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Harlan Briggs

{{Short description|American actor (1879–1952)}}

{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Harlan Briggs

| image = Harlan Briggs in Made for Each Other (1939) 2.jpg

| caption = Briggs in Made for Each Other (1939)

| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1879|08|17}}

| birth_place = Blissfield, Michigan, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1952|01|26|1879|08|17}}

| death_place = Woodland Hills, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Glen Haven Memorial Park, Los Angeles County

| alma_mater = University of Michigan Law School

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1900–1952

| spouse = {{marriage|Viola Marguerite Scott|1914}}

| children = 4

}}

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.

Early life

Briggs was born on August 17, 1879, 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.{{cite news|title=Cadet Night at Garrick|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/75997233/?terms=%22Harlan%2BBriggs%22%2Bactor|work=The Washington Herald|date=June 13, 1920|location=D.C, Washington|page=17|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = April 13, 2017}} {{Open access}}

Career

His acting career began in Vaudeville at around the beginning of the 20th century.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/harlan-briggs-p8446|publisher=AllMovie|title=Harlan Briggs, Biography|last=Erickson|first=Hal|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} He would make his Broadway debut in 1926, in the drama Up the Line.{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=10160|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|title=Up the Line|accessdate=August 9, 2015}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=10915|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|title=It's a Wise Child|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=11841|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|title=Dodsworth|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} After a six-week hiatus, the show reopened at the Shubert on August 20 and ran for an additional 168 performances.{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=11889|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|title=Dodsworth|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} When Samuel Goldwyn brought 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4065|title=Dodsworth: Detail View|publisher=American Film Institute|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} He 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.{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=1376|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|title=Ramshackle Inn|accessdate=August 13, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=68546|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|title=ZaSu Pitts IBDb profile|accessdate=August 13, 2015}}

The Story of Mary Surratt, in which Briggs appeared in 1947, was Briggs' 400th play.{{cite news|title=Briggs Plays 400th|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10256213/the_brooklyn_daily_eagle/|work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|date=February 9, 1947|location=New York, Brooklyn|page=29|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = April 13, 2017}} {{Open access}}

His most famous role was as Dr. Stall in the 1940 comedy classic, The Bank Dick, starring W.C. Fields.{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4670|title=The Bank Dick: Detail View|publisher=American Film Institute|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} Other notable films in which he appeared include: After the Thin Man (1936); Stella Dallas (1937); Having Wonderful Time (1938);{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=3425|title=Having Wonderful Time: Detail View|publisher=American Film Institute|accessdate=August 13, 2015}} 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.

Personal life

Briggs married actress Viola Scott on July 3, 1914. They had four sons.{{cite news|title=In Hollywood|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10256398/the_lincoln_star/|work=The Lincoln Star|agency=Associated Press|date=December 24, 1936|location=Nebraska, Lincoln|page=5|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = April 13, 2017}} {{Open access}}

Death

On January 26, 1952, Briggs died in Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital from complications resulting from a heart attack.{{cite news|title=Harlan Briggs, Screen And Stage Veteran Dies|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10255989/la_grande_observer/|work=La Grande Observer|agency=United Press|date=January 28, 1952|location=Oregon, La Grande|page=3|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = April 13, 2017}} {{Open access}} He was buried in Glen Haven Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California.{{cite book |last1=Ellenberger |first1=Allan R. |title=Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory |date=2001 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786409839 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8bOJCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Iris+Adrian+Hostetter%22&pg=PA79 |access-date=11 January 2019 |language=en}}

Filmography

(Per AFI database){{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=&retailCheck=&Type=PN&CatID=DATABIN_CAST&ID=65735&AN_ID=&searchedFor=Harlan_Briggs_|publisher=American Film Institute|title=Harlan Briggs, Filmography|accessdate=August 14, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=&retailCheck=&Type=PN&CatID=DATABIN_CAST&ID=65756&AN_ID=&searchedFor=Harlan_Briggs__|publisher=American Film Institute|title=Harlan Briggs filmography|accessdate=August 14, 2015}}

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References

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External links

{{Commons category}}

  • {{IBDB name}}
  • {{IMDb name|0109034}}

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Category:1879 births

Category:1952 deaths

Category:American vaudeville performers

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:Male actors from Michigan

Category:University of Michigan Law School alumni

Category:People from Blissfield, Michigan