Job Actor
Years active 1914-49
Known for Avuncular types, grandfathers, judges, doctors, ministers
Top Roles Judge, Supreme Court Judge, Mr. Powers, Pop the Caretaker, Dan Kingdon
Top GenresDrama, Comedy, Romance, Crime, Mystery, War
Top TopicsRomance (Comic), Book-Based, Screwball Comedy
Top Collaborators (Producer), (Producer), (Director), (Director)
Shares birthday with Jean Stapleton, B.P. Schulberg, Tippi Hedren  see more..

Harry Davenport Overview:

Character actor, Harry Davenport, was born Harold George Bryant Davenport on Jan 19, 1866 in New York City, NY. Davenport appeared in over 160 film roles. His best known films include the Night Court Judge in You Can't Take It with You (1938), Dr. Meade in Gone with the Wind (1939), Judy Garland's uncle in Meet Me in St. Louis, and Myrna Loy's and Shirley Temple's great uncle, Judge Thaddeus Turner, in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). Davenport died at the age of 83 on Aug 9, 1949 in Los Angeles, CA and was laid to rest in Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, CA.

MINI BIO:

From a long line of actors (his two wives and four children were all in the profession), the tall, distinguished Harry Davenport brought his own distinctive sense of humor to bear on many of the Hollywood roles he graced. He played Grandpa in "The Higgins Family" comedies and Grandpa again in "Meet Me in St. Louis". He also directed a few films in the silent era.

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Illustrated Dictionary of Film Character Actors).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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BlogHub Articles:

Mini Tribute: Character Actor

By Annmarie Gatti on Jan 19, 2014 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Born January 19, 1866 Character Actor?! A veteran stage actor, ?made his film debut at age 48. In his 37-year film career, he appeared in over 160 films and shorts, playing his share of?grandfathers, judges and doctors. His films include?Gone with the Wind (as Dr. Meade... Read full article


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Harry Davenport Quotes:

Pierre: There on the left, the lights in her rooms are burning, and there on the right, the lights in his room are burning and between them is that long passage where the lights never burn. Suppose some night you saw that passage lighted? Would you share your feeling then with all the world?
Henriette Deluzy-Desportes: You'd better go now, Pierre.
Pierre: I'll go. I'll go, because I see it's too late to give you any warning. Your caught in the net and you don't even wish to escape. Goodnight mademoiselle.


Pop Tolliver: Well, ain't much difference 'tween kidnapping and marriage. You get snatched from your parents, but in marriage nobody offers a reward.


Joan Winfield: Don't you get lonesome being here all alone?
Pop Tolliver: No, I like people. Not seeing many of 'em keeps me liking 'em.


read more quotes from Harry Davenport...



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Harry Davenport Facts
Entered films in 1912.

In an in-depth article on Harry by Ken Dennis in the Fall 2009 issue of Films of the Golden Age, it was revealed that Harry's second wife, Phyllis Rankin, also came from a family of actors, as did Harry. Her parents were McKee Rankin and Kitty Blanchard. Her sisters Doris and Gladys both married into the Barrymore family, (Lionel Barrymore and Sidney Drew, respectively). Phyllis' son Arthur Rankin was raised by Harry and later acted.

Ex-brother-in-law of Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore.

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