Harlan Briggs

Biography

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.

Known For

Mr. Holden

Blondie Takes a Vacation

'Colonel' Harris

Reckless Living

Pawnbroker #2 (uncredited)

Conflict

Oscar Bernard

A Double Life

Mr. Shaw

Having Wonderful Time

Denton Offut

Abe Lincoln in Illinois

San Francisco Coroner

Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise

Deputy Sheriff Cal Hoskins

Maisie

Printer (uncredited)

A Yank at Oxford

David Sullivan (uncredited)

Kissing Time

Oscar Stubbins

A Family Affair

Darnstein

Danger Street

Homer Ramsey

A Man to Remember

U.S. Consul E.R. Brown

Happy Go Lucky

Mr. Harrison

Riding on Air

Springer

Exclusive

Mr. Pike

Boy Trouble

Toy Shop Proprietor (uncredited)

Humoresque

Judge

Among the Living

J.M. Dingle, Napoleon Hardware

Cynthia

Ship's Captain

Meet the Girls

Frank Kendall - Editor

The Missing Guest

Thorndyke Barnsdale

Quick Money

Salty

Spoilers of the North

Justice of The Peace

Live, Love and Learn

Magazine Office Manager

Easy Living

Mr. Beamer (uncredited)

Stella Dallas

Mayor

One Wild Night

Davie Bryant

Tell No Tales

Mr. Howard

Personality Kid

Mr. Virgil Miller

Beg, Borrow or Steal

Doctor Stall

The Bank Dick

Charlie Graham

The Mysterious Miss X

Joe Brant

Carrie

Ben Jones (uncredited)

Seasoned Greetings

Judge (uncredited)

Made for Each Other

Mr. Rucker (uncredited)

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

James Galt

Calling Dr. Kildare

Stanton (uncredited)

Fifth Avenue Girl

Editor

Frontier Marshal

Defense Attorney Parker (uncredited)

The Man They Could Not Hang

Mr. Edwards (uncredited)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Lem Dodd, Man in Jim's Office (uncredited)

Bad Little Angel

Foreman in Jury

The Man Who Wouldn't Talk

'Pop' Hussey

Flight at Midnight

Thomas A. Bailey - Acme Paving (uncredited)

Brother Orchid

Bisbee

Edison, the Man

Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

My Little Chickadee

Customer at Gas Station (uncredited)

Sing, You Sinners

Mayor Carver (uncredited)

I Love You Again

Mayor (uncredited)

Lucky Partners

Watchman

The Sea Hornet

Justice of the Peace

Cafe Society

Dr. Bentley

My Pal Trigger

Dr. Kinsley

Young as You Feel

Mr. Garnish

Opening Day

Tubby Pearson

Dodsworth

Sheriff Clem Watkins

The Remarkable Andrew

Luke Simpson

There's One Born Every Minute

Mr. Rogard

The Vanishing Virginian

Sheriff

Behind the Mike

Sad Man in Nightclub (uncredited)

Marked Woman

Quinn

Magnificent Doll

Mr. Kinney

Mad Holiday

Mr. Brown

Mysterious Intruder

Sheriff

Trouble at Midnight

Mac MacFarland (uncredited)

One Foot in Heaven

Dr. Balance (uncredited)

Canyon Passage

Thomas McTavish (uncredited)

You and Me