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IMDbPro

Harry Davenport(1866-1949)

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Harry Davenport
A great character steps out of a great book in this trailer
Play trailer3:22
Kings Row (1942)
2 Videos
66 Photos
Character fame on film came quite late for long-time stage actor Harry Davenport at age 70, but he made up for lost time in very quick fashion with well over a hundred film roles registered from the advent of sound to the time of his death in 1949. Beloved for his twinkle-eyed avuncular and/or grandfatherly types in both comedy and drama, Davenport also represented a commanding yet comforting wisdom in his more authoritative roles as judge, doctor, minister, senator, etc.

The scion of an acting dynasty, he was born Harold George Bryant Davenport on January 19, 1866, in New York City to actors Edward Loomis Davenport (1815-1877) and Fanny (Elizabeth) Vining (1829-1891). One of nine children, two of his siblings died young while the seven surviving children went on to share their parents' love of the arts, including actress Fanny (1850-1898) and opera singer Lillie Davenport (1851-1927). Harry took his first stage bow in an 1871 production of "Damon and Pythias" in Philadelphia, and by his teen years was playing Shakespeare in stock companies.

Re-settling in New York, Harry began assertively building up his theater credits. In 1893, at age 27, he married actress Alice Shepard (aka Alice Davenport). Their brief marriage of three years produced daughter Dorothy Davenport, who would continue the acting dynasty into a new generation. She earned further recognition as the wife of tragic silent screen star Wallace Reid. Shortly after his divorce from Alice was final in early 1896, Harry married musical comedy star Phyllis Rankin (1875-1934). Their children Kate Davenport, Edward Davenport and Fanny Davenport became actors as well.

Making his Broadway debut with the musical comedy "The Voyage of Suzette" in 1894, Harry continued in the musical vein with Broadway productions of "The Belle of New York" (1897) (with wife Phyllis) (1895), "In Gay Paree" (1899) and "The Rounders" (1899) (again with Phyllis). The new century ushered in more musicals with "The Girl from Up There" (1901), "The Defender" (1901), "The Girl from Kay's" (1903), "It Happened in Nordland" (1904), "My Best Girl" (1912), "Sari" (1914) and "The Dancing Duchess" (1914). On the legit side he played expertly in "A Country Mouse" (opposite Ethel Barrymore), and in "The Next of Kin" (1909) and "Children of Destiny" (1910).

Co-founding the Actor's Equity Association along with vaudeville legend Eddie Foy as a means to confront the deplorable exploitation of actors, Harry was held in high regard as the acting community subsequently came together and executed strikes to protect and guarantee their rights. This dire situation also prompted Harry to seek work elsewhere -- in films. He joined up with Vitragraph in 1914 and made his silent screen debut with the film Too Many Husbands (1914). In the next year he starred in and directed a series of "Jarr Family" shorts, and made his last silent feature with an unbilled part in Among Those Present (1921) before refocusing completely on his first love -- the stage.

He and his actress/wife Phyllis joined forces once again with the Broadway hit comedies "Lightnin'" and "Three Wise Fools", both in 1918. Throughout the 1920s decade he continued to find employment on the stage with "Thank You," Cock O' the Roost, "Hay Fever" and "Julius Caesar". The untimely death of wife Phyllis in 1934 prompted Harry to abandon his stage pursuits and travel to California, at age 69, to again check out the film industry. It proved to be a very smart move.

Harry graced a number of Oscar-caliber films during his character reign: The Life of Emile Zola (1937), You Can't Take It with You (1938), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Gone with the Wind (1939), All This, and Heaven Too (1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), One Foot in Heaven (1941), Kings Row (1942) and The Ox-Bow Incident (1942). Several of his films also featured family or extended family members. His brother-in-law Lionel Barrymore appeared in a number of Harry's films and Gone with the Wind (1939) also had a son and grandson in the cast.

Harry maintained his film career right up until his death at age 83 of a heart attack on August 9, 1949, and was buried back in New York (Valhalla).
BornJanuary 19, 1866
DiedAugust 9, 1949(83)
BornJanuary 19, 1866
DiedAugust 9, 1949(83)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 1 win total

Photos66

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Known for

Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
Gone with the Wind
8.2
  • Dr. Meade
  • 1939
Judy Garland, Tom Drake, and Margaret O'Brien in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Meet Me in St. Louis
7.5
  • Grandpa
  • 1944
Maureen O'Hara and Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7.8
  • King Louis XI
  • 1939
Laraine Day and Joel McCrea in Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Foreign Correspondent
7.4
  • Mr. Powers
  • 1940

