Harry Cyril Delevanti (23 February 1887 – 13 December 1975) was an English

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

with a long career in American films. He was sometimes credited as Syril Delevanti.

Early years

Delevanti was born in London to Anglo-Italian music professor Edward Prospero Richard Delevanti and his wife Mary Elizabeth (née Rowbotham).

Career

Delevanti had a career as an actor on the English stage and, after his emigration to the United States in 1921, performed on the American stage throughout the 1920s. His first film appearance was in '' Devotion'' (1931). In 1938 he appeared in '' Red Barry'' for director

Ford Beebe Ford Ingalsbe Beebe (November 26, 1888 – November 26, 1978) was a screenwriter and Film director, director. He entered the film business as a writer around 1916 and over the next 60 years wrote and/or directed almost 200 films. He specialized ...

, who would later marry Delevanti's daughter, Kitty. From the 1940s, he appeared in many small roles, frequently uncredited, in such films as '' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), '' Confidential Agent'' (1945), ''

Deception Deception is the act of convincing of one or many recipients of untrue information. The person creating the deception knows it to be false while the receiver of the information does not. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Tort of ...

'' (1946), ''

Monsieur Verdoux ''Monsieur Verdoux'' is a 1947 American black comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who plays a bigamist wife killer inspired by serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. The supporting cast includes Martha Raye, William Frawley, and ...

'' (1947), '' Forever Amber'' (1947), '' David and Bathsheba'' (1951), ''

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a non-electric type of stage lighting that was once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illum ...

'' (1952), '' Les Girls'' (1957), '' Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963), and ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' (1964). In 1957 he played a superstitious king (with John Banner as his concerned valet) in '' Adventures of Superman''. In 1958, Delevanti was cast as the printer Lucius Coin in all twenty-six episodes of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series, '' Jefferson Drum'', starring Jeff Richards. He made two guest appearances on '' Perry Mason'' during the first and final (ninth) seasons of the series. In 1957 he played florist Mr. Tulloch in "The Case of the Silent Partner". In 1965, he played bookie Craig Jefferson in "The Case of the Silent Six". Delevanti made guest-starring appearances on '' Dennis the Menace'', '' US Marshal'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Ri ...

'', '' The Tall Man'', '' Bourbon Street Beat'', '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'', '' The Virginian'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Ironside'', '' The Untouchables''; '' Science Fiction Theater'', '' Adventures of Superman''; ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' (in the episodes " A Penny for Your Thoughts", " The Silence", " Passage on the Lady Anne", and " A Piano in the House"), '' Dundee and the Culhane'', ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'', and '' Dragnet''. He continued to act in films, such as '' The Night of the Iguana'' (1964, nominated for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

as Best Supporting Actor), ''

'' (1964), '' The Killing of Sister George'' (1968), and '' Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' (1971).

Personal life

In 1913, Delevanti married Eva Kitty Peel; they had three children: Kitty, Cyril, and Harry. In the early 1950s, they operated a toy shop in the Los Angeles area.

Death

On 13 December 1975, Delevanti died in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

of lung cancer.

Credited filmography

*'' Devotion'' (1931) – Reporter (uncredited) *'' Arrowsmith'' (1931) – committee member (uncredited) *'' Red Barry'' (1938, Serial) – Wing Fu *'' A Dispatch from Reuter's'' (1940) – Cockney News Vendor (uncredited) *'' Man Hunt'' (1941) – Cab Driver (uncredited) *'' Confirm or Deny'' (1941) – Bellhop (scenes deleted) *'' Night Monster'' (1942) – Torque *'' Journey for Margaret'' (1942) – Stage Manager (uncredited) *'' When Johnny Comes Marching Home'' (1942) – Professor (uncredited) *'' The Adventures of Smilin' Jack'' (1943, Serial) – Mah Ling / Han Po *'' Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' (1943) – Freddy Jolly—Graverobber (uncredited) *''All by Myself'' (1943) – Mr. Vincent (uncredited) *'' Two Tickets to London'' (1943) – Scottish Man (uncredited) *'' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943) – Bookkeeper (uncredited) *'' Holy Matrimony'' (1943) – Townsman (uncredited) *'' Son of Dracula'' (1943) – Dr. Peters, the Coroner (uncredited) *'' The Lodger'' (1944) – Stagehand (uncredited) *'' The Impostor'' (1944) – Bartender (uncredited) *'' Phantom Lady'' (1944) – Claude (uncredited) *''Her Primitive Man'' (1944) – Scientist (uncredited) *''

The Invisible Man's Revenge ''The Invisible Man's Revenge'' is a 1944 American science fiction horror film directed by Ford Beebe and written by Bertram Millhauser. The film stars John Carradine as a scientist who tests his experiment on a psychiatric hospital escapee, pl ...

'' (1944) – Malty Bill – Shopkeeper (uncredited) *'' Shadow of Suspicion'' (1944) – Mr. Lewis (uncredited) *'' Ministry of Fear'' (1944) – Railroad Agent (uncredited) *'' Enter Arsène Lupin'' (1944) – Wine Expert (uncredited) *''

Double Exposure In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be id ...

