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Henry Stephenson

Henry Stephenson

Actor · Died April 24, 1956, aged 85 · Granada, British West Indies

From Wikipedia Henry Stephenson Garraway (16 April 1871 – 24 April 1956), sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British stage and film actor. He portrayed friendly and wise Gentleman in many films of the 1930s and 1940s. Among his roles was Sir Joseph Banks in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Mr. Brownlow in Oliver Twist. Stephenson was educated in Rugby in Warwickshire and started acting in his twenties. He appeared on British and American stages and made his Broadway debut in 1901, playing the messenger in A Message from Mars. In the following decades, he appeared in over 30 Broadway plays. Henry Stephenson made his film debut in 1917 and appeared in a few silent films, but made his mark mostly as an elder man in sound films. Between 1931 and 1932, he appeared in the successful Broadway play Cyanara with over 200 performances. He came to Hollywood for the film version of Cyanara, starring Ronald Colman and with Henry Stephenson in a supporting role. In the same year year, he played the tycoon C.B. Gaerste in Red-Headed Woman and Doctor Alliott in A Bill of Divorcement. The following year, the English-born actor appeared as the intimidating yet warm-hearted Mr. Laurence in Little Women. The tall, white-haired actor specialized in portraying wise, dignified and friendly British gentlemans in supporting roles. He could be "both imposing and benevolent in his patrician portrayals, usually expounding words of wisdom or offering gentlemanly aid." He appeared overall in 90 films from 1917 to 1951, often as a doctor or professor, general, judge or aristocrat. He often played historical figures like Sir Joseph Banks in the oscar-winnig adventure film Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau in Marie Antoinette (1938). Stephenson worked with film star Errol Flynn in the films Captain Blood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Prince and the Pauper, and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex; often as Flynn's paternal friend and superior. He portrayed Sir Thomas Lancing in Tarzan Finds a Son! in 1939 and playing an entirely different role as Sir Guy Henderson in Tarzan and the Amazons in 1945. He seldom played dark figures, among the exceptions was the snobbish Mr. Bryant in Mr. Lucky in 1943. Stephenson also appeared in literature adaptions, for example as the friendly lawyer Havisham in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and as Mr. Brownlow in David Lean's literature adaption Oliver Twist (1948). He made his last film in 1949, but appeared in two TV-series in 1951 before the end of his career. In 1950, after finishing his role of Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga in the drama play, That Lady, Stephenson retired from the stage. He married actress Ann Shoemaker. They had one daughter. Henry Stephenson died in 1956 at the age of 85 years. He was survived by Ann and his daughter.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 15, 1871
Died
April 24, 1956 (aged 85)
From
Granada, British West Indies
Works as
Actor
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 88 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 10% in 30 days

What are Henry Stephenson's films like?

Across their 42 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Morality
26%
Self
17%
Power
13%
Survival
5%
Society
1%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love20 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 42 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 25 · Serious 8 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 17 · Stylized 18 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 17 · Charged 15 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 20 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 20 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 23 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 27 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 21 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 37 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 12 of 20 analyzed roles.

Mentor
12 of 20
Threshold guardian
3 of 20
Herald
3 of 20
Ally
2 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
22
Tense
19
Warm
13
Joyful
11
Melancholic
15
Other
33

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy27
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Henry Stephenson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Henry Stephenson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

88 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page.

  • Challenge to Lassie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Sir Charles Loring

  • Enchantment(1948)

    as General Fitzgerald

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Julia Misbehaves(1948)

    as Lord Pennystone

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Oliver Twist(1948)

    as Mr. Brownlow

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Song of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as King Albert

  • Ivy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Judge

  • Dark Delusion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Evans Biddle

  • The Homestretch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Don Humberto Balcares

  • Time Out of Mind(1947)

    as Wellington Drake

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Locket(1946)

    as Lord Wyndham

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Return of Monte Cristo(1946)

    as Professor Duval

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Her Sister's Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Mr. DuBois

  • Of Human Bondage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Dr. Tyrell

  • The Green Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Blakely

  • Night and Day(1946)

    as Omar Cole

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Heartbeat(1946)

    as Minister

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Tarzan and the Amazons(1945)

    as Sir Guy Henderson, the Archeologist

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Reckless Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as J. H. Wadsworth

  • Secrets of Scotland Yard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Sir Reginald Meade

