Henry Stephenson (born Harry Stephenson Garraway; 16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956) was a British actor. He portrayed friendly and wise

gentlemen A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the r ...

in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles were

Sir Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James C ...

in ''

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) and

Mr. Brownlow Mr Brownlow is a character from the 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. Brownlow is a bookish and kindly middle-aged bachelor who helps Oliver escape the clutches of Fagin. He later adopts Oliver Twist by the end of the novel. T ...

in ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (1948).

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 Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

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 successful Broadway play ''Cynara'' with over 200 performances. He came to Hollywood for the film version of ''

Cynara ''Cynara'' is a genus of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands. The genus name comes from the Greek ''kynara'', which me ...

'', starring

Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor, starting his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then immigrating to the United States and having a successful Cinema of the United States, ...

and with Stephenson reprising his role of John Tring. In the same year, he played the tycoon C.B. Gaerste in ''

Red-Headed Woman ''Red-Headed Woman'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Katharine Brush, and a screenplay by Anita Loos. It was directed by Jack Conway and stars J ...

'',

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 ...

'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 ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888). Alcott wrote the book, originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, at the request of her publisher. The story follows the live ...

''. He specialized in portraying wise, dignified and friendly British gentlemen in supporting roles.IMDb profile
accessed 19 September 2014. He appeared overall in 90 films from 1917 to 1951. He often played historical figures like

in the Oscar-winning adventure film ''

'' (1935) and Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau in ''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

'' (1938). Stephenson worked with film star

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...

in the films '' Captain Blood'', ''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to se ...

'', ''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547 ...

'', 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! ''Tarzan Finds a Son!'' is a 1939 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the fourth in the MGM ''Tarzan'' series to feature Johnny Weissmuller as the "King of the Apes" and the fourth of six films in which he ...

'' in 1939, and Sir Guy Henderson in '' Tarzan and the Amazons'' in 1945. He seldom played dark figures; among the exceptions was the snobbish Mr. Bryant in '' Mr. Lucky'' in 1943. Stephenson also appeared in literary adaptions, for example as the friendly lawyer Havisham in ''

Little Lord Fauntleroy ''Little Lord Fauntleroy'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published as a serial in ''St. Nicholas Magazine'' from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of ''St. Nicholas'') in 1886. The ill ...

'' (1936) and as

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

's film adaptation of ''

'' (1948). He made his last film in 1949, but appeared in two television series in 1951 before the end of his career. In 1950, after finishing his role of Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga in the play ''That Lady'', Stephenson retired from the stage.

Family

He married the Australian-born actress Roxy Barton (1879-1962) on 14 June 1906 at

St Marylebone Parish Church St Marylebone Parish Church is an Anglican church on the Marylebone Road in London. It was built to the designs of Thomas Hardwick in 1813–17. The present site is the third used by the parish for its church. The first was further south, near Ox ...

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it ...

in London.London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 for Roxy Claudia May Barton: Westminster, St Marylebone, 1900-1912 - Ancestry.com -
/ref> Their daughter was the actress Jean Harriet Garraway (1911–2004). The marriage was later dissolved. He married the actress

Ann Shoemaker Ann Shoemaker (born Anne Dorothea Shoemaker; January 10, 1891 – September 18, 1978) was an American actress who appeared in 70 films and TV movies between 1928 and 1976. She portrayed Sara Roosevelt, mother of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in b ...

; the couple had one daughter. Henry Stephenson died in 1956, aged 85. He was survived by his wife and his daughters.

Filmography

Henry Stephenson in Marie Antoinette trailer

Henry Stephenson in Little Women trailer

* '' The Spreading Dawn'' (1917) as Mr. LeRoy (film debut) * ''

A Society Exile ''A Society Exile'' (1919) is an American silent film drama directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson, Julia Dean, and William Carleton. The assistant director to Fitzmaurice was William Scully. The film marks the second scree ...

'' (1919) as Sir Howard Furnival * '' The Tower of Jewels'' (1920) as David Parrish * ''

The Black Panther's Cub ''The Black Panther's Cub'' is a 1921 American silent melodrama film produced by William K. Ziegfeld, Florenz Ziegfeld's younger brother. It stars stage actress Florence Reed in her last silent screen portrayal where she plays multiple roles. It ...

'' (1921) as Clive, Earl of Maudsley * '' Men and Women'' (1925) as Arnold Kirke * ''

Wild, Wild Susan ''Wild, Wild Susan'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring popular Bebe Daniels. Famous Players–Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company fo ...

'' (1925) as Peter Van Dusen * ''

'' (1932) as Gaerste * ''

Guilty as Hell ''Guilty as Hell'' is a 1932 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Erle C. Kenton and written by Arthur Kober and Frank Partos. The film stars Edmund Lowe, Victor McLaglen, Richard Arlen, Adrienne Ames, Henry Stephenson, Ralph Ince and Noel ...

