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Harlan Briggs
Actor
Born August 16, 1879Died January 26, 1952 (72 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harlan Briggs (August 17, 1879 – January 26, 1952) was an American actor and vaudeville performer who was active from the 1930s until his death in 1952. During the course of his career he appeared on Broadway, in over 100 films, as well as appearing on television once towards the end of his career.
Briggs was born in Blissfield, Michigan. Although he was a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, he chose to go into acting rather than pursue a career in law.
His acting career began in vaudeville at around the beginning of the 20th century. He would make his Broadway debut in 1926, in the drama Up the Line. He worked steadily on Broadway through 1935. On August 6, 1929 he began a successful run in the featured role of G. A. Appleby in It's a Wise Child at the Belasco Theatre. In 1934 he had another featured role in the successful play Dodsworth, as Tubby Pearson. The show opened at the Shubert Theatre on February 24, 1934 and ran for 147 performances, starring Walter Huston as Samuel Dodsworth. After a six-week hiatus, the show reopened at the Shubert on August 20 and ran for an additional 168 performances. When Samuel Goldwyn bought the rights to the play, Briggs was one of two of the original Broadway cast to reprise their roles in the film, the other being Huston in the title role.
Briggs would focus on his film career for the remainder of the 1930s, before returning to Broadway in the 1940s, combining both stage and screen performances during that decade. The most successful of his Broadway appearances in the 1940s was as Constable Small in Ramshackle Inn, which featured ZaSu Pitts in her Broadway debut. The Story of Mary Surratt, in which Briggs appeared in 1947, was Briggs' 400th play.
Beginning with Dodsworth, Briggs worked consistently in films over the next 16 years, until his death in 1952, appearing in over 100 films. His most famous role was as Dr. Stall in the 1940 comedy classic The Bank Dick, starring W.C. Fields. Other notable films in which he appeared include After the Thin Man (1936), Stella Dallas (1937), Having Wonderful Time (1938), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), My Little Chickadee (1940), Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), State Fair (1945), Night and Day (1946), Little Women (1949), Goodbye, My Fancy (1951), and Carrie (1952). The last film on which Briggs worked was The Sea Hornet, which was in production in April and May 1951, and released later that year.
On January 26, 1952, Briggs died in Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital from complications resulting from a heart attack. His death occurred almost half a year prior to the release of Carrie.
Briggs married actress Viola Scott on July 3, 1914. They had four sons.
Harlan Briggs (August 17, 1879 – January 26, 1952) was an American actor and vaudeville performer who was active from the 1930s until his death in 1952. During the course of his career he appeared on Broadway, in over 100 films, as well as appearing on television once towards the end of his career.
Briggs was born in Blissfield, Michigan. Although he was a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, he chose to go into acting rather than pursue a career in law.
His acting career began in vaudeville at around the beginning of the 20th century. He would make his Broadway debut in 1926, in the drama Up the Line. He worked steadily on Broadway through 1935. On August 6, 1929 he began a successful run in the featured role of G. A. Appleby in It's a Wise Child at the Belasco Theatre. In 1934 he had another featured role in the successful play Dodsworth, as Tubby Pearson. The show opened at the Shubert Theatre on February 24, 1934 and ran for 147 performances, starring Walter Huston as Samuel Dodsworth. After a six-week hiatus, the show reopened at the Shubert on August 20 and ran for an additional 168 performances. When Samuel Goldwyn bought the rights to the play, Briggs was one of two of the original Broadway cast to reprise their roles in the film, the other being Huston in the title role.
Briggs would focus on his film career for the remainder of the 1930s, before returning to Broadway in the 1940s, combining both stage and screen performances during that decade. The most successful of his Broadway appearances in the 1940s was as Constable Small in Ramshackle Inn, which featured ZaSu Pitts in her Broadway debut. The Story of Mary Surratt, in which Briggs appeared in 1947, was Briggs' 400th play.
Beginning with Dodsworth, Briggs worked consistently in films over the next 16 years, until his death in 1952, appearing in over 100 films. His most famous role was as Dr. Stall in the 1940 comedy classic The Bank Dick, starring W.C. Fields. Other notable films in which he appeared include After the Thin Man (1936), Stella Dallas (1937), Having Wonderful Time (1938), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), My Little Chickadee (1940), Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), State Fair (1945), Night and Day (1946), Little Women (1949), Goodbye, My Fancy (1951), and Carrie (1952). The last film on which Briggs worked was The Sea Hornet, which was in production in April and May 1951, and released later that year.
On January 26, 1952, Briggs died in Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital from complications resulting from a heart attack. His death occurred almost half a year prior to the release of Carrie.
Briggs married actress Viola Scott on July 3, 1914. They had four sons.
