Harry Allen (born Henry Radford Allen; 10 July 1877 – 4 December 1951) was an Australian-born American character actor of the silent and

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

eras. He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Allen's World War One registration card gives his date of birth as 10 July, 1876 and confirms his place of birth as Melbourne, although at least one obituary gives the later birth year of 1883.

Career

Allen began his acting career on stage with the J. C. Williamson organisation, performing around Australia. In 1912 he left Australia for North America.The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950), Sat 20 Feb 1915, Page 5, "Objected to Friends"
Accessed May 15, 2017 In the United States, Allen was a member of a touring theater company, known for their popular rendition of ''

The Better 'Ole ''The Better 'Ole'', also called ''The Romance of Old Bill'', is an Edwardian musical comedy with a book by Bruce Bairnsfather and Arthur Elliot, music by Herman Darewski, and lyrics by Percival Knight and James Heard, based on the cartoon chara ...

''. He appeared on Broadway in the early 1920s. Allen's first film role was in the 1923 silent film, ''

The Last Moment ''The Last Moment'' is a 1928 American drama film conceived and directed by Paul Fejos. The film starred Otto Matieson and Georgia Hale. Fejos made ''The Last Moment'' on a budget of US$13,000. The film told its story without intertitles, w ...

'', in a supporting role. In his career Allen appeared in over 100 films, mostly in supporting and smaller roles. Some of the more notable films he appeared in include: ''

Of Human Bondage ''Of Human Bondage'' is a 1915 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The novel is generally agreed to be Maugham's masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although he stated, "This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in i ...

'' (1934), starring

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

and

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and ''Vanity Fair'' and was one o ...

; the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

' classic, '' A Night at the Opera''; the original ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...

'' (1935), starring Charles Laughton and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

;

William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of ...

's 1942 Academy Award-winning film, ''

Mrs. Miniver ''Mrs. Miniver'' is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Inspired by the 1940 novel '' Mrs. Miniver'' by Jan Struther, it shows how the life of an unassuming British h ...

'', starring

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...

Walter Pidgeon Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. He earned two Academy Award for Best Actor nominations for his roles in '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) and ''Madame Curie'' (1943). Pidgeon also starred in ...

, and

Teresa Wright Muriel Teresa Wright (October 27, 1918 – March 6, 2005) was an American actress. She was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress: in 1941 for her debut work in '' The Little Foxes'', and in 1942 for '' Mrs. Miniver' ...

; ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

'' (1944), starring

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

and

Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the "Golden Age". Fontaine appeared ...

; the Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor version of ''

National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. Plot summary ''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...

'' (1945); and ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...

'' (1945), starring

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous chara ...

. His final appearance on film was in the 1949 film, ''

Challenge to Lassie ''Challenge to Lassie'' is an American drama directed by Richard Thorpe in Technicolor and released October 31, 1949, by MGM Studios. It was the fifth feature film starring the original Lassie, a collie named Pal, and the fourth and final ''La ...

'', starring

Edmund Gwenn Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won t ...

Personal life

In 1910, Allen married fellow actor Marjorie Josephine née Condon in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. The union was not a success and he went to North America without her, in 1912, with an Australian court granting her a divorce for abandonment in 1915. Allen died on 4 December 1951, and was buried in Glen Abbey Memorial Park. He was survived by his second wife, Gertrude Dorothea (née Hyde), and their two children, Harry Jr. and Paula

Filmography

(Per

AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...

database) *''

'' (1923) as Pat Rooney *'' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1924) as Riggs *''

Ella Cinders ''Ella Cinders'' is an American syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed for most of its run by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page foll ...

'' (1926) *''

Corporal Kate ''Corporal Kate'' is a 1926 silent film comedy romance directed by Paul Sloane and starring Vera Reynolds and Julia Faye. The film was produced by C. Gardner Sullivan, with production at De Mille Pictures Corp., and released by Producers Distr ...

'' (1926) *''

Turkish Delight Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often fl ...