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor



  • Bing Crosby and Coleen Gray in Riding High (1950)
    Riding High
    6.2
    • Johnson
    • 1950
  • Robert Cummings and Rosalind Russell in Tell It to the Judge (1949)
    Tell It to the Judge
    6.4
    • Judge MacKenzie Meredith
    • 1949
  • Errol Flynn, Robert Young, Greer Garson, and Walter Pidgeon in That Forsyte Woman (1949)
    That Forsyte Woman
    6.6
    • Old Jolyon Forsyte
    • 1949
  • Little Women (1949)
    Little Women
    7.2
    • Dr. Barnes
    • 1949
  • Lionel Barrymore, Dean Stockwell, and Richard Widmark in Down to the Sea in Ships (1949)
    Down to the Sea in Ships
    7.3
    • Benjamin Harris
    • 1949
  • Robert Douglas, Ted Donaldson, and Alexis Smith in The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948)
    The Decision of Christopher Blake
    5.5
    • Courtroom Attendant
    • 1948
  • Deanna Durbin, Jeffrey Lynn, and Edmond O'Brien in For the Love of Mary (1948)
    For the Love of Mary
    6.6
    • Justice Peabody
    • 1948
  • Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Betty Grable, and Cesar Romero in That Lady in Ermine (1948)
    That Lady in Ermine
    5.8
    • Luigi
    • 1948
  • Lynn Bari and James Craig in The Man from Texas (1948)
    The Man from Texas
    5.3
    • 'Pop' Hickey
    • 1948
  • Ann E. Todd, Jane Powell, Elinor Donahue, José Iturbi, and Jeanette MacDonald in Three Daring Daughters (1948)
    Three Daring Daughters
    6.2
    • Dr. Cannon
    • 1948
  • John Carroll, Bill Elliott, and Catherine McLeod in The Fabulous Texan (1947)
    The Fabulous Texan
    6.5
    • Rev. Baker
    • 1947
  • Shirley Temple, Ronald Reagan, and Rory Calhoun in That Hagen Girl (1947)
    That Hagen Girl
    6.2
    • Judge Merrivale
    • 1947
  • Cary Grant, Shirley Temple, and Myrna Loy in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
    The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
    7.2
    • Judge Thaddeus Turner
    • 1947
  • Jane Darwell, Harry Davenport, Michael Duane, Gloria Henry, and Jo Ann Marlowe in Keeper of the Bees (1947)
    Keeper of the Bees
    5.3
    • Michael Worthington
    • 1947
  • Harry Davenport, Harry Cheshire, Gloria Henry, and Oscar O'Shea in Sport of Kings (1947)
    Sport of Kings
    • Maj. Denning
    • 1947

Director



  • A Man's Law (1917)
    A Man's Law
    • Director
    • 1917
  • Belle Bruce and Antonio Moreno in A Son of the Hills (1917)
    A Son of the Hills
    • Director
    • 1917
  • Gail Kane and Robert Warwick in The False Friend (1917)
    The False Friend
    • Director
    • 1917
  • The Millionaire's Double (1917)
    The Millionaire's Double
    7.8
    • Director
    • 1917
  • Marie Dressler in Tillie Wakes Up (1917)
    Tillie Wakes Up
    5.0
    • Director
    • 1917
  • Alice Brady in A Woman Alone (1917)
    A Woman Alone
    • Director
    • 1917
  • The Heart of a Fool
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • Letitia
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • Carew and Son (1916)
    Carew and Son
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • Belle Bruce and Harry T. Morey in O'Hagan's Scoop (1916)
    O'Hagan's Scoop
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • The Resurrection of Hollis (1916)
    The Resurrection of Hollis
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • The Rookie
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • Myrtle the Manicurist (1916)
    Myrtle the Manicurist
    Short
    • Director
    • 1916
  • Dorothy Kelly and Antonio Moreno in The Supreme Temptation (1916)
    The Supreme Temptation
    • Director
    • 1916
  • Robert Edeson in For a Woman's Fair Name (1916)
    For a Woman's Fair Name
    • Director
    • 1916

Soundtrack



  • Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Asta in The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
    The Thin Man Goes Home
    7.3
    • performer: "Happy Birthday to You" (uncredited)
    • 1944
  • James Cagney and Bette Davis in The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
    The Bride Came C.O.D.
    6.9
    • performer: "Bridal Chorus" (1850), "I Love You Truly" (1906) (uncredited)
    • 1941
  • Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon in The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)
    The Cowboy and the Lady
    6.5
    • performer: "A-Tisket A-Tasket" (1938) (uncredited)
    • 1938
  • Virginia Bruce and Robert Montgomery in The First Hundred Years (1937)
    The First Hundred Years
    6.1
    • performer: "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet" (1909) (uncredited)
    • 1937

Videos2

Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake
Trailer 2:03
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake
Kings Row
Trailer 3:22
Kings Row
Kings Row
Trailer 3:22
Kings Row

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • H. Davenport
  • Height
    • 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
  • Born
    • January 19, 1866
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • August 9, 1949
    • Los Angeles, California, USA(heart attack)
  • Spouses
      Phyllis RankinMay 2, 1901 - November 17, 1934 (her death, 2 children)
  • Children
      Dorothy Davenport
  • Relatives
    • Diana Barrymore(Niece or Nephew)
  • Other works
    Active on Broadway in the following productions:
  • Publicity listings
    • 8 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Harry Davenport was a co-founder along with Eddie Foy of what would later become known as Actors Equity Association. The original organization, which Mr. Davenport spearheaded, was known as The White Rats. It was this group of actors who finally, after a nine month effort, united in their opposition to the treatment of actors by the likes of the Shubert brothers, David Belasco and others, and refused to appear on stage by striking. Their actions resulted in the closing of all of the Broadway theaters, with the exception of George M. Cohan and his company. In answer to the actors strike, the Broadway producers were forced to give in to such demands as plumbing in the dressing rooms, a six-day work week, and other such necessities that were considered outrageous by the theatrical owners and producers.
  • Nickname
    • Pop

FAQ

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Harry Davenport die?
    August 9, 1949
  • How did Harry Davenport die?
    Heart attack
  • How old was Harry Davenport when he died?
    83 years old
  • Where did Harry Davenport die?
    Los Angeles, California, USA
  • When was Harry Davenport born?
    January 19, 1866

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