Harry Davenport (actor)

Harold George Bryant Harry Davenport was an American film and stage actor who worked in show business from the age of six until his death. After a long and prolific broadway career, he came to Hollywood in the 1930s and appeared in films including Gone with the Wind , where he portrayed Dr. Meade. His specialty was playing grandfathers, judges, doctors, and ministers. Bette Davis called Davenport without a doubt, the greatest character actor of all time.

Davenport was born in Canton, Pennsylvania, where his family lived during the holidays. He also grew up in Philadelphia. Harry came from a long line of stage actors his father was the famed thespian Edward Loomis Davenport and his mother, Fanny Vining, was an English actress descendant of the renowned 18thcentury Irish stage actor, Jack Johnson. His sister was actress Fanny Davenport. He made his stage debut at the age of five in the play Damon and Pythias. Davenport made his Broadway debut in 1894 and appeared there in numerous plays.

Source: Wikipedia