'' (1927) *''

The Scorcher ''The Scorcher'' is a 1927 American silent action film directed by Harry Joe Brown and starring Reed Howes, Thelma Parr and Hank Mann.Connelly p.688 It was distributed by the independent Rayart Pictures, the forerunner of Monogram Pictures. Sy ...

'' (1927) *''

The Silent Hero ''The Silent Hero'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Duke Worne and starring Robert Frazer, Edna Murphy and Joseph W. Girard.Connelly, p. 410. A man travels north to take part in the Alaska Gold Rush, leaving the woman he l ...

'' (1927) *''

The Adorable Cheat ''The Adorable Cheat'' is a 1928 silent film starring Lila Lee and distributed by an independent film company, Chesterfield Motion Pictures. It was directed by Burton L. King with a copy being long held by The Library of Congress. Summary The ...

'' (1928) *''

The Wreck of the Singapore ''The Wreck of the Singapore'', also known as ''The Singapore Mutiny'', is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Ince, Estelle Taylor, and Jim Mason.Quinlan p. 152 Cast * Ralph Ince as Kelsey * Estelle Taylor ...

'' (1928) *'' Sweet Sixteen'' (1928) *'' Two Lovers'' (1928) *'' In Old California'' (1929) as Sgt. Washburn *'' Strange Cargo'' (1929) as Short *'' The Dawn Patrol'' (1930) as Allen - Mechanic (uncredited) *''Headin' North'' (1930) *'' Hell Harbor'' (1930) as Peg Leg *''

Hell's Island ''Hell's Island'' is a 1955 American film noir directed by Phil Karlson starring John Payne and Mary Murphy. The film was shot in the VistaVision wide-screen format. ''Hell's Island'' was re-released in 1962 under the title ''South Sea Fury''. ...

'' (1930) as Bert *'' Second Honeymoon'' (1930) as Sheriff *'' Sunny'' (1930) as Side Show Barker (uncredited) *'' Chances'' (1931) *''

Rich Man's Folly ''Rich Man's Folly'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by John Cromwell and written by Edward E. Paramore Jr. and Grover Jones. The film stars George Bancroft, Frances Dee, Robert Ames, Juliette Compton, David Durand, Dorothy Pe ...

'' (1931) *'' Texas Pioneers'' (1932) *'' The Fourth Horseman'' (1932) *''

Fugitive Road ''Fugitive Road'' is a 1934 American comedy drama film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Erich von Stroheim, Wera Engels and Leslie Fenton. It is set a border post in Austria following World War I. A variety of different people trying to ...

'' (1934) *''

The House of Rothschild ''The House of Rothschild'' is a 1934 American pre-Code historical drama film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring George Arliss, Loretta Young and Boris Karloff. It was adapted by Nunnally Johnson from the play by George Hembert Westley ...

'' (1934) *''

The Silver Streak ''The Silver Streak'' is a 1934 American black-and-white film drama from RKO, loosely based on the record-setting "dawn-to-dusk" run of the '' Pioneer Zephyr'' on May 26, 1934. The film stars Sally Blane, Charles Starrett, William Farnum, and ...

'' (1934) *'' What Every Woman Knows'' (1934) *''

Riptide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal fl ...

'' (1934) *'' Bombay Mail'' (1934) *'' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) as Doorman (uncredited) *''

A Feather in Her Hat ''A Feather in Her Hat'' is a 1935 melodrama film starring Pauline Lord as a working-class woman with ambitions for her son. It is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. Plot In 1925 London, middle-aged, widowed shopkeeper ...

'' (1935) *'' The Perfect Gentleman'' (1935) *''

'' (1935) as Wherryman (uncredited) *'' The Great Impersonation'' (1935) as Perkins *''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writt ...

'' (1935) as Cord *''

Libeled Lady ''Libeled Lady'' is a 1936 screwball comedy film starring Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Spencer Tracy, written by George Oppenheimer, Howard Emmett Rogers, Wallace Sullivan, and Maurine Dallas Watkins, and directed by Jack Conway ...

