Harry Davenport

Harold George Bryant Davenport (January 19, 1866 – August 9, 1949) was an American film and stage actor who worked in show business from the age of six until his death. After a long and prolific Broadway career, he came to Hollywood in the 1930s, where he often played grandfathers, judges, doctors, and ministers. His roles include Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind and Grandpa in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). Bette Davis once called Davenport "without a doubt [. . .] the greatest character actor of all time."

Early life Davenport was born January 19, 1866, in Boston. He came from a long line of stage actors; his father was thespian Edward Loomis Davenport and his mother, Fanny Vining Davenport, was an English actress and a descendant of the renowned 18th-century Irish stage actor Jack Johnson. His sister was actress Fanny Davenport.

Career

He made his stage debut — at the third Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia — at the age of five in the play Damon and Pythias.

Film career

Harry Davenport was one of the best-known and busiest "old men" in Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s. He started his film career at the age of 47, debuting in the 1913 silent short film Kenton's Heir. The next year, he starred in Fogg's Millions co-starring Rose Tapley. The film became the first in a series of silent comedy shorts. In addition, he also directed some silent features and many shorts between 1915 and 1917, including many of the films in the Mr. and Mrs. Jarr series.

Actors' Equity Association

In 1913, he co-founded, along with actor Eddie Foy, the Actors' Equity Association, an American labor union for actors. The original organization, known as the White Rats, was spearheaded by Davenport. After a nine-month stretch, the actors' group united in defiance of the appalling treatment of actors by theater owners such as the Shubert family and David Belasco, among others, by refusing to appear on stage by striking. The actions of the association caused the closure of all the theatres on Broadway, the only exception being theaters owned by George M. Cohan's company.

Personal life

He and his wife Alice were wed in 1893. They had one daughter, Dorothy Davenport, who also became an actress. After divorcing Alice in 1896, he married actress Phyllis Rankin that same year. They had three biological children: Ned, Ann, and Kate, who all became actors. Harry also adopted Phyllis's son, Arthur Rankin (actor father of Arthur Rankin, Jr., founder of the Rankin/Bass animation studio). Actress Anne Seymour (born Anne Seymour Eckert) and her brother, radio personality Bill Seymour, were Harry Davenport's great-niece and great-nephew by their mother, May Davenport.

Through his marriage to Phyllis, Davenport was the brother-in-law of Lionel Barrymore, who at the time was married to Phyllis' sister Doris. Phyllis's father, McKee Rankin, had been the top actor at the Arch Street Theater, which was run by Lionel's grandmother and Sidney's mother, Louisa Lane Drew. Davenport was the grandfather of producer Dirk Wayne Summers, Arthur Rankin Jr., and Wallace Reid Jr.

After Phyllis's death, Davenport moved to Los Angeles and lived with his now-grown children. He died of a sudden heart attack at age 83, one hour after he asked his agent Walter Herzbrun about a new film role. He was buried in Kensico Cemetery, Westchester County, New York. In the obituary, a newspaper called him the "white-haired character actor" with "the longest acting career in American history".

