Holmes Herbert

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holmes Herbert (born Horace Edward Jenner; 30 July 1882 – 26 December 1956) was an English character actor who appeared in Hollywood films from 1915 to 1952.

Herbert immigrated to the United States in 1912. He never made a film in his native country, but appeared in 228 films during his career in the U.S., beginning with stalwart leading roles during the silent era, then numerous supporting roles in classic Hollywood films of the sound era, including Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Foreign Correspondent (1940).

He is perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Jekyll's friend Dr. Lanyon in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), and made something of a career in horror films of the period, appearing in The Terror (1928), The Thirteenth Chair (1929 and 1937), The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), The Invisible Man (1933), Mark of the Vampire (1935), Tower of London (1939), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), The Undying Monster (1942), The Mummy's Curse (1944), and The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951). He also played in several of Universal's cycle of Sherlock Holmes films during the 1940s.

Holmes Herbert was married three times. His first wife was actress Beryl Mercer, and his second was Elinor Kershaw Ince, widow of film mogul Thomas H. Ince. Both marriages ended in divorce. Third wife Agnes Bartholomew died, leaving Herbert a widower, in 1955.

He died in 1956 at age 74.