Arthur Henry Bromley-Davenport (29 October 1867 – 15 December 1946), better known as A. Bromley Davenport, was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
born in
Baginton,
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
UK.
Bromley-Davenport made appearances in at least 77 films for television and cinema between 1920 and 1944. He was known publicly as Bromley Davenport and in the film credits, his Christian name was always abbreviated.
Perhaps the most commercial films he appeared in were ''
Jamaica Inn
The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall in the UK, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamlet ...
'' and ''
The Way Ahead
''The Way Ahead'' (also known as ''Immortal Battalion'') (1944) is a British Second World War drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. The film stars David Niven, Stanley Holloway and Willi ...
,'' in which his character was named after his real life name. He did not often have a lead role, but in the television drama ''Magic'', he took the lead role as ''Duke''.
Personal life
Bromley Davenport was a member of the
Bromley-Davenport
The Davenport family is first recorded in pipe rolls dating before 1254. Roger de Davenport, Lord of Davenport held the hereditary office of Master Serjeant of the Peace for Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in the 1250s. Their residence was at ...
family of
Macclesfield,
Cheshire. He was the youngest son of the politician
William Bromley-Davenport and the brother of
William Bromley-Davenport, a
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officer, England footballer, and Conservative politician.
He was educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
,
Berkshire. In 1886, he married Elizabeth Light. In 1921, he married Madame Adele Burdillat of
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. He was 79 when he died in London in 1946.
Filmography
* ''
The Great Gay Road'' (1920) - Sir Crispin Vickrey
* ''
The Bigamist'' (1921) - Richard Carruthers
* ''
The Persistent Lovers'' (1922) - Duke of Harborough
* ''
Boy Woodburn
''Boy Woodburn'' is a 1922 British silent sports film directed by Guy Newall and starring Newall, Ivy Duke and Mary Rorke. It is set in the world of English horse racing.Bamford p.66 It was known in the United States by the alternative title ...
'' (1922) - Matt Woodburn
* ''
Fox Farm'' (1922) - Sam Wetherall
* ''
Running Water
Tap water (also known as faucet water, running water, or municipal water) is water supplied through a tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used for drinkin ...
'' (1922) - Capt. Barstow
* ''
A Maid of the Silver Sea'' (1922) - Old Tom Hamon
* ''
The Starlit Garden
''The Starlit Garden'' is a 1923 British silent romantic film directed by Guy Newall and starring Newall, Ivy Duke, Lawford Davidson and Mary Rorke. The film is set in Italy and concerns a doomed romance between a ward and her guardian. It wa ...
'' (1923) - Col Grangerson
* ''
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
'' (1923) - Sir John Cope
* ''
Sally Bishop'' (1924) - Landlord
* ''
Eugene Aram
Eugene Aram (170416 August 1759) was an English philologist, but also infamous as the murderer celebrated by Thomas Hood in his ballad ''The Dream of Eugene Aram'', and by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in his 1832 novel '' Eugene Aram''.
Early life
Ar ...
'' (1924) - Cpl. Bunting
* ''
What the Butler Saw'' (1924) - General Dunlop
* ''
Somebody's Darling'' (1925) - Sleeper
* ''
Roses of Picardy
"Roses of Picardy" is a popular British song with lyrics by Frederick Weatherly and music by Haydn Wood. Published in London in 1916 by Chappell & Co, it was one of the most famous songs of the World War I, First World War and has been recorded ...
'' (1927) - Baron d'Archeville
* ''
The Glad Eye'' (1927) - Galipau
* ''
The Fake'' (1927) - Hesketh Pointer
* ''
A Sister to Assist 'Er'' (1927) - Jim Harris
* ''
The Flight Commander'' (1927) - Philosopher
* ''
Glorious Youth
''Glorious Youth'' is a 1929 British silent drama film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Anny Ondra, Randle Ayrton and William Freshman. It is also known by the alternative title of ''Eileen of the Trees''. It was one of two films Cutts m ...