Filmography Actor

Kenton's Heir (1913, Short) as The Doctor Too Many Husbands (1914, Short) as Dr. Crane The Accomplished Mrs. Thompson (1914, Short) Fogg's Millions (1914, Short) Rainy, the Lion Killer (1914, Short) as Jack Brown The Professional Scapegoat (1914, Short) as The Lawyer Damon and Pythias (1914) as Phillistus C.O.D. (1914) as C.O. Darlington The Jarr Family Discovers Harlem (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr Brings Home a Turkey (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and the Lady Reformer (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr Takes a Night Off (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr's Magnetic Friend (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr The Closing of the Circuit (1915, Short) as Mary's Father The Jarrs Visit Arcadia (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and the Dachshund (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr Visits His Home Town (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mrs. Jarr's Auction Bridge (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mrs. Jarr and the Beauty Treatment (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and the Ladies' Cup (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Philanthropic Tommy (1915, Short) as Mr. Moreland Mr. Jarr and Love's Young Dream (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and the Captive Maid (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and Gertrude's Beaux (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr's Big Vacation (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and Circumstantial Evidence (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mr. Jarr and the Visiting Firemen (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Mrs. Jarr and the Society Circus (1915, Short) as Mr. Jarr Father and the Boys (1915) as Tobias Ford One Night (1916) Fashion and Fury (1916, Short) as The Gardener O'Hagan's Scoop (1916, Short) as The City Editor The Wheel of the Law (1916) as John Daniels The Father of Her Child (1916, Short) as Farmer Gray The Heart of a Fool (1916, Short) as Abe Peters, aka Gash Sowers and Reapers (1917) as Henry Ainsworth The Planter (1917) as Short The Unknown Quantity (1919) as Septimus Kinsolving A Girl at Bay (1919) as Frank Galt Among Those Present (1921, Short) (uncredited) My Sin (1931) as Roger Metcalf His Woman (1931) as Customs Inspector (uncredited) The Wiser Sex (1932) as Rolfe's Defense Attorney (uncredited) Get That Venus (1933) as Mr. Rendleby The Scoundrel (1935) as Slezack The Case of the Black Cat (1936) as Peter Laxter Legion of Terror (1936) as Senator Morton (uncredited) Three Men on a Horse (1936) as Williams Four Days' Wonder (1936) as Ticket Agent King of Hockey (1936) as Tom McKenna Under Cover of Night (1937) as Dr. Reed Paradise Express (1937) as Jed Carson Her Husband's Secretary (1937) as Dan Kingdon Maytime (1937) as Opera Director (uncredited) As Good as Married (1937) as Jessup Armored Car (1937) as Pop Logan Fly-Away Baby (1937) as Colonel Higgam They Won't Forget (1937) as Confederate Soldier White Bondage (1937) as Pop Craig The Life of Emile Zola (1937) as Chief of Staff Mr. Dodd Takes the Air (1937) as Doc Jeremiah George Quinn Fit for a King (1937) as Archduke Julio Radio Patrol (1937, Serial) as John P. Adams The Perfect Specimen (1937) as Carl Carter The Great Garrick (1937) as Innkeeper of Turk's Head (uncredited) First Lady (1937) as Charles Wells Fargo (1937) as Ingalls - Banker Man-Proof (1938) as Hitch-Hiking Old Man (uncredited) Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) as Dr. Parsons Reckless Living (1938) as 'General' Jeff The First Hundred Years (1938) as Uncle Dawson The Higgins Family (1938) as Grandpa William Jordan The Rage of Paris (1938) as Pop - the Caretaker Young Fugitives (1938) as Joel Bentham Marie Antoinette (1938) as Monsieur de Cosse (uncredited) You Can't Take It with You (1938) as Night Court Judge The Sisters (1938) as Doc Moore The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) as Uncle Hannibal Smith Orphans of the Street (1938) as Doc Will Ramsey Saleslady (1938) as Miles Cannon Long Shot (1939) as Henry Sharon Made for Each Other (1939) as Dr. Healy (uncredited) Tail Spin (1939) as T.P. Lester The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) as Judge Rider Juarez (1939) as Dr. Samuel Basch My Wife's Relatives (1939) as Grandpa Ed Carson Exile Express (1939) as Dr. Hite Should Husbands Work? (1939) as Grandpa Higgins Death of a Champion (1939) as Guy Lanyard The Covered Trailer (1939) as Grandpa Ed Carson Gone with the Wind (1939) as Dr. Meade The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) as King Louis XI Money to Burn (1939) as Grandpa Ed Carson Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) as Judge Granny Get Your Gun (1940) as Nate Too Many Husbands (1940) as George Grandpa Goes to Town (1940) as Grandpa All This, and Heaven Too (1940) as Pierre Lucky Partners (1940) as Judge Foreign Correspondent (1940) as Mr. Powers Earl of Puddlestone (1940) as Grandpa Ed Carson I Want a Divorce (1940) as Grandpa Brokaw Meet John Doe (1941) as Former Bulletin Owner (uncredited) I Wanted Wings (1941) as 'Sandbags' Riley That Uncertain Feeling (1941) as Jone The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) as "Pop" Tolliver Hurricane Smith (1941) as Robert Ingersoll Reed One Foot in Heaven (1941) as Elias Samson Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942) as Amos Kidder Kings Row (1942) as Colonel Skeffington Larceny, Inc. (1942) as Homer Bigelow Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942) as Bane Tales of Manhattan (1942) as Professor Lyons The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943) as Commodore Thomas Spencer Holliday Shantytown (1943) as 'Doc' Herndon The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) as Arthur Davies We've Never Been Licked (1943) as Pop Lambert Headin' for God's Country (1943) as Clem Adams Princess O'Rourke (1943) as Supreme Court Judge Gangway for Tomorrow (1943) as Fred Taylor Government Girl (1943) as Senator MacVickers Jack London (1943) as Prof. Hilliard December 7th (1943) as Mr. 'C' Kismet (1944) as Agha The Impatient Years (1944) as Minister Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) as Grandpa Music for Millions (1944) as Doctor The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) as Dr. Bertram Charles This Love of Ours (1945) as Dr. Wilkerson She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945) as Albert Too Young to Know (1945) as Judge Boller The Enchanted Forest (1945) as Old John Pardon My Past (1945) as Grandpa Pemberton Adventure (1945) as Dr. Ashlon Claudia and David (1946) as Dr. Harry Courage of Lassie (1946) as Judge Payson G.I. War Brides (1946) as Grandpa Giles Faithful in My Fashion (1946) as Great Grandpa Three Wise Fools (1946) as The Ancient Lady Luck (1946) as Judge Martin A Boy and His Dog (1946, Short) as Squire Jim Kirby The Farmer's Daughter (1947) as Dr. Matthew Sulven Stallion Road (1947) as Dr. Stevens Keeper of the Bees (1947) as Michael Worthington The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) as Judge Thaddeus Turner That Hagen Girl (1947) as Judge Merrivale The Fabulous Texan (1947) as Rev. Baker Three Daring Daughters (1948) as Dr. Cannon The Man from Texas (1948) as 'Pop' Hickey That Lady in Ermine (1948) as Luigi For the Love of Mary (1948) as Justice Peabody The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948) as Courtroom Attendant Down to the Sea in Ships (1949) as Benjamin Harris Little Women (1949) as Dr. Barnes That Forsyte Woman (1949) as Old Jolyon Forsyte Tell It to the Judge (1949) as Judge MacKenzie Meredith Riding High (1950) as Johnson (final film)

