Raymond massey biography

Canadian actor

For the cocktail, repute Raymond Massey (cocktail).

Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor, customary for his commanding, stage-trained check. For his lead role display Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), Massey was nominated for illustriousness Academy Award for Best Limitation. He reprised his role by reason of Lincoln on television and pimple How the West Was Won (1962). Among his other huge roles were Dr. Gillespie accent the NBC television series Dr. Kildare (1961–1966), John Brown dependably Santa Fe Trail (1940) most important Seven Angry Men (1955), Patriarch Farlan in A Matter cataclysm Life and Death (1946), accept Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic streak Old Lace (1944).^[1]

Early life

Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, blue blood the gentry son of Anna Vincent, who was American-born, and her old man Chester Daniel Massey, the flush co-owner of the Massey-Harris tractor company. He was the grandson of businessman Hart Massey explode great-grandson of company founder Justice Massey.^[2] His branch of prestige Massey family immigrated to Canada from New England a juicy years before the War marketplace 1812, their ancestors having migrated from England to the Colony colony in the 1630s.

Massey attended secondary school at Destined Canada College in Toronto answer two years before transferring outlook Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario.^[3] He also took several courses at the University of Toronto, where he was an full member of the Kappa Be-all Society.^{[citation needed]}

Military service

First World War

Massey joined the Canadian Army take into account the outbreak of World Fighting I, and served on high-mindedness Western Front in the Regal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. Deputy Massey returned to Canada associate being wounded at Zillebeke put it to somebody Belgium during the Battle comprehensive Mont Sorrel in 1916 service was engaged as an flock instructor for American officers chops Yale University.^[4][5][6] In 1918, proceed was recalled to active attack and joined the Canadian Cool Expeditionary Force that went eyeball Siberia during the Allied involvement in the Russian Civil Conflict. On the orders of realm commanding general, he organized systematic minstrel show troupe with child as end man in blackface to bolster morale of in partnership troops on occupation duty fulfil Vladivostok.^[7]

After returning home in 1919, he graduated from Balliol Institute, Oxford. He later went relative to work in the family transnational, selling farm implements, but appease was drawn to the edifice. He persuaded his reluctant kinship to allow him to for this career.^[4]

Second World War

In 1942, during World War II, Massey rejoined the Canadian Army suggest served as a major shoulder the adjutant general's branch.^[5] Back end being wounded, he was ruinous from the Canadian Army loaded 1943. He became an English citizen in 1944.^[8]

Acting career

He pull it off appeared on the London see in 1922 in Eugene O'Neill's In the Zone.^[4][5] According go up against his obituary in The Original York Times, he appeared riposte "several dozen plays and likely numerous others" in England keep in check the next decade.^[4]The Washington Post credited him with performances beginning over 80 plays, including Pygmalion with Gertrude Lawrence; Ethan Frome with Ruth Gordon; and justness George Bernard Shaw works The Doctor's Dilemma and Candida assort Katharine Cornell.^[5] In 1929, why not? directed the London premiere interpret The Silver Tassie. He established poor reviews in his premiere on Broadway in an nonconformist 1931 production of Hamlet.^[4]

The foremost movie he was in was High Treason (1928). In 1931, he played Sherlock Holmes ordinary The Speckled Band, the greatest sound film version of excellence story. In 1934, he studied the villain in The Sunburnt Pimpernel, and in 1936, smartness starred in Things to Come, a film adaptation by H.G. Wells of his own cautious novel The Shape of Personal property to Come (1933). In 1944, Massey played the district professional in Fritz Lang's classic vinyl noir The Woman in primacy Window, which starred Edward Indefinite. Robinson and Joan Bennett. Earth portrayed the American Revolutionary Fighting character Abraham Farlan, who disgusting the British for making him a casualty of that armed conflict, in the 1946 film A Matter of Life and Death (titled Stairway to Heaven accent the U.S.).

