Henry Stephenson
From Wikipedia Henry Stephenson Garraway (16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956), sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British stage and film actor. He portrayed friendly and wise Gentleman in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles was Sir Joseph Banks in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist. Stephenson was educated in Rugby in Warwickshire and 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. In the following decades, he appeared in over 30 Broadway plays. Henry Stephenson made his film debut in 1917 and appeared in a few silent films, but made his mark mostly as an elder man in sound films. Between 1931 and 1932, he appeared in the successful Broadway play Cyanara with over 200 performances. He came to Hollywood for the film version of Cyanara, starring Ronald Colman and with Henry Stephenson in a supporting role. In the same year year, he played the tycoon C.B. Gaerste in Red-Headed Woman and Doctor Alliott in A Bill of Divorcement. The following year, the English-born actor appeared as the intimidating yet warm-hearted Mr. Laurence in Little Women. The tall, white-haired actor specialized in portraying wise, dignified and friendly British gentlemans in supporting roles. He could be "both imposing and benevolent in his patrician portrayals, usually expounding words of wisdom or offering gentlemanly aid." He appeared overall in 90 films from 1917 to 1951, often as a doctor or professor, general, judge or aristocrat. He often played historical figures like Sir Joseph Banks in the oscar-winnig adventure film Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau in Marie Antoinette (1938). 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 playing an entirely different role as 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 literature adaptions, for example as the friendly lawyer Havisham in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and as Mr. Brownlow in David Lean's literature adaption Oliver Twist (1948). He made his last film in 1949, but appeared in two TV-series in 1951 before the end of his career. In 1950, after finishing his role of Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga in the drama play, That Lady, Stephenson retired from the stage. He married actress Ann Shoemaker. They had one daughter. Henry Stephenson died in 1956 at the age of 85 years. He was survived by Ann and his daughter.
Filmography
Challenge to Lassie
as Sir Charles Loring
Challenge to Lassie
as Sir Charles Loring
Enchantment
as General Fitzgerald
Enchantment
as General Fitzgerald
Julia Misbehaves
as Lord Pennystone
Julia Misbehaves
as Lord Pennystone
Oliver Twist
as Mr. Brownlow
Oliver Twist
as Mr. Brownlow
Song of Love
as King Albert
Song of Love
as King Albert
Ivy
as Judge
Ivy
as Judge
Dark Delusion
as Evans Biddle
Dark Delusion
as Evans Biddle
The Homestretch
as Don Humberto Balcares
The Homestretch
as Don Humberto Balcares
Time Out of Mind
as Wellington Drake
Time Out of Mind
as Wellington Drake
The Locket
as Lord Wyndham
The Locket
as Lord Wyndham
The Return of Monte Cristo
as Professor Duval
The Return of Monte Cristo
as Professor Duval
Her Sister's Secret
as Mr. DuBois
Her Sister's Secret
as Mr. DuBois
Of Human Bondage
as Dr. Tyrell
Of Human Bondage
as Dr. Tyrell
Night and Day
as Omar Cole
Night and Day
as Omar Cole
Heartbeat
as Minister
Heartbeat
as Minister
Tarzan and the Amazons
as Sir Guy Henderson, the Archeologist
Tarzan and the Amazons
as Sir Guy Henderson, the Archeologist
Reckless Age
as J. H. Wadsworth
Reckless Age
as J. H. Wadsworth
Secrets of Scotland Yard
as Sir Reginald Meade
Secrets of Scotland Yard
as Sir Reginald Meade
Two Girls and a Sailor
as John Dyckman Brown I
Two Girls and a Sailor
as John Dyckman Brown I
The Hour Before the Dawn
as Gen. Hetherton
The Hour Before the Dawn
as Gen. Hetherton
Mr. Lucky
as Mr. Bryant
Mr. Lucky
as Mr. Bryant
The Mantrap
as Sir Humphrey Quilp
The Mantrap
as Sir Humphrey Quilp
Half Way to Shanghai
as Col. Algernon Blimpton
Half Way to Shanghai
as Col. Algernon Blimpton
This Above All
as General Cathaway
This Above All
as General Cathaway
Rings on Her Fingers
as Colonel Prentiss
Rings on Her Fingers
as Colonel Prentiss
Lady from Louisiana
as General Anatole Mirbeau
Lady from Louisiana
as General Anatole Mirbeau
The Man Who Lost Himself
as Frederick Collins
The Man Who Lost Himself
as Frederick Collins
Down Argentine Way
as Don Diego Quintana
Down Argentine Way
as Don Diego Quintana
Spring Parade
as Emperor Franz Joseph
Spring Parade
as Emperor Franz Joseph
It's a Date
as Capt. Andrew
It's a Date
as Capt. Andrew
Little Old New York
as Robert R. Livingston
Little Old New York
as Robert R. Livingston
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
as Lord Burghley
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
as Lord Burghley
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
as Sir Ronald Ramsgate
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
as Sir Ronald Ramsgate
Tarzan Finds a Son!
as Sir Thomas Lancing
Tarzan Finds a Son!
as Sir Thomas Lancing
Dramatic School
as Pasquel Sr.
