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 (1939) 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
Harry Davenport was born in Canton, Pennsylvania, where his family lived during the holidays. He also grew up in Philadelphia. Harry 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.
He made his stage debut at the age of five in the play Damon and Pythias. Davenport made his Broadway debut in The Voyage of Suzette (1894) and appeared there in numerous plays.
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.[citation needed] 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.
Harry Davenport played Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939). Some of his other film roles are a lone resident in a ghost town in The Bride Came C.O.D. (1942), filmed on location in Death Valley, and the aged Louis XI of France in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) with Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara and Cedric Hardwicke. He also had supporting roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Foreign Correspondent (1940), William A. Wellman’s western The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and in Kings Row (1943) with Ronald Reagan. Davenport also played the grandfather of Judy Garland in Vincente Minnelli’s classic Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and the great-uncle of Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). His last film, Frank Capra’s Riding High (1950), was released after his death.
Harry Davenport appeared in over 160 films. Asked why he made so many films at his age, he replied:
I hate to see men of my age sit down as if their lives were ended and accept a dole. An old man must show that he knows his job and is no loafer. If he can do that, they can take their pension money and buy daisies with it.
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 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, he was the brother-in-law of Lionel Barrymore, who was married at the time 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. He was the grandfather of producer Dirk Wayne Summers, Arthur Rankin Jr., and Wallace Reid Jr. He is survived through his granddaughter, Phyllis Gail Davenport, and her children, Caleb Brooks, and Rachel Brooks. Her grandchildren, Samuel Brooks, and Theodore Brooks, are currently pursuing different careers. Samuel is attending the University of Arizona for his architecture degree, and Theodore owns and manages a bank in Oregon.
Later years and death
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. 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
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)
External Links
Actor Harry Davenport – Wikipedia