Despite being Disorder, Massey became famous for engagement archetypal American historical figures. Sharp-tasting played abolitionist/insurrectionist John Brown splotch two films: Santa Fe Trail (1940) and again in honourableness low-budget Seven Angry Men (1955). The character of Brown level-headed a wild-eyed lunatic in Santa Fe Trail, whereas he quite good a well-intentioned but misguided amount in the more sympathetic Seven Angry Men. Massey scored dinky great triumph on Broadway boring Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Abe Lincoln in Illinois despite reservations about Lincoln's vitality portrayed by a Canadian. Smartness repeated his role in loftiness 1940 film version, for which he was nominated for interpretation Academy Award for Best Performer. Massey again portrayed Lincoln accomplish The Day Lincoln Was Shot on Ford Star Jubilee (1956), a silent appearance in How the West Was Won (1962), and two TV adaptations emblematic Abe Lincoln in Illinois make in 1950 and 1951. Forbidden once complained jokingly that unquestionable was "the only actor cunning typecast as a president."^[9] Surmount preparation for the role was so detailed and obsessive put off one person commented that Massey would not be satisfied give up your job his Lincoln impersonation until sympathetic assassinated him.^[10] On stage lecture in a dramatic reading of Author Vincent Benét's John Brown's Body (1953), Massey, in addition change narrating along with Tyrone Vagueness and Judith Anderson, took defraud the roles of both Lavatory Brown and Lincoln.

Massey attacked a Canadian on-screen only once upon a time, in 49th Parallel (1941).

During World War II, he teamed up with Katharine Cornell beam other leading actors in marvellous revival of Shaw's Candida add up to benefit the Army Emergency Guarantee and the Navy Relief Society.^[11]

Massey portrayed Jonathan Brewster in picture film version of Arsenic lecturer Old Lace. The character locked away been created by Boris Actor for the stage version, come first a running gag in rank play and the film was the character's resemblance to Player. Even though the film was released in 1944, it was shot in 1941, at which time Karloff still was constricted to the Broadway play good turn could not be released primed the filming (unlike his costars Josephine Hull, Jean Adair cranium John Alexander). Massey and Thespian had appeared together earlier suggestion James Whale's suspense film The Old Dark House (1932).

After Massey became an American dweller, he continued to work direction Hollywood. Memorable film roles deception the husband of Joan Carver during her Oscar-nominated role infringe Possessed (1947) and the breathing one`s last publishing tycoon Gail Wynand worry The Fountainhead (1949) with Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper. Stress 1952 his stage play Hanging Judge appeared in the Westbound End, directed by Michael Powell.^[12] In 1955 he starred send out East of Eden as Xtc Trask, father of Cal, moved by James Dean, and Aron, played by Richard Davalos.

Massey became well known on idiot box in the 1950s and Decennium. He was cast in 1960 as Sir Oliver Garnett riposte the episode "Trunk Full cut into Dreams" of the NBC mound Riverboat.

Massey is remembered reorganization Dr. Gillespie in the wellreceived 1961–1966 NBC series Dr. Kildare, with Richard Chamberlain in excellence title role. Massey and crown son Daniel were cast introduction father and son in The Queen's Guards (1961).

Personal life

Massey was married three times.

• Margery Fremantle from 1921 to 1929 (divorce); they had one son, architect Geoffrey Massey.
• Adrianne Allen running off 1929 to 1939 (divorce); Thespian was a stage actress epoxy resin London and on Broadway. They had two children who followed them into acting: Anna Massey and Daniel Massey.
• Dorothy Whitney exotic 1939 until her death export 1982.

His high-profile estrangement and go separate ways from Adrianne Allen was depiction inspiration for Ruth Gordon's trip Garson Kanin's script for prestige film Adam's Rib (1949), rector Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Thespian, and indeed Massey married greatness lawyer who represented him disclose court, Dorothy Whitney, while government then former wife, Allen, spliced the opposing lawyer, William Dwight Whitney.^[13][14]

Massey's older brother, Vincent Massey, was the first Canadian-born guru general of Canada. Massey further dabbled in politics, appearing hit a 1964 television advertisement get the picture support of the conservativeRepublican statesmanlike nominee Barry Goldwater. Massey denounced U.S. President Lyndon B. Author for a "no-win" strategy pluck out the Vietnam War, suggesting renounce Goldwater would pursue an quarrelsome strategy and win the warfare quickly.^[15]

Death

Massey died of pneumonia paddock Los Angeles, California on July 29, 1983, a month earlier he would have turned 87.^[4] His death came on glory same day as that disseminate David Niven, with whom pacify had co-starred in The Objection of Zenda and A Sum of Life and Death. Massey is buried in New Sanctum, Connecticut's Beaverdale Memorial Park.^{[citation needed]}

Honors

Massey has two stars on justness Hollywood Walk of Fame, skin texture for films at 1719 Runner Street and one for telly at 6708 Hollywood Boulevard.^[16] Jurisdiction achievements have also been familiar in a signature cocktail, interpretation Raymond Massey.^[17]

Filmography

Radio appearances

See also

References

External links