'' (1936) *'' The Return of Sophie Lang'' (1936) as Graveyard Caretaker (uncredited) *''Angels in White'' (1936) *'' The White Angel'' (1936) *'' Love on the Run'' (1936) as Chauffeur (uncredited) *''

The Girl from Mandalay ''The Girl from Mandalay'' is a 1936 American action film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Wellyn Totman and Endre Bohem. It is based on the 1931 novel ''Tiger Valley'' by Reginald Campbell. The film stars Conrad Nagel, Kay Linaker, ...

'' (1936) *''

Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gove ...

'' (1936) as Waiter (uncredited) *'' London by Night'' (1937) *'' California Straight Ahead'' (1937) *''

A Girl with Ideas ''A Girl With Ideas'' is a 1937 American comedy-drama film, directed by S. Sylvan Simon for Universal Pictures. It stars Wendy Barrie, Walter Pidgeon, and Kent Taylor. Cast * Wendy Barrie - Mary Morton * Walter Pidgeon - Mickey McGuire * Kent Ta ...

'' (1937) *'' Outside of Paradise'' (1938) *''

Bulldog Drummond in Africa ''Bulldog Drummond in Africa'' is a 1938 American adventure crime film. This was the 13th of 25 in the Bulldog Drummond film series from 1922 to 1969. Plot summary Again on the eve of his wedding, Captain Hugh Drummond (John Howard) has more pr ...

'' (1938) *'' Holiday'' (1938) *'' Reckless Living'' (1938) *''

Mysterious Mr. Moto ''Mysterious Mr. Moto'', produced in 1938 by Twentieth Century Fox, is the fifth in a series of eight films starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. The film is based on the character of Mr. Moto created by John P. Marquand, from an original screenpl ...

'' (1938) as Taxi Driver (uncredited) *'' Stand Up and Fight'' (1939) *'' The Little Princess'' (1939) *''

I'm from Missouri ''I'm from Missouri'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Theodore Reed and written by Duke Atteberry and Jack Moffitt. The film stars Bob Burns, Gladys George, Gene Lockhart, Judith Barrett, William "Bill" Henry and Patricia Morison. Th ...

'' (1939) *''

Rulers of the Sea ''Rulers of the Sea'' is a 1939 American historical drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Margaret Lockwood and Will Fyffe. The film's story is based on the voyage of the , the first steamship to cross the North ...

'' (1939) *'' We Are Not Alone'' (1939) *''

Zaza Zaza may refer to: Ethnic group * Zazas, a group of people in eastern Anatolia (southeastern Turkey) * Zaza–Gorani languages, Indo-Iranian languages ** Zaza language, spoken by the Zazas People Given name * Zaza Sor. Aree (born 1993), Thai k ...

'' (1939) *''

The Earl of Chicago ''The Earl of Chicago'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Montgomery, Edward Arnold, Reginald Owen and Edmund Gwenn. It is the first MGM film in the 1940s. Plot To remedy the ill doings of his past, Ro ...

'' (1940) *''

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at t ...

'' (1940) *''

Moon over Burma ''Moon Over Burma'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Louis King and written by Harry Clork, Wilson Collison, W.P. Lipscomb and Frank Wead. The film stars Dorothy Lamour, Robert Preston, Preston Foster, Doris Nolan, Albert Basserma ...

'' (1940) *''

Blossoms in the Dust ''Blossoms in the Dust'' is a 1941 American biographical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt, Fay Holden and Samuel S. Hinds. It tells the true story of Edna Gladney, who helped o ...

'' (1941) *''

One Night in Lisbon ''One Night in Lisbon'' is a 1941 American thriller film directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll and Patricia Morison. It was one of a cycle of pro-British films produced in Hollywood before the United Stat ...

'' (1941) *''

Rage in Heaven ''Rage in Heaven'' is a 1941 American psychological thriller film noir about the destructive power of jealousy. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and based on the 1932 novel by James Hilton. It features Robert Montgomery, Ingrid Bergman, and Geo ...

'' (1941) *''

They Met in Bombay ''They Met in Bombay '' is a 1941 American adventure drama film directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Clark Gable and Rosalind Russell, with Peter Lorre.''Variety'' film review; June 25, 1941, page 16.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; July 5 ...

