Harry Davenport

Biography

Harry Davenport was an American actor whose show business career ran from childhood until his death in 1949. Born January 19, 1866, he came from a family of stage actors and made his stage debut at age five. He reached Broadway with The Voyage of Suzette in 1894. After a long theater career he went to Hollywood, becoming one of the busiest older actors of the 1930s and 1940s, usually cast as grandfathers, judges, doctors, or ministers. He entered films with the 1913 silent short Kenton's Heir and also directed silent features and shorts between 1915 and 1917. His movies included Gone with the Wind, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Foreign Correspondent (1940), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), Kings Row (1942), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). His last film, Riding High (1950), came out after he died. Bette Davis named him the greatest character actor.

83years old at death

Born January 19, 1866New York City
Died August 9, 1949Los Angeles
Star sign: CapricornLast day of the sign, on the Aquarius cusp
Also credited as Harry George Bryant Davenport and Harold George Bryant Davenport

Movie Career

Films: 33
Career span: 19 years1931 to 1950

Genres

Drama58%, 19 films
Comedy52%, 17 films
Romance52%, 17 films
Family9%, 3 films
History9%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A change of course
In 1913, Davenport co-founded the Actors' Equity Association with Eddie Foy, and the original organization, the White Rats, was spearheaded by Davenport. A nine-month strike by the actors' group shut down every Broadway theater except those owned by George M. Cohan's company.
First role
At five years old, Davenport first appeared on stage in Philadelphia at the third Chestnut Street Theatre, performing in the play Damon and Pythias.
Behind the camera
Davenport also directed silent features and many shorts from 1915 to 1917. His work included many of the Mr. and Mrs. Jarr series films.

Harry Davenport movies on Netflix

Riding High1950IMDb rating 6.3as Johnson
Down to the Sea in Ships1949IMDb rating 7.4as Benjamin Harris
Little Women1949IMDb rating 7.2as Dr. Barnes
Tell It to the Judge1949IMDb rating 6.4as Judge MacKenzie Meredith
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947IMDb rating 7.2as Judge Thaddeus Turner
The Farmer's Daughter1947IMDb rating 7.2as Dr. Matthew Sulven
Courage of Lassie1946IMDb rating 6.2as Judge Payson
Adventure1945IMDb rating 6.2as Dr. Ashlon
Meet Me in St. Louis1944IMDb rating 7.5as Grandpa
The Thin Man Goes Home1944IMDb rating 7.3as Dr. Bertram Charles
Princess O'Rourke1943IMDb rating 6.7as Supreme Court Judge
The Ox-Bow Incident1943IMDb rating 8.0as Arthur Davies
Kings Row1942IMDb rating 7.5as Colonel Skeffington
Larceny, Inc.1942IMDb rating 7.3as Homer Bigelow
Tales of Manhattan1942IMDb rating 7.3as Professor Lyons
One Foot in Heaven1941IMDb rating 6.6as Elias Samson
That Uncertain Feeling1941IMDb rating 6.6as Jones
The Bride Came C.O.D.1941IMDb rating 6.9as Pop Tolliver
All This, and Heaven Too1940IMDb rating 7.4as Pierre
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet1940IMDb rating 7.4as Judge
Foreign Correspondent1940IMDb rating 7.4as Mr. Powers
Too Many Husbands1940IMDb rating 6.5as George
Exile Express1939IMDb rating 5.2as Dr. Hite
Juarez1939IMDb rating 6.8as Dr. Samuel Basch
Made for Each Other1939IMDb rating 6.3as Dr. Healy
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939IMDb rating 7.8as King Louis XI
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939IMDb rating 6.9as Judge Rider
The Cowboy and the Lady1938IMDb rating 6.6as Uncle Hannibal Smith
The Rage of Paris1938IMDb rating 6.9as Pop, Caretaker
Mr. Dodd Takes the Air1937IMDb rating 5.5as Doc Quinn
The Life of Emile Zola1937IMDb rating 7.1as Chief of Staff
Wells Fargo1937IMDb rating 6.4as Ingalls - Banker
My Sin1931IMDb rating 6.5as Roger Metcalf

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Meet Me in St. Louis1944 Comedy, Drama, Familyas Grandpa
IMDb rating 7.531K votes
The Ox-Bow Incident1943 Drama, Westernas Arthur Davies
IMDb rating 8.028K votes
Foreign Correspondent1940as Mr. Powers
IMDb rating 7.426K votes
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947as Judge Thaddeus Turner
IMDb rating 7.210K votes
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939as King Louis XI
IMDb rating 7.813K votes
The Thin Man Goes Home1944as Dr. Bertram Charles
IMDb rating 7.37.0K votes
That Uncertain Feeling1941as Jones
IMDb rating 6.63.4K votes
The Bride Came C.O.D.1941as Pop Tolliver
IMDb rating 6.94.1K votes

Most often with

William Dieterle directed four of these films, H. C. Potter two. Irving Bacon appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Irving Bacon

