Harry Baur (1880 - 1943)

Actor. Although he made his film debut in France as early as 1910 (as Shylock in a one-reel version of “The Merchant of Venice”), he did not become a star until the 1930’s, playing Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” (1934), the title characters in “Rothschild” (1933), “Taras Bulba” (1936),  “The Great Love of Beethoven” (1936), […]

Harry Beaumont (1888 - 1966)

Harry Beaumont (February 10, 1888 – December 22, 1966) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including Fox, Goldwyn, Metro, Warner Brothers, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Beaumont’s greatest successes were during the silent film era, when he directed films including John Barrymore’s Beau Brummel (1924) and the silent […]

Harry Bellaver (1905 - 1993)

Noted character actor. He appeared in over 25 films including, “Love Me or Leave Me”, “From Here to Eternity” and “The Lemon Drop Kid”. He also made his mark on television, appearing for five years as Det. Frank Arcaro, on “Naked City”. He also appeared on “Route 66”, “The FBI”, and “Gentle Ben”. Harry Bellaver […]

Harry Benjamin (1885 - 1986)

In 1948, in San Francisco, Harry Benjamin was asked by Alfred Kinsey, a fellow sexologist, to see a child who “wanted to become a girl” despite being born male; the mother wished for help that would assist rather than thwart the child. Kinsey had encountered the child as a result of his interviews for Sexual […]

Harry Beresford (1863 - 1944)

Actor. British-born film figure of the 1920s and 1930s. He was also a stage actor, a screenwriter, and a novelist. (bio by: A.J. Marik)

Harry Bernard (1878 - 1940)

Actor.  A stocky,  comic character player,  he is probably best known as one of  Laurel and  Hardy’s most reliable foils.  He appeared in 26 of their films,  from “Two Tars” (1928) to “Saps at Sea” (1940),  often as a bemused cop.  Fans of “Our Gang” will also remember him as the burglar who tells Spanky […]

Harry Bertoia (1915 - 1978)

Metal sculptor, designer and painter. Bertoia was well-known for his unique work involving metal. He sculpted furniture out of metal and was best known for his Bertoia chair. The chair was a padded wire web resting upon a steel cradle. The chair became a classic of modern design. Bertoia also made many other acclaimed architectural […]

Harry Blackmun (1908 - 1999)

Harry Blackmun was born in Nashville, Illinois, and grew up in Dayton’s Bluff, a working-class neighborhood in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He attended the same grade school as future Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, with whom he eventually served on the Supreme Court for some sixteen years. He attended Harvard College on scholarship, earning an A.B. […]

Harry Blackstone Sr (1885 - 1965)

Harry Blackstone Sr Blackstone was in the mode of courtly, elegant predecessor magicians like Howard Thurston and Harry Kellar, and the last of that breed in America. He customarily wore white tie and tails when performing, and he traveled with large illusions and a sizable cast of uniformed male and female assistants. For a number […]

Harry Burnett “H.B.” Reese, Sr (1879 - 1956)

Businessman. He was the founder of the “H.B. Reese Candy Company”, whose most famous product eventually became the “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup”. Entering candy manufacturing business in Hershey, Pennsylvania around 1917, by the mid-1920s he started to make an item called “peanut butter cups”. Due to sugar shortages during World War II he dropped other […]

Harry Byrd (1887 - 1966)

Harry Byrd (June 10, 1887 – October 20, 1966) of Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia, was an American newspaper publisher, and political leader of the Democratic Party in Virginia. He was the leader of the “conservative coalition” in the United States Senate, which largely blocked most liberal legislation after 1937. He was a descendant of one […]

Harry Carey (1878 - 1947)

When a boating accident led to pneumonia, Harry Carey wrote a play, Montana, while recuperating and toured the country performing in it for three years. His play was very successful, but Carey lost it all when his next play was a failure. In 1911, his friend Henry B. Walthall introduced him to director D.W. Griffith, […]

Harry Carey Jr. (1921 - 2012)

Harry Carey, Jr. was born in the Saugus neighborhood of Santa Clarita, California, the son of actor Harry Carey (1878–1947) and actress Olive Carey (1896–1988). His maternal grandfather was vaudeville entertainer George Fuller Golden. As a boy, he was nicknamed “Dobe”, short for adobe, because of the color of his hair. He served with the […]

Harry Carey, Jr (1921 - 2012)

Actor. Carey, the son of silent actor Harry Carey and actress Olive Carey, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before appearing in more than 100 movies and on numerous television shows from the 1940s through the ’80s.  He was a member of John Ford’s stock company of actors and appeared in 11 […]

Harry Carney (1910 - 1974)

Harry Carney was the longest serving player in Duke Ellington’s orchestra. On occasions when Ellington was absent or wished to make a stage entrance after the band had begun playing the first piece of a performance, Carney would serve as the band’s conductor. Ellington and Carney were close friends. The majority of their careers they […]