'' (1944) – Henry – Waiter (uncredited) *'' Jungle Queen'' (1945) – Rogers (uncredited) *'' The Jade Mask'' (1945) – Roth *'' Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear'' (1945) – Stanley Raeburn (uncredited) *'' The Phantom of 42nd Street'' (1945) – Roberts *'' The Shanghai Cobra'' (1945) – Detective Larkin (uncredited) *'' The Fatal Witness'' (1945) – Second Coroner (uncredited) *'' Scotland Yard Investigator'' (1945) – Police Surgeon (uncredited) *'' Kitty'' (1945) – All Hot Hawker (uncredited) *''

This Love of Ours ''This Love of Ours'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Merle Oberon, Maris Wrixon, Claude Rains, Charles Korvin and Carl Esmond. The film's composer, Hans J. Salter, was nominated for an Academy Award f ...

'' (1945) – Secretary (uncredited) *'' Confidential Agent'' (1945) – Businessman (uncredited) *'' Captain Tugboat Annie'' (1945) – Fred *'' The Daltons Ride Again'' (1945) – Jennings (uncredited) *''

Three Strangers ''Three Strangers'' is a 1946 American film noir crime drama directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre, and featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. The screenplay was written by John Hu ...

'' (1946) – Stockbroker (voice, uncredited) *'' The Shadow Returns'' (1946) – John Adams *'' Lost City of the Jungle'' (1946, Serial) – Representative to Peace Foundation h. 1(uncredited) *'' Dressed to Kill'' (1946) – Convict at Dartmoor Prison (uncredited) *'' The Mysterious Mr. M'' (1946) – Professor Jackson Parker (uncredited) *''

'' (1946) – Beggar (uncredited) *'' I'll Be Yours'' (1947) – Businessman (uncredited) *''

'' (1947) – Postman (uncredited) *''

Lured ''Lured'' is a 1947 American film noir directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders, Lucille Ball, Charles Coburn, Cedric Hardwicke, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Boris Karloff. The film is a remake of 1939 French film ''Pièges'' directed ...

'' (1947) – Medical Examiner (uncredited) *'' Forever Amber'' (1947) – Cobbler (uncredited) *'' The Emperor Waltz'' (1948) – Diplomat (uncredited) *'' David and Bathsheba'' (1951) – Undetermined Minor Role (uncredited) *''

'' (1952) – Griffin – a Clown (uncredited) *''

'' (1956) (S1E15) “No Handcuffs” - Jailer, (1956) (S2E9) “The Mistake" - Hearse Driver *''

'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 19: "The Derelicts") - Alfred J. Sloane *'' D-Day the Sixth of June'' (1956) – Coat Room Attendant (uncredited) *'' Johnny Tremain'' (1957) – Mr. Robert Newman (uncredited) *'' Trooper Hook'' (1957) – Junius *'' Les Girls'' (1957) – Fanatic with 'What Is Truth' Sign (uncredited) *'' Ride Out for Revenge'' (1957) – Preacher *'' Sabu and the Magic Ring'' (1957) – Abdul *'' Gun Fever'' (1958) – Jerry *'' Teacher's Pet'' (1958) – Copy Man (uncredited) *'' Kings Go Forth'' (1958) – Blairs' Butler (uncredited) *''

I Bury the Living ''I Bury the Living'' is a 1958 horror film directed by famed B movie director Albert Band and starring Richard Boone and Theodore Bikel. It was written by Louis A. Garfinkle and produced by Garfinkle and Band. Plot Robert Kraft is the newly ...

'' (1958) – William Isham (uncredited) *''

'' (1959) (Season 5 Episode 12: "Specialty of the House") - Club Member (uncredited) *''

'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 36: "Letter of Credit") - Josiah Wingate *''

From the Terrace ''From the Terrace'' is a 1960 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film in CinemaScope directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1958 novel of the same name by John O'Hara. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Wo ...

'' (1960) – MacHardie's Secretary (uncredited) *''

Paradise Alley ''Paradise Alley'' is a 1978 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone (in his feature directorial debut). The film tells the story of three Italian American brothers in Hell's Kitchen in the 1940s who be ...

'' (1962) – Grandpa *''

'' (1963) (Season 4 Episode 17: " Passage on the Lady Anne") - Officer *'' Dead Ringer'' (1964) – Henry, the Butler *'' The Night of the Iguana'' (1964) – Nonno *''

'' (1964) – Mr. Grubbs (uncredited) *''

The Greatest Story Ever Told ''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' is a 1965 American epic film, epic List of religious films, religious film that retells the Biblical account of Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity of Jesus, Nativity through to the Ascension of J ...

'' (1965) – Melchior *'' Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad'' (1967) – Hawkins *''

Counterpoint In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...

'' (1968) – Tartzoff *'' The Killing of Sister George'' (1968) – Ted Baker *'' Macho Callahan'' (1970) – Old man *'' Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' (1971) – Elderly Farmer *'' Soylent Green'' (1973) – Book # 4 *'' The Girl Most Likely to...'' (1973) – Chaplain *'' Black Eye'' (1974) – Talbot (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Delevanti, Cyril 1887 births 1975 deaths Deaths from lung cancer in California English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from London English people of Italian descent Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) English expatriate male actors in the United States 20th-century English male actors English emigrants to the United States