Henry O'Neill

Gene Lockhart

Charles Coburn

Minor Watson

Robert CummingsWilliam DieterleDirector, 4 films H. C. PotterDirector, 2 films

Films together

Irving Bacon6 films together, 1938 to 1950
Irving Bacon's page
- Riding High1950IMDb rating 6.3Davenport as JohnsonBacon as Hamburger Man
- The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947IMDb rating 7.2Davenport as Judge Thaddeus TurnerBacon as Melvin - Police Turnkey
- The Thin Man Goes Home1944IMDb rating 7.3Davenport as Dr. Bertram CharlesBacon as Tom
- Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet1940IMDb rating 7.4Davenport as JudgeBacon as Becker
- Made for Each Other1939IMDb rating 6.3Davenport as Dr. HealyBacon as Newark Radio Operator
- The Cowboy and the Lady1938IMDb rating 6.6Davenport as Uncle Hannibal SmithBacon as Chester - Smith's Secretary
Henry O'Neill5 films together, 1937 to 1940
Henry O'Neill's page
- Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet1940IMDb rating 7.4Davenport as JudgeO'Neill as Dr. Lentz
- Juarez1939IMDb rating 6.8Davenport as Dr. Samuel BaschO'Neill as General Miguel Miramon
- Mr. Dodd Takes the Air1937IMDb rating 5.5Davenport as Doc QuinnO'Neill as D.M. Gateway
- The Life of Emile Zola1937IMDb rating 7.1Davenport as Chief of StaffO'Neill as Colonel Picquart
- Wells Fargo1937IMDb rating 6.4Davenport as Ingalls - BankerO'Neill as Henry Wells
Gene Lockhart4 films together, 1939 to 1950
Gene Lockhart's page
- Riding High1950IMDb rating 6.3Davenport as JohnsonLockhart as J.P. Chase
- Down to the Sea in Ships1949IMDb rating 7.4Davenport as Benjamin HarrisLockhart as Andrew L. Bush
- One Foot in Heaven1941IMDb rating 6.6Davenport as Elias SamsonLockhart as Preston Thurston
- The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939IMDb rating 6.9Davenport as Judge RiderLockhart as Thomas Sanders
Charles Coburn4 films together, 1939 to 1943
Charles Coburn's page
- Princess O'Rourke1943IMDb rating 6.7Davenport as Supreme Court JudgeCoburn as Uncle Holman
- Kings Row1942IMDb rating 7.5Davenport as Colonel SkeffingtonCoburn as Henry Gordon
- Made for Each Other1939IMDb rating 6.3Davenport as Dr. HealyCoburn as Judge Joseph M. Doolittle
- The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939IMDb rating 6.9Davenport as Judge RiderCoburn as Gardner Hubbard
Minor Watson4 films together, 1942 to 1946
Minor Watson's page
- Courage of Lassie1946IMDb rating 6.2Davenport as Judge PaysonWatson as Sheriff Ed Grayson
- The Thin Man Goes Home1944IMDb rating 7.3Davenport as Dr. Bertram CharlesWatson as Sam Ronson
- Princess O'Rourke1943IMDb rating 6.7Davenport as Supreme Court JudgeWatson as Mr. Washburn
- Kings Row1942IMDb rating 7.5Davenport as Colonel SkeffingtonWatson as Sam Winters
Robert Cummings4 films together, 1937 to 1949
Robert Cummings's page
- Tell It to the Judge1949IMDb rating 6.4Davenport as Judge MacKenzie MeredithCummings as Pete Webb
- Princess O'Rourke1943IMDb rating 6.7Davenport as Supreme Court JudgeCummings as Eddie O'Rourke
- Kings Row1942IMDb rating 7.5Davenport as Colonel SkeffingtonCummings as Parris Mitchell
- Wells Fargo1937IMDb rating 6.4Davenport as Ingalls - BankerCummings as Dan Trimball - Prospector
William DieterleDirector, 4 films, 1937 to 1940
All films by William Dieterle
- Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet1940IMDb rating 7.4Davenport as Judge
- Juarez1939IMDb rating 6.8Davenport as Dr. Samuel Basch
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939IMDb rating 7.8Davenport as King Louis XI
- The Life of Emile Zola1937IMDb rating 7.1Davenport as Chief of Staff
H. C. PotterDirector, 2 films, 1938 to 1947
All films by H. C. Potter
- The Farmer's Daughter1947IMDb rating 7.2Davenport as Dr. Matthew Sulven
- The Cowboy and the Lady1938IMDb rating 6.6Davenport as Uncle Hannibal Smith

Box office

What Harry Davenport's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$34.5 million

7 of the 33 films have a worldwide figure.

7Worldwide figure
26Figure not found

Top grosser

Meet Me in St. Louis1944Grandpa$7.6 million

Highest grossing

The seven biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Meet Me in St. Louis1944as Grandpa
$7.6M22.0% of the total
2
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1939as King Louis XI
$6.9M20.0% of the total
3
Little Women1949as Dr. Barnes
$5.9M17.1% of the total
4
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947as Judge Thaddeus Turner
$5.5M16.1% of the total
5
Courage of Lassie1946as Judge Payson
$4.1M11.9% of the total
6
The Thin Man Goes Home1944as Dr. Bertram Charles
$2.8M8.2% of the total
7
Down to the Sea in Ships1949as Benjamin Harris
$1.6M4.8% of the total