* 19.1.1866, New York, NY - † 9.8. 1949, Los Angeles, Ca. (heart attack)

Descended from a long line of actors, he began his stage career at five.
Around 1912-15 he directed, and appeared in, some insignificant silent films, but his
main screen career came after the advent of sound, when he played scores of
character roles in Hollywood films, usually as distinguished and kindly elderly
gentlemen. His first wife was actress Alice Davenport; his second, actress Phyllis Rankin.
He was the father of actresses Ann, Kate, and Dorothy Davenport, and actor Arthur Rankin.

Filmografie
1929   Her Unborn Child.... Dr. Remington       
1931   His Woman .... Customs Inspector         
1931   My Sin  .... Roger Metcalf  
1935   The Scoundrel.... Slezack
1936   The Case of the Black Cat.... Peter Laxter    
1936   Three Men on a Horse .... Williams       
1937   First Lady  .... Charles    
1937   Fly Away Baby  .... Colonel Higgam       
1937   The Great Garrick  (uncredited) .... Innkeeper of Turk's Head         
1937   The Life of Emile Zola.... Chief of Staff
1937   Maytime  (uncredited) .... Opera Director
1937   The Perfect Specimen.... Carl Carter    
1937   They Won't Forget.... Confederate Veteran    
1937   Wells Fargo .... Mr. Ingalls (banker)     
1938   The Cowboy and the Lady  .... Uncle Hannibal Smith 
1938   Gold Is Where You Find It.... Dr. 'Doc' Parsons        
1938   Marie Antoinette  (uncredited) .... Monsieur de Cosse        
1938   The Rage of Paris  .... Pops, Caretaker 
1938   The Sisters  .... Doc Moore       
1938   You Can't Take It with You  .... Judge  

1939   Gone with the Wind  .... Dr. Meade 
  

1939   The Hunchback of Notre Dame .... King Louis XI
1939   Juarez  .... Dr. Samuel Basch      
1939   Made for Each Other  (uncredited) .... Dr. Healy      
1939   The Story of Alexander Graham Bell .... Judge Rider        
1940   All This, and Heaven Too.... Pierre     
1940   Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet .... Judge   
1940   Foreign Correspondent  .... Mr. Powers        
1940   I Want a Divorce .... Grandpa Brokaw   
1940   Lucky Partners  .... Judge        
1940   Too Many Husbands  .... George
1941   The Bride Came C.O.D. .... Pop Tolliver  
1941   I Wanted Wings .... 'Sandbags' Riley     
1941   One Foot in Heaven  .... Elias Samson  
1941   That Uncertain Feeling  .... Jones (the attorney)     
1942   Kings Row  .... Colonel Skeffington        
1942   Larceny, Inc.  .... Homer Bigelow 
1942   Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake .... Amos Kidder        
1942   Tales of Manhattan   .... Prof. Lyons  
1942   Ten Gentlemen from West Point    .... Bane 
1943   The Amazing Mrs. Holliday ..Commodore Thomas Spencer Holliday
1943   Gangway for Tomorrow   .... Fred Taylor     
1943   Government Girl    .... Senator MacVickers     
1943   LIFE OF JACK LONDON/Jack London .... Prof. Hilliard
1943   The Ox-Bow Incident   .... Arthur Davies        
1943   Princess O'Rourke   .... Supreme Court Judge  
1944   The Impatient Years   .... Minister       
1944   ORIENTAL DREAM/Kismet    .... Agha      
1944   Meet Me in St. Louis   .... Grandpa      
1944   Music for Millions  .... Doctor  
1944   The Thin Man Goes Home  .... Doctor Bertram Charles
1945   Adventure  .... Dr. Ashlon 
1945   The Enchanted Forest  .... Old John    
1945   Pardon My Past  .... Grandpa Pemberton        
1945   She Wouldn't Say Yes  .... Albert        
1945   This Love of Ours  .... Dr. Wilkerson    
1946   Claudia and David  .... Dr. Harry
1946   Courage of Lassie  .... Judge Payson   
1946   Lady Luck  .... Judge Martin        
1947   The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer  .... Thaddeus  
1947   The Farmer's Daughter  .... Agatha's Doctor   
1947   Stallion Road  .... Dr. Stevens  
1948   The Decision of Christopher Blake  .... Courtroom Attendant      
1948   For the Love of Mary  .... Justice Peabody    
1948   That Lady in Ermine  .... Luigi    
1948   Three Daring Daughters  .... Dr. Cannon       
1949   Down to the Sea in Ships  .... Benjamin Harris
1949   Little Women  .... Dr. Barnes     
1949   Tell It to the Judge  .... Judge MacKenzie Meredith  
1949   That Forsyte Woman  .... Old Jolyon Forsyte  
1950   Riding High  .... Johnson