Henry Travers
(1874 - 1965)Few actors have created such memorable roles as the popular and beloved Henry Travers. Born Travers Heagerty in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, England on March 5, 1874, he had a long career on the British stage before transferring to Broadway and character parts in the 1920s. In the 1930s he began his successful film career in Hollywood. His mop of white hair, round nose, bushy eyebrows, above a pair of sparkling eyes, a raspy, throaty voice and kindly demeanor endeared him to generations of film-goers. Even when he took on a villainous role, he was "lovable". He received an Oscar nomination in 1942 for his role in "Mrs. Miniver" as Mr. Ballard. Among his most unforgettable roles were: the kindly uncle of Velma (Joan Leslie) in "High Sierra" (1941) with Humphrey Bogart; the unsuspecting philanthropist, Mr. Bogardes, in "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1945); Mr. Boyles in the classic film "The Yearling" (1946) and as Clarence Oddbody, the angel, in "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) my favorite of his roles. Among his other films were: "Reunion in Vienna" (1933) as Father Krug, his film debut; "The Invisible Man" (1933) as Dr. Cranley; "Death Takes a Holiday" (1934) as Baron Cesarea; "Born To Be Bad" (1934) as Fuzzy; "Escapade" (1935) as a Concierge; "Seven Keys to Baldpate" (1935) as Adelbert 'Lem' Peters VII aka Hermie the Hermit; "Too Many Parents" (1936) as Wilkins; "The Sisters" (1938) as Ned Elliott; "Dodge City" (1939) as Dr. Irving; "Stanley and Livingstone" (1939) as John Kingsley; "The Rains Came" (1939) as Rev. Homer Smiley; "Dark Victory" (1939) with Bette Davis, as Dr. Parsons; "On Borrowed Time" (1939) as Dr. Evans, he was quite busy in 1939; "Edison the Man" (1940) as Ben Els; "The Primrose Path" (1940) as Gramp; "Random Harvest" (1942) as Dr. Sims; Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943) as Joseph Newton; "Madame Curie" (1943) as Eugene Curie; "Dragon Seed" (1944) as Third Cousin, in some quite odd casting as a Chinese; "None Shall Escape" (1944) as Father Warecki; "Gallant Journey" (1947) as Thomas Logan; "Beyond Glory" (1948) as Pop Dewing and his last film "The Girl From Jones Beach" (1949) as Judge Bullfinch. He was a national treasure. He died of arteriosclerosis on October 18, 1965 in Hollywood, California.
From Great Character Actors, Page 1.
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