'' (1932) as Dr. Ernest S. Tindal * '' A Bill of Divorcement'' (1932) as Dr. Alliot * '' The Animal Kingdom'' (1932) as Mr. Rufus Collier * ''

'' (1932) as John Tring * '' Tomorrow at Seven'' (1933) as Thornton Drake * ''

Double Harness ''Double Harness'' (1933) is an American pre-Code film starring Ann Harding and William Powell. It was based on the play of the same name by Edward Poor Montgomery. A young woman maneuvers a lazy playboy into marrying her. This was one of sever ...

'' (1933) as Colonel Sam Colby * ''

Blind Adventure ''Blind Adventure'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code film directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and starring Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack, Ralph Bellamy, and Roland Young. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures.My Lips Betray ''My Lips Betray'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Lilian Harvey, John Boles and El Brendel.Solomon p. 343 The film's sets were designed by the art director Joseph C. Wright. Plot In a ...

'' (1933) as De Conti * ''

'' (1933) as Mr. Laurence * '' If I Were Free'' (1933) as Hector Stribling * '' Man of Two Worlds'' (1934) as Sir Basil Pemberton * '' The Mystery of Mr. X'' (1934) as Sir Herbert Frensham * ''

All Men Are Enemies ''All Men Are Enemies'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and written by Lenore J. Coffee. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Mona Barrie, Hugh Williams, Herbert Mundin, Henry Stephenson and Walter Byron. T ...

'' (1934) as Scrope * ''

Stingaree The Stingaree was a neighborhood of San Diego between the boom of the 1880s and the demolition and vice eradication campaign of 1916. The reason for the neighborhood's fame was its role as the home to the city's "undesirables", including prostitut ...

'' (1934) as Mr. Hugh Clarkson * ''

Thirty Day Princess ''Thirty Day Princess'' is a 1934 pre-Code comedy film directed by Marion Gering and starring Sylvia Sidney, Cary Grant and Edward Arnold. The film was based on a story of the same name by Clarence Budington Kelland (which appeared in ''Ladi ...

'' (1934) as King Anatol XII * ''

One More River ''One More River'' is a 1934 American drama film mystery directed by James Whale. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and starred Colin Clive, Diana Wynyard and stage actress Mrs Patrick Campbell in one of her very few films. Th ...

'' (1934) as Sir Laurence Mont * '' She Loves Me Not'' (1934) as Dean Mercer * '' The Richest Girl in the World'' (1934) as Connors * '' Outcast Lady'' (1934) as Sir Maurice * '' What Every Woman Knows'' (1934) as Charles Venables * '' The Night Is Young'' (1935) as

Emperor Franz Josef Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

* '' Vanessa: Her Love Story'' (1935) as Barney Newmark * '' Reckless'' (1935) as Col. Harrison * ''

The Flame Within ''The Flame Within'' is Stream of Passion's second studio album released on May 27, 2009, by Napalm Records. It is the follow-up to their debut album, ''Embrace the Storm''. It is the first album with guitarists Eric Hazebroek and Stephan Schul ...

'' (1935) as Dr. Jock Frazier * ''

O'Shaughnessy's Boy ''O'Shaughnessy's Boy'' is a 1935 film starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper and directed by Richard Boleslawski. The picture was partly set in a circus. The cinematographer was James Wong Howe. Plot summary The plot involves a one-armed lio ...

'' (1935) as Major Winslow * '' Rendezvous'' (1935) as Ambassador * ''

'' (1935) as

* '' The Perfect Gentleman'' (1935) as Bishop * '' Captain Blood'' (1935) as Lord Willoughby * ''

'' (1936) as Havisham * '' Half Angel'' (1936) as Professor Jerome Hargraves * ''

Hearts Divided ''Hearts Divided'' is a 1936 American musical film about the real-life marriage between American Elizabeth 'Betsy' Patterson and Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. It stars Marion Davies and Dick Powell as the couple. The film was a remake ...

'' (1936) as Chas. Patterson * '' Walking on Air'' (1936) as Mr. Horace Bennett * '' Give Me Your Heart'' (1936) as Edward - Lord Farrington * ''

'' (1936) as Sir Charles Macefield * '' Beloved Enemy'' (1936) as Lord Athleigh * '' When You're in Love'' (1937) as Walter Mitchell * ''

'' (1937) as the Duke of Norfolk * ''

The Emperor's Candlesticks ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' is an 1899 historical novel by Baroness Orczy. Written soon after the birth of her son John, it is her first book as an author rather than translator and was a commercial failure. As in the Scarlet Pimpernel, the ...