'' (1928) - Sam Duffield
* ''
The Blue Peter'' (1928) - Mr. Callaghan
* ''
Spangles'' (1928) - Romanovitch
* ''
The American Prisoner
''The American Prisoner'' is a British novel written by Eden Phillpotts and published in 1904
and adapted into a film by the same name in 1929. The story concerns an English woman who lives at Fox Tor farm, and an American captured during ...
'' (1929) - Squire Malherb
* ''
Too Many Crooks'' (1930, Short) - The Man Upstairs
* ''
Leave It to Me'' (1930, Short) - Mr. Jordan
* ''
Captivation
''Captivation'' is a 1931 British romantic comedy film directed by John Harvel and starring Conway Tearle, Betty Stockfeld and Violet Vanbrugh.It was shot at the Beaconsfield Studios near London. A second feature, it has been classified as a quot ...
'' (1931) - Colonel Jordan
* ''
Glamour'' (1931) - Lord Belton
* ''
Mischief
Mischief or malicious mischief is the name for a criminal offenses that is defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a legal different ...
'' (1931)
* ''
The Marriage Bond'' (1932) - MFH
* ''
Self Made Lady'' (1932) - Duke of Alchester
* ''
Mr. Bill the Conqueror
''Mr. Bill the Conqueror'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Norman Walker and starring Henry Kendall, Heather Angel and Nora Swinburne. It was made by British International Pictures at Elstree Studios.Wood p.72
Cast
* Henry Kendall a ...
'' (1932) - Lord Blagden
* ''
Flat No. 9'' (1932, Short) - Caretaker
* ''
When London Sleeps
''When London Sleeps'' is a 1932 British crime film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Harold French, Francis L. Sullivan, Diana Beaumont and René Ray. It was filmed at Twickenham Studios in west London. It was based on a play by ...
'' (1932) - Colonel Graham
* ''
The Return of Raffles'' (1932) - Sir John Truwode
* ''
Money Means Nothing'' (1932) - Earl of Massingham
* ''
The Face at the Window'' (1932) - Gaston de Brisson
* ''
Lord Camber's Ladies'' (1932) - Sir Bedford Slufter
* ''
The Iron Stair'' (1933) - Sir Andrew Gale
* ''
The Wishbone'' (1933) - Harry Stammer
* ''
The Melody-Maker
''The Melody-Maker'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Lester Matthews, Joan Marion and Evelyn Roberts . The film was made at Teddington Studios as a quota quickie by the British subsidiary of War ...
'' (1933) - Jenks
* ''
Dora'' (1933, Short) - Judge
* ''
Enemy of the Police
''Enemy of the Police'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by George King and starring John Stuart, Viola Keats and A. Bromley Davenport. It was made at Teddington Studios as a quota quickie by Warner Brothers.Chibnall p.271
Cast
* John St ...
'' (1933) - Sir Lemuel Tapleigh
* ''
A Shot in the Dark'' (1933) - Peter Browne
* ''
The Pointing Finger'' (1933) - Lord Edensore
* ''
The Stolen Necklace
''The Stolen Necklace'' is a 1933 British crime film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Lester Matthews, Joan Marion and Mickey Brantford. It was made as a quota quickie at Teddington Studios.Wood p.76
Cast
* Lester Matthews as Clive ...
'' (1933) - Priest
* ''
Little Miss Nobody'' (1933) - Mr. Romary
* ''
Lily of Killarney'' (1934) - Lord Kenmore (uncredited)
* ''
The Warren Case
''The Warren Case'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Walter Summers and starring Richard Bird, Nancy Burne and Diana Napier. It was made at Welwyn Studios by British International Pictures.Wood p.80
Cast
* Richard Bird as Louis Bevan ...
'' (1934) - Sir Richard Clavering
* ''
Love, Life and Laughter'' (1934) - Menkenburg
* ''
Lost in the Legion'' (1934) - Colonel
* ''
The Scarley Pimpernel'' (1934)- French innkeeper (Brogard)
* ''
So You Won't Talk'' (1935) - Mr. Fielding
* ''
Vintage Wine
''Vintage Wine'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Claire Luce, Eva Moore and Judy Gunn. The film was made at Julius Hagen's Twickenham Studios, but was released by Gaumont British Distributor ...