'' (1941) as Soldier in Saloon (uncredited) *'' A Yank in the R.A.F.'' (1941) as Air Raid Warden (uncredited) *''

Eagle Squadron The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed with volunteer pilots from the United States during the early days of World War II (circa 1940), prior to America's entry into the war in December 1941. Wit ...

'' (1942) *''

'' (1942) as William (uncredited) *''

Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...

'' (1942) *'' This Above All'' (1942) *'' Forever and a Day'' (1943) as First Cockney Air Raid Watcher *''

The Man from Down Under ''The Man from Down Under'' is an American 1943 drama film starring Charles Laughton as a man who raises two war orphans. It was called "Hollywood's first full-length film dealing exclusively with Australia and Australians". Plot After the end ...

'' (1943) *''

Two Tickets to London ''Two Tickets to London'' is a 1943 drama film made by Universal Pictures, and directed by Edwin L. Marin. The screenplay was written by Tom Reed, based on story by Roy William Neill. The film stars Michèle Morgan and Alan Curtis. Premise A U ...

'' (1943) *''

Buckskin Frontier ''Buckskin Frontier'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Norman Houston and Bernard Schubert. The film stars Richard Dix, Jane Wyatt, Albert Dekker, Lee J. Cobb, Victor Jory, Lola Lane, Max Baer and Joe ...

'' (1943) as McWhinny *''

'' (1943) as Guard (uncredited) *'' The White Cliffs of Dover'' (1944) *'' The Hour Before the Dawn'' (1944) *''

The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts in '' The Court and Society Review'', 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story is about an American fa ...

'' (1944) *'' The Lodger'' (1944) *''

Ministry of Fear ''Ministry of Fear'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Fritz Lang, and starring Ray Milland and Marjorie Reynolds. Based on the 1943 novel by Graham Greene, the film tells the story of a man just released from a mental asylum who finds ...

'' (1944) *''

Passport to Destiny ''Passport to Destiny'' is a 1944 RKO Radio Pictures war film, starring Elsa Lanchester as an English charwoman who, believing herself invulnerable by being protected by a magic eye amulet, travels to Nazi Germany to personally assassinate Adol ...

'' (1944) *''

The Scarlet Claw ''The Scarlet Claw'' is a 1944 American mystery thriller film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Directed by Roy William Neill and starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, it is the eighth film of the Rathbone/ ...

'' (1944) *''

You Can't Ration Love ''You Can't Ration Love'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Lester Fuller and written by Val Burton and Hal Fimberg. The film stars Betty Jane Rhodes, Johnnie Johnston, Marjorie Weaver, Johnnie Davis, Marie Wilson and Bill Edwards. ...

'' (1944) as Pop (uncredited) *''

'' (1944) as Van Driver (uncredited) *''Confidential Agent'' (1945) *''Hangover Square (film), Hangover Square'' (1945) *''Love Letters (1945 film), Love Letters'' (1945) *''Murder, He Says'' (1945) *''

'' (1945) *''Scotland Yard Investigator'' (1945) as Watchman (uncredited) *''The Green Years (film), The Green Years'' (1946) *''Bulldog Drummond at Bay (1947 film), Bulldog Drummond at Bay'' (1947) as Postman (uncredited) *''The Imperfect Lady (1947 film), The Imperfect Lady'' (1947) *''Thunder in the Valley (film), Bob, Son of Battle'' (1947) *''The Swordsman (1948 film), The Swordsman'' (1948) *''The Emperor Waltz'' (1948) as Gamekeeper (uncredited) *''Julia Misbehaves'' (1948) as Bill Collector (uncredited) *''Kiss the Blood Off My Hands'' (1948) *''Night Has a Thousand Eyes'' (1948) as MacDougall (uncredited) *''

'' (1949) as Shepherd (uncredited) *''The Secret Garden (1949 film), The Secret Garden'' (1949) *''Take Me Out to the Ball Game (film), Take Me Out to the Ball Game'' (1949) *''Gun Cargo'' (1949) as Peg Leg

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Harry American male silent film actors American male film actors Male actors from Sydney 1870s births 1951 deaths 20th-century American male actors Australian emigrants to the United States