'' (1937) as Prince Johann * ''

Conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

'' (1937) as Count Anastas Walewski * '' Wise Girl'' (1937) as Mr. Fletcher * ''

The Baroness and the Butler ''The Baroness and the Butler'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film based on the play ''Jean'' by Ladislaus Bus-Fekete. Directed by Walter Lang, it stars William Powell and, in her American English-language debut, Annabella. Plot Johann ...

'' (1938) as Count Albert Sandor * ''

The Young in Heart ''The Young in Heart'' is a 1938 American comedy film produced by David O. Selznick, directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Paulette Goddard. The supporting cast features Roland Young and Billie Bu ...

'' (1938) as Mr. Anstruther * ''

'' (1938) as Count de Mercey * ''

Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same bou ...

'' (1938) as Count Mathieu de Lesseps * '' Dramatic School'' (1938) as Pasquel Sr. * ''

'' (1939) as Sir Thomas Lancing * '' The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (1939) as Sir Ronald Ramsgate * '' The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' (1939) as

Lord Burghley William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...

* '' Little Old New York'' (1940) as Chancellor Robert L. Livingstone * ''

It's a Date ''It's a Date'' is a 1940 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin, Kay Francis, and Walter Pidgeon. Based on a story by Jane Hall, Frederick Kohner, and Ralph Block, the film is about an aspiring actress ...

'' (1940) as Capt. Andrew * '' Spring Parade'' (1940) as Emperor Franz Joseph * '' Down Argentine Way'' (1940) as Don Diego Quintana * '' The Man Who Lost Himself'' (1941) as Frederick Collins * ''

Lady from Louisiana ''Lady from Louisiana'' is a 1941 American Western film starring John Wayne and Ona Munson. It was produced and directed by Bernard Vorhaus. The Louisiana State Lottery Company organizes a lottery in 1890s New Orleans, with lottery funds used ...

'' (1941) as General Anatole Mirbeau * ''

Rings on Her Fingers ''Rings on Her Fingers'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney. The screenplay concerns a poor man who gets mistaken for a millionaire and is swindled out of his life savings. Plot ...

'' (1942) as Colonel Harry Prentiss * '' This Above All'' (1942) as General Cathaway * '' Halfway to Shanghai'' (1942) as Colonel Algernon Blimpton * '' The Mantrap'' (1943) as Sir Humphrey Quilp * '' Mr. Lucky'' (1943) as Mr. Bryant * '' Two Girls and a Sailor'' (1944) as John Dyckman Brown I * ''

The Hour Before the Dawn ''The Hour Before the Dawn'' is a 1944 American drama war film directed by Frank Tuttle starring Franchot Tone and Veronica Lake. It was based on the 1942 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Plot In 1923 in England, General Hetherton is instructing hi ...

'' (1944) as Gen. Hetherton * '' Secrets of Scotland Yard'' (1944) as Sir Reginald Meade * ''

Reckless Age ''Reckless Age'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Felix E. Feist and written by Gertrude Purcell and Henry Blankfort. The film stars Gloria Jean, Henry Stephenson, Kathleen Howard, Franklin Pangborn, Andrew Tombes, Marshall Thompson, Ja ...

'' (1944) as J. H. Wadsworth * '' Tarzan and the Amazons'' (1945) as Sir Guy Henderson * '' The Green Years'' (1946) as Prof. Rattray Blakely * '' Heartbeat'' (1946) as Minister * '' Night and Day'' (1946) as Omar Cole * '' Of Human Bondage'' (1946) as Dr. Tyrell * ''

Her Sister's Secret ''Her Sister's Secret'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starring Nancy Coleman, Margaret Lindsay, Phillip Reed, and Regis Toomey. It centers around a woman who falls in love with a soldier. Believing she has been ...

'' (1946) as Mr. Dubois * '' The Return of Monte Cristo'' (1946) as Prof. Duval * '' The Locket'' (1946) as Lord Wyndham * '' Time Out of Mind'' (1947) as Wellington Drake * '' The Homestretch'' (1947) as Don Humberto Balcares * '' Dark Delusion'' (1947) as Dr. Evans Biddle * ''

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'' (1947) as Judge * '' Song of Love'' (1947) as King Albert * ''

'' (1948) as

* '' Julia Misbehaves'' (1948) as Lord Pennystone * '' Enchantment'' (1948) as General Fitzgerald * ''

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 ...

'' (1949) as Sir Charles Loring (final film)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Henry 1871 births 1956 deaths English male film actors English male silent film actors English male stage actors Deaths from pneumonia in California Burials at Kensico Cemetery 20th-century English male actors British expatriate male actors in the United States British expatriates in Grenada