Dramatic School
as Pasquel Sr.
Suez
as Count Mathieu de Lesseps
Suez
as Count Mathieu de Lesseps
Marie Antoinette
as Count de Mercey
Marie Antoinette
as Count de Mercey
The Young in Heart
as Felix Anstruther
The Young in Heart
as Felix Anstruther
The Baroness and the Butler
as Count Albert Sandor
The Baroness and the Butler
as Count Albert Sandor
Wise Girl
as Mr. Fletcher
Wise Girl
as Mr. Fletcher
Conquest
as Count Anastas Walewski
Conquest
as Count Anastas Walewski
The Emperor's Candlesticks
as Prince Johann
The Emperor's Candlesticks
as Prince Johann
The Prince and the Pauper
as Duke of Norfolk
The Prince and the Pauper
as Duke of Norfolk
When You're in Love
as Walter Mitchell
When You're in Love
as Walter Mitchell
Beloved Enemy
as Lord Athleigh
Beloved Enemy
as Lord Athleigh
The Charge of the Light Brigade
as Sir Charles Macefield
The Charge of the Light Brigade
as Sir Charles Macefield
Give Me Your Heart
as Edward, Lord Farrington
Give Me Your Heart
as Edward, Lord Farrington
Walking on Air
as Mr. Horace Bennett
Walking on Air
as Mr. Horace Bennett
Hearts Divided
as Charles Patterson
Hearts Divided
as Charles Patterson
Half Angel
as Professor Jerome Hargraves
Half Angel
as Professor Jerome Hargraves
Little Lord Fauntleroy
as Havisham
Little Lord Fauntleroy
as Havisham
Captain Blood
as Lord Willoughby
Captain Blood
as Lord Willoughby
Mutiny on the Bounty
as Joseph Banks
Mutiny on the Bounty
as Joseph Banks
The Perfect Gentleman
as Bishop
The Perfect Gentleman
as Bishop
Rendezvous
as Russian Ambassador Gregory
Rendezvous
as Russian Ambassador Gregory
O'Shaughnessy's Boy
as Maj. Winslow
O'Shaughnessy's Boy
as Maj. Winslow
The Flame Within
as Dr. Jock Frazier
The Flame Within
as Dr. Jock Frazier
Reckless
as Colonel Harrison Sr.
Reckless
as Colonel Harrison Sr.
Vanessa: Her Love Story
as Barney Newmark
Vanessa: Her Love Story
as Barney Newmark
The Night Is Young
as Emperor Franz Josef
The Night Is Young
as Emperor Franz Josef
What Every Woman Knows
as Charles Venables
What Every Woman Knows
as Charles Venables
Outcast Lady
as Sir Maurice
Outcast Lady
as Sir Maurice
The Richest Girl in the World
as John Connors
The Richest Girl in the World
as John Connors
She Loves Me Not
as Dean Mercer
She Loves Me Not
as Dean Mercer
One More River
as Sir Laurence Mont
One More River
as Sir Laurence Mont
Stingaree
as Mr. Hugh Clarkson
Stingaree
as Mr. Hugh Clarkson
Thirty Day Princess
as King Anatol XII
Thirty Day Princess
as King Anatol XII
All Men Are Enemies
All Men Are Enemies
Man of Two Worlds
as Sir Basil Pemberton
Man of Two Worlds
as Sir Basil Pemberton
If I Were Free
as Hector Stribling
If I Were Free
as Hector Stribling
Little Women
as Mr. Laurence
Little Women
as Mr. Laurence
My Lips Betray
as De Conti
My Lips Betray
as De Conti
Blind Adventure
as Major Thorne
Blind Adventure
as Major Thorne
Double Harness
as Colonel Sam Colby
Double Harness
as Colonel Sam Colby
Tomorrow at Seven
as Thornton Drake
Tomorrow at Seven
as Thornton Drake
The Animal Kingdom
as Rufus
The Animal Kingdom
as Rufus
Cynara
as John Tring
Cynara
as John Tring
A Bill of Divorcement
as Doctor Alliot
A Bill of Divorcement
as Doctor Alliot
Guilty as Hell
as Dr. Ernest S. Tindal
Guilty as Hell
as Dr. Ernest S. Tindal
Red-Headed Woman
as Charles B. 'Charlie' / 'C.B.' Gaerste
Red-Headed Woman
as Charles B. 'Charlie' / 'C.B.' Gaerste
Wild, Wild Susan
as Peter Van Dusen
Wild, Wild Susan
as Peter Van Dusen
Men and Women
as Arnold Kirke
Men and Women
as Arnold Kirke
The Tower of Jewels
as David Parrish
The Tower of Jewels
as David Parrish
A Society Exile
as Sir Howard Furnival
A Society Exile
as Sir Howard Furnival
The Spreading Dawn
as Mr. LeRoy
The Spreading Dawn
as Mr. LeRoy