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Henry Travers

Henry Travers

Actor · Died October 18, 1965, aged 91 · Prudhoe, Northumberland, England, UK

British-born Henry Travers was a veteran of the English stage before emigrating to the U.S. in 1917. He gained more stage experience there on Broadway working with the Theatre Guild, and began his long film career with Reunion in Vienna (1933). Travers' kindly, grandfatherly demeanor became familiar to filmgoers over the next 25 years, especially in films like High Sierra (1941), where he played Joan Leslie's kindly but slyly observant uncle, and the generous Mr. Bogardus in The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), but it's as the somewhat befuddled angel Clarence Oddbody assigned to James Stewart in the classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946) that Travers will forever be known. After a long and successful career, he retired from the screen in 1949, and died in Hollywood in 1965.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 4, 1874
Died
October 18, 1965 (aged 91)
From
Prudhoe, Northumberland, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 52 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 37 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

What are Henry Travers' films like?

Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: 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
Self
30%
Bonds
26%
Morality
13%
Society
12%
Power
12%
Survival
5%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 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 11 · Serious 6 · Dark 8

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 10 · Intense 7

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

Steady 16 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 10 · 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 17 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 5 of 8 analyzed roles.

Mentor
5 of 8
Ally
1 of 8
Hero
1 of 8
Threshold guardian
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Romantic
10
Melancholic
11
Warm
6
Hopeful
8
Other
25

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

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 Travers' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Henry Travers' 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

52 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Girl from Jones Beach(1949)

    as Judge Bullfinch

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Accused(1949)

    as Blakely - Romley's Assistant (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Beyond Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Pop Dewing

  • The Flame(1947)

    as Dr. Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • It's a Wonderful Life(1946)

    as Clarence

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Yearling(1946)

    as Mr. Boyles

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Gallant Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Thomas Logan

  • The Bells of St. Mary's(1945)

    as Horace P. Bogardus

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Naughty Nineties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Capt. Sam Jackson

  • Thrill of a Romance(1945)

    as Hobart Glenn

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Very Thought of You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Pop Wheeler

  • Dragon Seed(1944)

    as Third Cousin

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • None Shall Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Father Warecki

  • Madame Curie(1943)

    as Eugene Curie

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Moon Is Down(1943)

    as Mayor Orden

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Shadow of a Doubt(1943)

    as Joseph Newton

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Random Harvest(1942)

    as Dr. Sims

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Pierre of the Plains(1942)

    as Percival Wellsby

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Mrs. Miniver(1942)

    as Mr. Ballard

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Ball of Fire(1941)

    as Prof. Jerome

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • I'll Wait for You(1941)

    as Mr. Miller

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Bad Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mr. Hardy

  • A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob(1941)

    as Abel Martin

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • High Sierra(1941)

    as Pa

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Wyoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Sheriff

  • Anne of Windy Poplars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Matey

  • Edison, the Man(1940)

    as Ben Els

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Primrose Path(1940)

    as Gramp

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Remember? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Judge Milliken

  • The Rains Came(1939)

    as Rev. Homer Smiley

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Stanley and Livingstone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as John Kingsley

  • On Borrowed Time(1939)

    as Dr. Evans

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Dark Victory(1939)

    as Dr. Parsons

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Dodge City(1939)

    as Dr. Irving

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • You Can't Get Away with Murder(1939)

    as Pop

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Sisters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Ned Elliott

  • Too Many Parents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Wilkins

  • Seven Keys to Baldpate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Lem Peters

  • Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Tom Reynolds

  • Escapade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Concierge

  • Four Hours to Kill! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mac Mason

  • Captain Hurricane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Capt. Ben

  • After Office Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Cap

  • Maybe It's Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Mr. Halevy

  • Ready for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Judge Pickett

  • The Party's Over (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Theodore

  • Born to Be Bad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Fuzzy

  • Death Takes a Holiday(1934)

    as Baron Cesarea

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Man(1933)

    as Dr. Cranley

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • My Weakness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Ellery Gregory

  • Another Language (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Pop Hallam

  • Reunion in Vienna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Father Krug

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 52 titles from 1933 to 1949.

Biggest box office

The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

$21M worldwide

Highest rated

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting52 of 52: 52 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

By decade

1930s24 · acting1940s28 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 0% of 20 roles
3343

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 Travers' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 80th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 27 titles divides audiences: 13 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most loved · actor

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 25 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 50. 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.

Is Henry Travers' work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles24–36 · median 29 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles0–22 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles0–12 · median 7 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles28–36 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles12–52 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Henry Travers work with?

People who share at least 2 of Henry Travers' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Reginald Owen shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles