# Harry Beresford

Harry J. Beresford (4 November 1863 – 4 October 1944) was an English-born actor on the American stage and in motion pictures. He used the professional name Harry J. Morgan early in his career.

## Career

Harry Beresford began his acting career in 1885, as a member of the chorus of Little Jack Sheppard at the Gaiety Theatre, London. After moving to the United States in 1886, he performed throughout the country in repertory theatre and with various touring companies—including his own—for the next 30 years. His first major Broadway theatre success was in 1919, in Boys Will Be Boys, which was soon followed by a starring role in Shavings (1920). In August 1922, he created the role of the alcoholic Clem Hawley in Don Marquis's comedy The Old Soak, a character Beresford made famous and played for two years. He won praise for his character performances in the Broadway productions of Stolen Fruit (1925) and The Perfect Alibi (1928).
Between 1926 and 1938, Beresford appeared as a supporting actor in more than 50 Hollywood films, including Doctor X (1932), The Sign of the Cross (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), I Cover the Waterfront (1933), David Copperfield (1935) and Follow the Fleet (1936). He made his final film appearance in 1938, and received original story credit for the 1939 horse racing film, Long Shot.

## Personal life

Beresford was born in London 4 November 1863, to Henry George and Sarah Christie. His professional name was Harry J. Morgan at the time of his first marriage, to actress Emma Dunn, on 4 October 1897, in Chicago. They divorced on 10 February 1909, in New York City, and Dunn was awarded sole custody of their young daughter, Dorothy. Beresford married actress Edith D. Wylie, who had appeared opposite him in the play, The Other House. They were married for the remainder of his life.
Dunn, who likewise worked in Hollywood pictures in her later years, recalled testing for the role of a bullied wife in a 1935 film. When the casting director said she was too small for the part, she asked to be seen beside the actor who would play her husband—and discovered it was Harry Beresford. In 1936, columnist Jimmie Fidler reported that Beresford, then aged 72, had collapsed while working on an RKO Pictures soundstage. Unconscious for two hours, he was cared for by Dunn, who happened to be working on a set nearby.
Beresford died 4 October 1944, at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, of a heart ailment. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

## Theatre credits

| Date | Title | Role | Notes |
| December 1885 – | Little Jack Sheppard | Chorus member | Gaiety Theatre, London; debut |
| November 1893 – | Walker, London | Andrew McPhail | National tour including several weeks at the Grand Opera House, Chicago |
| 30 November – 6 December 1902 | The Wrong Mr. Wright | Mr. Sites | National tour beginning at Morosco's Burbank Theatre, Los Angeles |
| 13 October – November 1919 | Boys Will Be Boys | Peep O'Day | Belmont Theatre, New York City |
| 16 February – June 1920 | Shavings | J. Edward Winslow | Knickerbocker Theatre, New York City |
| 22 August 1922 – August 1923 | The Old Soak | Clem Hawley | Plymouth Theatre, New York City |
| June 1924 | She Stoops to Conquer | Aminadab | Empire Theatre, New York City |
| 1924 | Out-a-Luck | | Touring production |
| February 3 – February 1925 | The Undercurrent | Jason Mills | Cort Theatre, New York City |
| 7 October – December 1925 | Stolen Fruit | Ballou | Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre, New York City |
| 27 November 1928 – July 1929 | The Perfect Alibi | P. C. Ballet | Charles Hopkins Theatre, New York City |
| 3 December 1929 – July 1930 | Michael and Mary | P. C. Tuff | Charles Hopkins Theatre, New York City |

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1926 | The Quarterback | Elmer Stone | Film debut |
| 1931 | Charlie Chan Carries On | Kent | |
| 1931 | Finn and Hattie | Street cleaner | |
| 1931 | Heaven on Earth | Captain Lilly | |
| 1931 | Scandal Sheet | Arnold | |
| 1931 | The Secret Call | Frank Kelly | |
| 1931 | Sob Sister | Pa Stevens | |
| 1931 | Sooky | Mr. Willoughby | |
| 1931 | Up Pops the Devil | Mr. Platt | |
| 1932 | Dance Team | Herbert Wilson | |
| 1932 | Doctor X | Dr. Duke | |
| 1932 | Forgotten Commandments | Priest | |
| 1932 | High Pressure | Dr. Rudolph | |
| 1932 | The Match King | Christian Hobe | |
| 1932 | Scandal for Sale | Brownie | |
| 1932 | The Sign of the Cross | Flavius | |
| 1932 | So Big | Adam Ooms | |
| 1932 | The Strange Love of Molly Louvain | Taxi driver | |
| 1932 | Two Seconds | | |
| 1933 | Bondage | | |
| 1933 | Bureau of Missing Persons | The Man | |
| 1933 | College Coach | Professor | |
| 1933 | Dinner at Eight | Fosdick | |
| 1933 | Ever in My Heart | Eli | |
| 1933 | I Cover the Waterfront | Old Chris | |
| 1933 | Little Women | Doctor Bangs | |
| 1933 | The Mind Reader | Blaney | |
| 1933 | Murders in the Zoo | Professor Evans | |
| 1933 | Night Flight | Roblet | |
| 1934 | Cleopatra | Soothsayer | |
| 1934 | Fashions of 1934 | Bookseller | |
| 1934 | The Friends of Mr. Sweeney | Claude | |
| 1934 | The Little Minister | John Spens | |
| 1934 | The Merry Frinks | Mr. Brumby | |
| 1935 | Anna Karenina | Matve | |
| 1935 | David Copperfield | Dr. Chillip | |
| 1935 | A Dog of Flanders | Sacristan | |
| 1935 | I Found Stella Parish | James | |
| 1935 | I'll Love You Always | Henry Irving Clegg | |
| 1935 | Page Miss Glory | Kimball | |
| 1935 | Seven Keys to Baldpate | Lige Quimby | |
| 1936 | Follow the Fleet | Captain Hickey | |
| 1936 | Grand Jury | Tom Evans | |
| 1936 | In His Steps | Davidson | |
| 1936 | Klondike Annie | Brother Bowser | |
| 1936 | Postal Inspector | Ritter | |
| 1937 | The Go Getter | M. M. Baker | |
| 1937 | The Prince and the Pauper | The Watch | |
| 1937 | She Asked for It | Mr. Switch | |
| 1937 | She's No Lady | Uncle John | |
| 1937 | They Won't Forget | Confederate Soldier | |
| 1938 | Newsboys' Home | O'Dowd | Final film |
| 1939 | Long Shot | — | Original story |