Harry Davenport (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry Davenport
Davenport as Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939)
Born	Harold George Bryant Davenport (1866-01-19)January 19, 1866 Canton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 9, 1949(1949-08-09) (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Kensico Cemetery, Westchester County, New York City
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1871–1949
Spouse(s)	Alice Shepphard ​ ​ (m. 1893; div. 1896)​ Phyllis Rankin ​ ​ (m. 1896; died 1934)​
Children	Dorothy Davenport
Parent(s)	Edward Loomis Davenport Fanny Vining Davenport

Harold George Bryant Davenport (born January 19, 1866 – died August 9, 1949) was a famous American actor. He started acting when he was only six years old! Harry Davenport worked in movies and on stage for his whole life.

After a long and successful career on Broadway, he moved to Hollywood in the 1930s. In movies, he often played kind grandfathers, wise judges, doctors, or ministers. You might know him as Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind or as Grandpa in Meet Me in St. Louis. A famous actress, Bette Davis, even called him "the greatest character actor of all time."

Early Life and Family

Harry Davenport was born on January 19, 1866, in Canton, Pennsylvania. He also grew up in Philadelphia. Harry came from a family of actors. His father, Edward Loomis Davenport, was a well-known stage actor. His mother, Fanny Vining Davenport, was an English actress. Her family also had famous actors from the 1700s. Harry's sister, Fanny Davenport, was also a famous actress.

Acting Career

Harry Davenport around 1895

Harry Davenport made his first appearance on stage when he was just five years old. This was in a play called Damon and Pythias. He made his debut on Broadway in 1894 in a play called The Voyage of Suzette. After that, he acted in many plays there.

Starting in Films

Harry Davenport in 1911

Harry Davenport began his film career when he was 47 years old. His first movie was a short silent film called Kenton's Heir in 1913. The next year, he starred in Fogg's Millions. This movie was the first in a series of silent comedy shorts. Between 1915 and 1917, he also directed several silent films. These included many movies in the Mr. and Mrs. Jarr series.

Famous Movie Roles

Harry Davenport became one of the busiest "old men" in Hollywood films. He appeared in over 160 movies during the 1930s and 1940s.

Some of his most famous roles include:

• Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939).
• The old King Louis XI of France in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). He acted alongside Charles Laughton in this film.
• Grandpa in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), where he played the grandfather of Judy Garland.
• The great-uncle of Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

He also had important roles in other well-known films. These include Alfred Hitchcock's thriller Foreign Correspondent (1940) and Kings Row (1943) with Ronald Reagan. His very last film, Riding High (1950), was released after he passed away.

Actors' Equity Association

In 1913, Harry Davenport helped start the Actors' Equity Association. This is a labor union for actors in America. He worked with another actor named Eddie Foy to create it.

The actors formed this group because they were treated unfairly by theater owners. They decided to go on strike, refusing to perform on stage. This action caused almost all theaters on Broadway to close. Only theaters owned by George M. Cohan's company stayed open. This strike helped actors get better treatment and working conditions.

Personal Life

Harry Davenport married Alice Shepphard in 1893. They had one daughter, Dorothy Davenport, who also became an actress. After they divorced in 1896, he married actress Phyllis Rankin that same year.

Harry and Phyllis had three children: Ned, Ann, and Kate. All of them became actors too! Harry also adopted Phyllis's son, Arthur Rankin. Arthur Rankin's son, Arthur Rankin, Jr., later started the Rankin/Bass animation studio.

Harry Davenport was also related to other famous actors. Through his marriage to Phyllis, he was the brother-in-law of Lionel Barrymore. Lionel was married to Phyllis's sister, Doris.

After Phyllis passed away, Harry moved to Los Angeles. He lived with his grown-up children. He died suddenly from a heart attack when he was 83 years old. This happened just an hour after he asked his agent about a new film role. He was buried in Kensico Cemetery in Westchester County, New York. A newspaper obituary called him the "white-haired character actor" with "the longest acting career in American history."

Filmography

Harry Davenport appeared in many films. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Davenport as Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939)

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  Harry Davenport (ca. 1895)

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  Davenport in 1911

See also

In Spanish: Harry Davenport para niños