Canadian-born Jonathan Hale had a long film career, appearing in over 200 pictures. He was a member of the diplomatic service prior to his film career, and his stately bearing stood him in good stead for the variety of corporate executives, military officers and high-level politicians he often played. His best known and most memorable part was that of Dagwood Bumstead's boss J.C. Dithers in the "Blondie" series, a role he assayed from the first entry (Blondie (1938)) until he left the series in 1946. In 1966, despondent over personal problems, he shot himself to death.