Filmography
| 1952 | Carrie · as Joe Brant |
| 1951 | The Sea Hornet · as Watchman |
| 1950 | Return of the Frontiersman · as Zack |
| 1949 | The Lone Ranger (TV Series) · as Ezra Dudley |
| 1949 | Little Women · as Old Crony At Grace's Store |
| 1949 | Rusty Saves a Life · as Dr. Mcnamara |
| 1948 | Fury at Furnace Creek · as Prosecutor |
| 1948 | B.F.'s Daughter · as Sam Hartle - The Caretaker |
| 1947 | A Double Life · as Oscar Bernard |
| 1947 | Cynthia · as J.m. Dingle, Napoleon Hardware |
| 1947 | The Son of Rusty · as Dr. Mcnamara |
| 1947 | The Perils of Pauline · as Jake |
| 1947 | Danger Street · as Darnstein |
| 1947 | Spoilers of the North · as Salty |
| 1947 | Vigilantes of Boomtown · as Seth--Judge |
| 1947 | Ladies' Man · as Mr. Ryan |
| 1946 | Humoresque · as Toy Shop Proprietor (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Magnificent Doll · as Quinn |
| 1946 | Wake Up and Dream · as Praddle |
| 1946 | Do You Love Me · as Mr. Higbee |
| 1946 | Night and Day · as Stage Doorman |
| 1946 | Rendezvous with Annie · as Doorman |
| 1946 | Canyon Passage · as Dr. Balance (uncredited) |
| 1946 | My Pal Trigger · as Dr. Bentley |
| 1946 | A Stolen Life · as Fisherman |
| 1946 | Mysterious Intruder · as Mr. Brown |
| 1946 | To Each His Own · as Dr. Mclaughlin |
| 1945 | State Fair · as Food Judge |
| 1945 | Conflict · as Pawnbroker #2 (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Lady Bodyguard · as Gaston |
| 1942 | Tennessee Johnson · as Senator |
| 1942 | There's One Born Every Minute · as Luke Simpson |
| 1942 | The Remarkable Andrew · as Sheriff Clem Watkins |
| 1942 | The Vanishing Virginian · as Mr. Rogard |
| 1941 | Among the Living · as Judge |
| 1941 | Paris Calling · as Papa Picon |
| 1941 | Look Who's Laughing · as Mayor Duncan's Aide |
| 1941 | One Foot in Heaven · as Mac Macfarland (uncredited) |
| 1940 | The Bank Dick · as Doctor Stall |
| 1940 | Youth Will Be Served · as Postmaster |
| 1940 | Slightly Tempted · as Chief Of Police Wilson |
| 1940 | Strike Up the Band · as Doctor |
| 1940 | I Love You Again · as Mayor Carver (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Lucky Partners · as Mayor (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Brother Orchid · as Thomas A. Bailey - Acme Paving (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise · as San Francisco Coroner |
| 1940 | Edison, the Man · as Bisbee |
| 1940 | Abe Lincoln in Illinois · as Denton Offut |
| 1940 | My Little Chickadee · as Hotel Clerk (uncredited) |
| 1940 | The Man Who Wouldn't Talk · as Foreman In Jury |
| 1939 | Bad Little Angel · as Lem Dodd, Man In Jim's Office (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington · as Mr. Edwards (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Fifth Avenue Girl · as Stanton (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Flight at Midnight · as 'pop' Hussey |
| 1939 | The Man They Could Not Hang · as Defense Attorney Parker (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Frontier Marshal · as Editor |
| 1939 | Blondie Takes a Vacation · as Mr. Holden |
| 1939 | Maisie · as Deputy Sheriff Cal Hoskins |
| 1939 | Tell No Tales · as Davie Bryant |
| 1939 | Calling Dr. Kildare · as James Galt |
| 1939 | Almost a Gentleman · as Doc Rollins |
| 1939 | Cafe Society · as Justice Of The Peace |
| 1939 | Made for Each Other · as Judge (uncredited) |
| 1939 | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn · as Mr. Rucker (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Boy Trouble · as Mr. Pike |
| 1939 | The Mysterious Miss X · as Charlie Graham |
| 1938 | A Man to Remember · as Homer Ramsey |
| 1938 | Sing, You Sinners · as Customer At Gas Station (uncredited) |
| 1938 | The Missing Guest · as Frank Kendall - Editor |
| 1938 | Having Wonderful Time · as Mr. Shaw |
| 1938 | You and Me · as Thomas Mctavish |
| 1938 | One Wild Night · as Mayor |
| 1938 | A Yank at Oxford · as Printer (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Quick Money · as Thorndyke Barnsdale |
| 1937 | Beg, Borrow or Steal · as Mr. Virgil Miller |
| 1937 | Live, Love and Learn · as Justice Of The Peace |
| 1937 | Stella Dallas · as Mr. Beamer (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Exclusive · as Springer |
| 1937 | Easy Living · as Magazine Office Manager |
| 1937 | Married Before Breakfast · as Mr. Silas Moriarity |
| 1937 | Riding on Air · as Mr. Harrison |
| 1937 | Marked Woman · as Sad Man In Nightclub (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Maytime · as Bearded Director |
| 1937 | A Family Affair · as Oscar Stubbins |
| 1936 | After the Thin Man · as Burton Forrest |
| 1936 | Happy-Go-Lucky · as U.s. Consul E.r. Brown |
| 1936 | The Garden of Allah · as American Tourist In Hotel |
| 1936 | Mad Holiday · as Mr. Kinney |
| 1936 | |
| 1935 | I Found Stella Parish · as Theater Manager |
| 1935 | We're in the Money · as Justice Of The Peace |
| 1933 | Kissing Time · as David Sullivan (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Seasoned Greetings · as Ben Jones (uncredited) |