Henry Travers

Person

Henry Travers

Acting March 4, 1874

Prudhoe, Northumberland, England, UK

British-born Henry Travers was a veteran of the English stage before emigrating to the U.S. in 1917. He gained more stage experience there on Broadway working with the Theatre G…

IMDb

Known for

Popular titles

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life

8.3 1946 Movie
Shadow of a Doubt

Shadow of a Doubt

7.5 1943 Movie
The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man

7.5 1933 Movie
High Sierra

High Sierra

7.1 1941 Movie
Mrs. Miniver

Mrs. Miniver

7.1 1942 Movie
Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire

7.4 1941 Movie
Dark Victory

Dark Victory

6.9 1939 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's

The Bells of St. Mary's

6.9 1945 Movie
Dodge City

Dodge City

6.9 1939 Movie
Random Harvest

Random Harvest

7.3 1942 Movie
The Yearling

The Yearling

6.7 1946 Movie
Madame Curie

Madame Curie

7.2 1943 Movie

Photos

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Biography

A closer look

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British-born Henry Travers was a veteran of the English stage before emigrating to the U.S. in 1917. He gained more stage experience there on Broadway working with the Theatre Guild, and began his long film career with Reunion in Vienna (1933). Travers' kindly, grandfatherly demeanor became familiar to filmgoers over the next 25 years, especially in films like High Sierra (1941), where he played Joan Leslie's kindly but slyly observant uncle, and the generous Mr. Bogardus in The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), but it's as the somewhat befuddled angel Clarence Oddbody assigned to James Stewart in the classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946) that Travers will forever be known. After a long and successful career, he retired from the screen in 1949, and died in Hollywood in 1965.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 1987
    James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

    Movie Self (archive footage)

  2. 1949
    The Girl from Jones Beach

    Movie Judge Bullfinch

  3. 1949
    The Accused

    Movie Blakely - Romley's Assistant (uncredited)

  4. 1948
    Beyond Glory

    Movie Pop Dewing

  5. 1947
    The Flame

    Movie Dr. Mitchell

  6. 1946
    It's a Wonderful Life

    Movie Clarence

  7. 1946
    The Yearling

    Movie Mr. Boyles

  8. 1946
    Gallant Journey

    Movie Thomas Logan

  9. 1945
    The Bells of St. Mary's

    Movie Horace P. Bogardus

  10. 1945
    The Naughty Nineties

    Movie Capt. Sam Jackson

  11. 1945
    Thrill of a Romance

    Movie Hobart Glenn

  12. 1944
    The Very Thought of You

    Movie Pop Wheeler

  13. 1944
    Dragon Seed

    Movie Third Cousin

  14. 1944
    None Shall Escape

    Movie Father Warecki

  15. 1943
    Madame Curie

    Movie Eugene Curie

  16. 1943
    The Moon Is Down

    Movie Mayor Orden

More credits
  1. 1943
    Shadow of a Doubt

    Movie Joseph Newton

  2. 1942
    Random Harvest

    Movie Dr. Sims

  3. 1942
    Pierre of the Plains

    Movie Percival Wellsby

  4. 1942
    Mrs. Miniver

    Movie Mr. Ballard

  5. 1941
    Ball of Fire

    Movie Prof. Jerome

  6. 1941
    I'll Wait for You

    Movie Mr. Miller

  7. 1941
    The Bad Man

    Movie Mr. Hardy

  8. 1941
    A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob

    Movie Abel Martin

  9. 1941
    High Sierra

    Movie Pa

  10. 1940
    Wyoming

    Movie Sheriff

  11. 1940
    Anne of Windy Poplars

    Movie Matey

  12. 1940
    Edison, the Man

    Movie Ben Els

  13. 1940
    Primrose Path

    Movie Gramp

  14. 1939
    Remember?

    Movie Judge Milliken

  15. 1939
    The Rains Came

    Movie Rev. Homer Smiley

  16. 1939
    Stanley and Livingstone

    Movie John Kingsley

  17. 1939
    On Borrowed Time

    Movie Dr. Evans

  18. 1939
    Dark Victory

    Movie Dr. Parsons

  19. 1939
    Dodge City

    Movie Dr. Irving

  20. 1939
    You Can't Get Away with Murder

    Movie Pop

  21. 1938
    The Sisters

    Movie Ned Elliott

  22. 1936
    Too Many Parents

    Movie Wilkins

  23. 1935
    Seven Keys to Baldpate

    Movie Lem Peters

  24. 1935
    Pursuit

    Movie Tom Reynolds