Henry Travers

Biography

Henry Travers was an English stage and film character actor known for playing gentle, slightly befuddled older men. Born in 1874 and raised in Berwick-upon-Tweed, he trained as an architect before turning to the stage, gaining early experience in English repertory theater from 1894 in character roles, often men older than himself. His Broadway debut came with The Price of Peace in 1901, and he later settled in the United States, appearing in more than 30 plays between 1917 and 1938. He made his screen debut with Reunion in Vienna in 1933, and went on to play doctors, judges and fathers in films such as The Invisible Man (1933), Dark Victory (1939), High Sierra (1941), Random Harvest (1942) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Mrs. Miniver (1942) and was best remembered as the guardian angel in It's a Wonderful Life (1946). He retired in 1949.

91years old at death

Born March 5, 1874Berwick-upon-Tweed
Died October 18, 1965Hollywood
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Also credited as Travers John Heagerty

Movie Career

Films: 22
Career span: 13 years1933 to 1946

Genres

Drama64%, 14 films
Romance36%, 8 films
Adventure14%, 3 films
Family14%, 3 films
Fantasy14%, 3 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A change of course
Trained as an architect at Berwick, Henry Travers later went to the stage, where he performed under the name Henry Travers.
A role that slipped away
Travers played the same role on Broadway in You Can't Take It with You for more than 380 performances over two years, but Lionel Barrymore took that part in the film version.

Henry Travers movies on Netflix

It's a Wonderful Life1946IMDb rating 8.6as Clarence
The Yearling1946IMDb rating 7.1as Mr. Boyles
The Bells of St. Mary's1945IMDb rating 7.2as Horace P. Bogardus
The Naughty Nineties1945IMDb rating 7.0as Capt. Sam Jackson
None Shall Escape1944IMDb rating 7.1as Father Warecki
Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2as Eugene Curie
Shadow of a Doubt1943IMDb rating 7.7as Joseph Newton
Mrs. Miniver1942IMDb rating 7.6as Mr. Ballard
Random Harvest1942IMDb rating 7.9as Dr. Sims
Ball of Fire1941IMDb rating 7.7as Prof. Jerome
High Sierra1941IMDb rating 7.5as Pa
Edison, the Man1940IMDb rating 7.0as Ben Els
Primrose Path1940IMDb rating 6.8as Gramp
Dark Victory1939IMDb rating 7.4as Dr. Parsons
Dodge City1939IMDb rating 7.1as Dr. Irving
On Borrowed Time1939IMDb rating 7.7as Dr. Evans
Stanley and Livingstone1939IMDb rating 7.0as John Kingsley
The Rains Came1939IMDb rating 6.9as Rev. Homer Smiley
You Can't Get Away with Murder1939IMDb rating 6.4as Pop
Born to Be Bad1934IMDb rating 6.1as Fuzzy
Death Takes a Holiday1934IMDb rating 6.9as Baron Cesarea
The Invisible Man1933IMDb rating 7.6as Dr. Cranley

Best known for

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

Top

It's a Wonderful Life1946 Drama, Family, Fantasyas Clarence
IMDb rating 8.6559K votes
Shadow of a Doubt1943 Film-Noir, Thrilleras Joseph Newton
IMDb rating 7.776K votes
The Invisible Man1933as Dr. Cranley
IMDb rating 7.645K votes
Ball of Fire1941as Prof. Jerome
IMDb rating 7.716K votes
Mrs. Miniver1942as Mr. Ballard
IMDb rating 7.622K votes
The Bells of St. Mary's1945as Horace P. Bogardus
IMDb rating 7.211K votes
High Sierra1941as Pa
IMDb rating 7.521K votes
Dark Victory1939as Dr. Parsons
IMDb rating 7.414K votes

Most often with

Clarence Brown directed three of these films, Mervyn LeRoy two. Six actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Humphrey Bogart

Reginald Owen

Paul Harvey

Rhys Williams

Una O'Connor

Greer Garson

Clarence BrownDirector, 3 films Mervyn LeRoyDirector, 2 films

Films together

Humphrey Bogart3 films together, 1939 to 1941
Humphrey Bogart's page
- High Sierra1941IMDb rating 7.5Travers as PaBogart as Roy Earle
- Dark Victory1939IMDb rating 7.4Travers as Dr. ParsonsBogart as Michael O'Leary
- You Can't Get Away with Murder1939IMDb rating 6.4Travers as PopBogart as Frank Wilson
Reginald Owen3 films together, 1942 to 1943
Reginald Owen's page
- Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2Travers as Eugene CurieOwen as Dr. Becquerel
- Mrs. Miniver1942IMDb rating 7.6Travers as Mr. BallardOwen as Foley
- Random Harvest1942IMDb rating 7.9Travers as Dr. SimsOwen as 'Biffer'
Paul Harvey3 films together, 1934 to 1941
Paul Harvey's page
- High Sierra1941IMDb rating 7.5Travers as PaHarvey as Mr. Baughmam
- Stanley and Livingstone1939IMDb rating 7.0Travers as John KingsleyHarvey as Colonel Grimes
- Born to Be Bad1934IMDb rating 6.1Travers as FuzzyHarvey as Attorney Brian
Rhys Williams3 films together, 1942 to 1945
Rhys Williams's page
- The Bells of St. Mary's1945IMDb rating 7.2Travers as Horace P. BogardusWilliams as Dr. McKay
- Mrs. Miniver1942IMDb rating 7.6Travers as Mr. BallardWilliams as Horace
- Random Harvest1942IMDb rating 7.9Travers as Dr. SimsWilliams as Sam
Una O'Connor3 films together, 1933 to 1945
Una O'Connor's page
- The Bells of St. Mary's1945IMDb rating 7.2Travers as Horace P. BogardusO'Connor as Mrs. Breen
- Random Harvest1942IMDb rating 7.9Travers as Dr. SimsO'Connor as Tobacconist
- The Invisible Man1933IMDb rating 7.6Travers as Dr. CranleyO'Connor as Jenny Hall
Greer Garson3 films together, 1942 to 1943
Greer Garson's page
- Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2Travers as Eugene CurieGarson as Marie Curie
- Mrs. Miniver1942IMDb rating 7.6Travers as Mr. BallardGarson as Mrs. Miniver
- Random Harvest1942IMDb rating 7.9Travers as Dr. SimsGarson as Paula
Clarence BrownDirector, 3 films, 1939 to 1946
All films by Clarence Brown
- The Yearling1946IMDb rating 7.1Travers as Mr. Boyles
- Edison, the Man1940IMDb rating 7.0Travers as Ben Els
- The Rains Came1939IMDb rating 6.9Travers as Rev. Homer Smiley
Mervyn LeRoyDirector, 2 films, 1942 to 1943
All films by Mervyn LeRoy
- Madame Curie1943IMDb rating 7.2Travers as Eugene Curie
- Random Harvest1942IMDb rating 7.9Travers as Dr. Sims