Director

The Island of Regeneration (1915) The Jarr Family Discovers Harlem (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr Brings Home a Turkey (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and the Lady Reformer (1915, Short) The Enemies (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr Takes a Night Off (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr's Magnetic Friend (1915, Short) The Closing of the Circuit (1915, Short) The Jarrs Visit Arcadia (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and the Dachshund (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr Visits His Home Town (1915, Short) Mrs. Jarr's Auction Bridge (1915, Short) Mrs. Jarr and the Beauty Treatment (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and the Ladies' Cup (1915, Short) Philanthropic Tommy (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and Love's Young Dream (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and the Captive Maid (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and Gertrude's Beaux (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr's Big Vacation (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and Circumstantial Evidence (1915, Short) Mr. Jarr and the Visiting Firemen (1915, Short) Mrs. Jarr and the Society Circus (1915, Short) The Woman in the Box (1915, Short) The Making Over of Geoffrey Manning (1915) For a Woman's Fair Name (1916) The Supreme Temptation (1916) Myrtle the Manicurist (1916, Short) The Rookie (1916, Short) The Resurrection of Hollis (1916, Short) O'Hagan's Scoop (1916, Short) Carew and Son (1916, Short) Letitia (1916, Short) The Heart of a Fool (1916, Short) A Woman Alone (1917) Tillie Wakes Up (1917) The Millionaire's Double (1917) The False Friend (1917) A Son of the Hills (1917) A Man's Law (1917)