  • Two Girls and a Sailor(1944)

    as John Dyckman Brown I

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Hour Before the Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Gen. Hetherton

  • Mr. Lucky(1943)

    as Mr. Bryant

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Mantrap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Sir Humphrey Quilp

  • Half Way to Shanghai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Col. Algernon Blimpton

  • This Above All(1942)

    as General Cathaway

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Rings on Her Fingers(1942)

    as Colonel Prentiss

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Lady from Louisiana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as General Anatole Mirbeau

  • The Man Who Lost Himself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Frederick Collins

  • Down Argentine Way(1940)

    as Don Diego Quintana

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Spring Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Emperor Franz Joseph

  • It's a Date (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Capt. Andrew

  • Little Old New York(1940)

    as Robert R. Livingston

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex(1939)

    as Lord Burghley

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(1939)

    as Sir Ronald Ramsgate

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Tarzan Finds a Son!(1939)

    as Sir Thomas Lancing

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Dramatic School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Pasquel Sr.

  • Suez(1938)

    as Count Mathieu de Lesseps

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Marie Antoinette(1938)

    as Count de Mercey

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Young in Heart(1938)

    as Felix Anstruther

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Baroness and the Butler(1938)

    as Count Albert Sandor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Wise Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Mr. Fletcher

  • Conquest(1937)

    as Count Anastas Walewski

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Emperor's Candlesticks(1937)

    as Prince Johann

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Prince and the Pauper(1937)

    as Duke of Norfolk

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • When You're in Love(1937)

    as Walter Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Beloved Enemy(1936)

    as Lord Athleigh

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Charge of the Light Brigade(1936)

    as Sir Charles Macefield

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Give Me Your Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Edward, Lord Farrington

  • Walking on Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Mr. Horace Bennett

  • Hearts Divided (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Charles Patterson

  • Half Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Professor Jerome Hargraves

  • Little Lord Fauntleroy(1936)

    as Havisham

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Captain Blood(1935)

    as Lord Willoughby

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)

    as Joseph Banks

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Perfect Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Bishop

  • Rendezvous(1935)

    as Russian Ambassador Gregory

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • O'Shaughnessy's Boy(1935)

    as Maj. Winslow

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Flame Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Dr. Jock Frazier

  • Reckless(1935)

    as Colonel Harrison Sr.

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Vanessa, Her Love Story(1935)

    as Barney Newmark

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Night Is Young(1935)

    as Emperor Franz Josef

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • What Every Woman Knows(1934)

    as Charles Venables

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Outcast Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sir Maurice

  • The Richest Girl in the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as John Connors

  • She Loves Me Not(1934)

    as Dean Mercer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • One More River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sir Laurence Mont

  • Stingaree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Mr. Hugh Clarkson

  • Thirty Day Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as King Anatol XII

  • All Men Are Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Actor

  • The Mystery of Mr. X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sir Herbert Frensham

  • Man of Two Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Sir Basil Pemberton

  • If I Were Free (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Hector Stribling

  • Little Women(1933)

    as Mr. Laurence

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • My Lips Betray (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as De Conti

  • Blind Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Major Thorne

  • Double Harness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Colonel Sam Colby

  • Tomorrow at Seven(1933)

    as Thornton Drake

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Animal Kingdom(1932)

    as Rufus

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Cynara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as John Tring

  • A Bill of Divorcement(1932)

    as Doctor Alliot

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Guilty as Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Dr. Ernest S. Tindal

  • Red-Headed Woman(1932)

    as Charles B. 'Charlie' / 'C.B.' Gaerste

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Wild, Wild Susan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Peter Van Dusen

  • Men and Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Arnold Kirke

  • The Black Panther's Cub (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    as Clive, Earl of Maudsley

  • The Tower of Jewels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as David Parrish

  • A Society Exile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    as Sir Howard Furnival

  • The Spreading Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Mr. LeRoy

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 88 titles from 1917 to 1949.

Biggest box office

Tarzan Finds a Son! (1939)

$4.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Oliver Twist (1948)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

Film career

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting88 of 88: 88 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64th

By decade

1910s3 · acting1920s3 · acting1930s50 · acting1940s32 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 21 roles
323742

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Henry Stephenson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 43; across their 42 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up15
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th11

Shape of the crowd

29 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser29
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

The Return of Monte Cristo (1946)

53rd percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Oliver Twist (1948)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 42 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Henry Stephenson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Henry Stephenson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nigel Bruce shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles