by breaking into Cohn's office and urinating on his desk. Cohn then blackballed him in the film industry, making it almost impossible for him to find work.
He died in LA a few years later.