Henry Stephenson
Harry Stephenson Garraway was a British actor. He generally portrayed amiable and wise gentlemen in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were Sir Joseph Banks in Mutiny on the Bounty and Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist.
Life and career
Stephenson was born to British parents in Grenada, British West Indies, and educated in England. He started acting in his twenties. He appeared on British and American stages and made his Broadway debut in 1901, playing the messenger in A Message from Mars starring Charles Hawtrey. In the following decades, he performed in more than 30 Broadway plays.
Stephenson made his film debut in 1917 and appeared in a few silent films, but made his mark mostly as an elderly man in sound films. Between 1931 and 1932, he appeared in the Broadway play Cynara with over 200 performances. He came to Hollywood for the film version of Cynara, starring Ronald Colman and with Stephenson reprising his role of John Tring. In the same year, he played the tycoon C.B. Gaerste in Red-Headed Woman, Leslie Howard's father Rufus Collier in The Animal Kingdom and Doctor Alliot in A Bill of Divorcement. In 1933, he appeared as Mr. Laurence in Little Women. He specialized in portraying wise, dignified and congenial British gentlemen in supporting roles.
Stephenson appeared in 90 films from 1917 to 1951. He often played historical figures like Sir Joseph Banks in the Oscar-winning adventure film Mutiny on the Bounty and Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau in Marie Antoinette.
Stephenson worked with film star Errol Flynn in the films Captain Blood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Prince and the Pauper, and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, often as Flynn's paternal friend and superior. He portrayed Sir Thomas Lancing in Tarzan Finds a Son! in 1939, and Sir Guy Henderson in Tarzan and the Amazons in 1945.
Stephenson seldom played dark figures; among the exceptions was the snobbish Mr. Bryant in Mr. Lucky in 1943. He also appeared in several literary adaptions, for example as the friendly lawyer Havisham in Little Lord Fauntleroy and as Mr. Brownlow in David Lean's film adaptation of Oliver Twist. He made his last film in 1949, but appeared in two television series in 1951 before the end of his career. In 1950, after completing his role of Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga in the play That Lady, Stephenson retired from the stage.
Personal life
He married the Australian-born actress Roxy Barton on 14 June 1906 at St Marylebone Parish Church in Marylebone in London. Their daughter was the actress Jean Harriet Stephenson. The marriage was later dissolved. He later wed the actress Ann Shoemaker, who had a daughter, Anne Hall, the song lyricist, by a previous marriage. Henry Stephenson died in 1956, aged 85 from nephritis.
Filmography
The Spreading Dawn as Mr. LeRoy A Society Exile as Sir Howard FurnivalThe Tower of Jewels as David ParrishThe Black Panther's Cub as Clive, Earl of MaudsleyMen and Women as Arnold KirkeWild, Wild Susan as Peter Van DusenRed-Headed Woman as GaersteGuilty as Hell as Dr. Ernest S. TindalA Bill of Divorcement as Dr. AlliotThe Animal Kingdom as Mr. Rufus CollierCynara as John TringTomorrow at Seven as Thornton DrakeDouble Harness as Colonel Sam ColbyBlind Adventure as Maj. Archer ThorneMy Lips Betray as De ContiLittle Women as Mr. LaurenceIf I Were Free as Hector StriblingMan of Two Worlds as Sir Basil PembertonThe Mystery of Mr. X as Sir Herbert FrenshamAll Men Are Enemies as ScropeStingaree as Mr. Hugh ClarksonThirty Day Princess as King Anatol XIIOne More River as Sir Laurence MontShe Loves Me Not as Dean MercerThe Richest Girl in the World as ConnorsOutcast Lady as Sir MauriceWhat Every Woman Knows as Charles VenablesThe Night Is Young as Emperor Franz JosefVanessa: Her Love Story as Barney NewmarkReckless as Col. HarrisonThe Flame Within as Dr. Jock FrazierO'Shaughnessy's Boy as Major WinslowRendezvous as AmbassadorMutiny on the Bounty as Sir Joseph BanksThe Perfect Gentleman as BishopCaptain Blood as Lord WilloughbyLittle Lord Fauntleroy as HavishamHalf Angel as Professor Jerome HargravesHearts Divided as Chas. PattersonWalking on Air as Mr. Horace BennettGive Me Your Heart as Edward - Lord FarringtonThe Charge of the Light Brigade as Sir Charles MacefieldBeloved Enemy as Lord AthleighWhen You're in Love as Walter MitchellThe Prince and the Pauper as the Duke of NorfolkThe Emperor's Candlesticks as Prince JohannConquest as Count Anastas WalewskiWise Girl as Mr. FletcherThe Baroness and the Butler as Count Albert SandorThe Young in Heart as Mr. AnstrutherMarie Antoinette as Count de MerceySuez as Count Mathieu de LessepsDramatic School as Pasquel Sr.Tarzan Finds a Son! as Sir Thomas LancingThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes as Sir Ronald RamsgateThe Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex as Lord BurghleyLittle Old New York as Chancellor Robert L. LivingstoneIt's a Date as Capt. AndrewSpring Parade as Emperor Franz JosephDown Argentine Way as Don Diego QuintanaThe Man Who Lost Himself as Frederick CollinsLady from Louisiana as General Anatole MirbeauRings on Her Fingers as Colonel Harry PrentissThis Above All as General CathawayHalfway to Shanghai as Colonel Algernon BlimptonThe Mantrap as Sir Humphrey QuilpMr. Lucky as Mr. BryantTwo Girls and a Sailor as John Dyckman Brown IThe Hour Before the Dawn as Gen. HethertonSecrets of Scotland Yard as Sir Reginald MeadeReckless Age as J. H. WadsworthTarzan and the Amazons as Sir Guy HendersonThe Green Years as Prof. Rattray BlakelyHeartbeat as MinisterNight and Day as Omar ColeOf Human Bondage as Dr. TyrellHer Sister's Secret as Mr. DuboisThe Return of Monte Cristo as Prof. DuvalThe Locket as Lord WyndhamTime Out of Mind as Wellington DrakeThe Homestretch as Don Humberto BalcaresDark Delusion as Dr. Evans BiddleIvy as JudgeSong of Love as King AlbertOliver Twist as Mr. BrownlowJulia Misbehaves as Lord PennystoneEnchantment as General FitzgeraldChallenge to Lassie as Sir Charles Loring