Harry Chandler (1864 - 1944)

Entrepreneur. In the early 1880s, he moved to California, where he worked outside as a fruit picker in the San Fernando Valley. From the fruit fields, he started a small delivery company that soon became responsible for delivering many of the city’s morning newspapers. He eventually bought a newspaper circulation route which got him hired […]

Harry Cheshire (1891 - 1968)

Actor in 110 films from 1940 to 1964 including: “Dick Tracy vs. Cueball” (1946), “Mother Wore Tights” (1947), “Nightmare Alley” (1947), “The Babe Ruth Story” (1948), “Ma and Pa Kettle” (1949), “Miss Grant Takes Richmond” (1949), “Phffft!” (1954), “The Seven Little Foys” (1955), “My Man Godfrey” (1957), “The Big Country” (1958). (bio by: TLS)  Family […]

Harry Chester Bedwell (1888 - 1955)

Harry Bedwell was the author of over 70 short stories and one novel. He is considered one of the greats of the “railroad fiction” genre. His stories were regularly published in the popular magazines of his era, such as the Saturday Evening Post. His life was the subject of a biography by Frank P. Donovan, […]

Harry Clifton Byrd (1889 - 1970)

Curley Byrd graduated at the age of nineteen, from the Maryland Agricultural College, as the University of Maryland was then known, with a degree in civil engineering. He returned to his alma mater late in 1912 as an instructor in English, an assistant in physical culture, and football coach. Byrd rapidly climbed the administrative ranks […]

Harry Conway “Bud” Fisher (1885 - 1954)

Cartoonist. He was the creator of the cartoon “Mutt and Jeff”, which would become the first to achieve success as a daily newspaper comic strip. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was educated in the city public schools prior to attending the University of Chicago. In 1905 he left Chicago for California, where he joined the” […]

Harry Cording (1891 - 1954)

Harry Cording was born Hector William Cording on April 26, 1891 in Wellington, Somerset. He was brought up and was educated in his native England, and later settled permanently in Los Angeles, California, US and began a film career. His first role was as a henchmen in The Knockout (1925), followed by similar roles over […]

Harry Crews (1935 - 2012)

He was born in Bacon County, Georgia in 1935 and served in the Marines during the Korean War. He attended the University of Florida on the GI Bill, but dropped out to travel. Eventually returning to the university, Harry finally graduated and moved his wife, Sally, and son, Patrick Scott, to Jacksonville where he taught […]

Harry Davenport (1866 - 1949)

Actor. He began his film career in “Fogg’s Millions” in 1914 and worked steadily until his death, appearing in over one hundred films. Among his notable films were “Little Women,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and “The Ox-Bow Incident.” In later years, he often played judges, doctors and ministers. (bio by: MC)  Family links:  Parents: […]

Harry David “Moose” Miller (1970 - 1970)

Professional Basketball Player. He had only one season in the Pros but was a part of Basketball history. On November 1, 1946, he played for the Toronto Huskies in the first ever National Basketball Association (NBA) game, at Maple Leaf Gardens against the New York Knicks. In that one season as a center with the […]

Harry Dornton (1970 - 1931)

Actor. He appeared in the original stage production of “The Joy of Living” (1902). (bio by: Ginny M)

Harry Dunn (1929 - 1998)

Artist. He is best known for being the creator of the famous NBC television network peacock logo. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia College of Art. He worked as an artist-draftsman while in the army and after discharge designed many commercials for the […]

Harry E. Aitken (1877 - 1956)

Motion Picture Executive.  A movie industry pioneer, he was one of the first to produce movies independent of Thomas Edison and the Motion Picture Patents Company. Along with his brother Roy, he founded a number of early motion picture production and distribution companies, most notable being the Mutual Film Corporation, the Epoch Producing Corporation, and […]

Harry E. Antrim (1884 - 1967)

Actor. Born in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career in 1906 working in burlesque comedy, song and dance. In the 1930’s he moved to Los Angeles and secured uncredited parts in several films, beginning with the 1936 Small Town Girl. His film and television career would span from 1936 to 1967, he would successfully perform […]

Harry Earles (1902 - 1985)

Harry/Kurt (stage name/real name) came over to the U.S. from Germany around 1915 with his sister, Grace/Freida. Once they arrived, they worked for a man named Earles, at which time they adopted his last name. in the early 1920’s, their sister Daisy/Hilda joined them and in the mid- to late- 1920’s, their sister Tiny/Elly arrived. […]

Harry F. Guggenheim (1890 - 1971)

Businessman, Newspaper magnate. In 1941, Guggenheim co-founded the “Newsday” newspaper with his wife Alicia Patterson Guggenheim in Long Island, New York. The newspaper grew into the largest suburban daily newspaper in the nation. In 1963 his wife Alicia died after a lengthy illness, at this time, Guggenheim took full custody of the newspaper. In 1970 […]