'' (1935) - Pierre
* ''
The Crouching Beast
''The Crouching Beast'' is a 1935 British war thriller film directed by Victor Hanbury and starring Fritz Kortner, Wynne Gibson and Richard Bird. It was shot at Welwyn Studios with sets designed by the art director Duncan Sutherland.Wood p.85 B ...
'' (1935)
* ''
The Cardinal
''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel of the same name (1950) by Henry Morton Robi ...
'' (1936) - Bramante
* ''
London Melody
''London Melody'' is a 1937 British musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati and Robert Douglas. It was made at British and Dominions Imperial Studios, Elstree and Pinewood Studios by Wilcox's indep ...
'' (1937) - General Taplow
* ''
Owd Bob
''Owd Bob: The Grey Dog of Kenmuir'', also titled ''Bob, Son of Battle'' for US editions, is a children's book by English author Alfred Ollivant. It was published in 1898 and became popular in the United Kingdom and the United States, though ...
'' (1938) - Magistrate - Mr. Parker
* ''
Murder in the Family
''Murder in the Family'' is a 1938 British crime film directed by Albert Parker and starring Barry Jones, Jessica Tandy and Evelyn Ankers. The film's sets were designed by the art director Carmen Dillon. It was adapted from a 1936 novel of th ...
'' (1938) - Minor Role (uncredited)
* ''
Second Thoughts'' (1938) - George Gaunt
* ''
Jamaica Inn
The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall in the UK, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamlet ...
'' (1939) - Ringwood
* ''Magic'' (1939, TV Movie)
''Magic''
(1939). Internet Movie Database. - The Duke
* ''The Mysterious Mr. Davis
''The Mysterious Mr. Davis'' is a 1939 British comedy drama film directed by Claude Autant-Lara and starring Henry Kendall, Kathleen Kelly and Alastair Sim. It was made as a quota quickie and distributed by the American company RKO Pictures. I ...
'' (1939) - Lord Avonmouth
* ''The Second Mr. Bush
''The Second Mr. Bush'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Wallace Evennett, Evelyn Roberts and Kay Walsh. It was made at Welwyn Studios by British National Films.Wood p.99
Cast
* Wallace Evennett as ...
'' (1940) - Colonel Barlow
* ''The Farmer's Wife
''The Farmer's Wife'' is a 1928 British silent romantic comedy film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Jameson Thomas, Lillian Hall-Davis and Gordon Harker.
It is adapted from a 1916 play of the same name by British novelist, poet an ...
'' (1941) - Henry Coaker
* ''Love on the Dole
''Love on the Dole'' is a novel by Walter Greenwood, about working-class poverty in 1930s Northern England. It has been made into both a play and a film.
The novel
Walter Greenwood's novel (1933) was written during the early 1930s as a respons ...
'' (1941) - Pawnbroker (uncredited)
* ''Old Mother Riley's Ghosts
''Old Mother Riley's Ghosts'' is a 1941 British comedy film directed by John Baxter and starring Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane and John Stuart. It was the 8th in the long-running Old Mother Riley series. Old Mother Riley inherits a castle in Scot ...
'' (1941) - Warrender
* '' Let the People Sing'' (1942) - Agent
* '' The Young Mr. Pitt'' (1942) - Sir Evan Nepean
* '' Those Kids from Town'' (1942) - Egworth
* ''When We Are Married
''When We Are Married'' is a comedy by the English dramatist, J. B. Priestley, written in 1934. It was first performed in London at the St. Martin's Theatre, London on 11 October 1938, and transferred to the larger Prince's Theatre in March 1 ...
'' (1943) - Mayor
* ''The Way Ahead
''The Way Ahead'' (also known as ''Immortal Battalion'') (1944) is a British Second World War drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. The film stars David Niven, Stanley Holloway and Willi ...
'' (1944) - Chelsea Pensioner (final film role)
References
External links
A. Bromley Davenport (1867-1946)
Internet Movie Database.
The lineage of the Bromley Davenports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davenport, A Bromley
English male stage actors
English male film actors
English male silent film actors
1867 births
1946 deaths
People educated at Eton College
20th-century English male actors