Ivan F. Simpson (8 February 1875 – 12 October 1951) was a Scottish film and stage actor.

Life and career

Simpson was born on 8 February 1875 in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland, and went as a young man to New York City, where he worked for four decades on Broadway from 1906 until his death. In 1915 he started his film silent career and starred in notable silent films like '' The Green Goddess'' from 1923, where he played the role of Mister Watkins. He also replied in this role seven years later in the sound film version of ''The Green Goddess''. In 1929 he portrayed Hugh Myers in '' Disraeli'', where he played along his close friend George Arliss. Arliss and Simpson appeared together in a total of nine films.Ivan F. Simpson
at Allmovie Especially in the 1930s, Simpson was a successful character actor in supporting and bit parts and appeared in many classics. He often played servants, like in MGM's literature adaption ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...

'' as Littimer and the horror movie '' Mark of the Vampire''. He also portrayed priests like in '' Little Lord Fauntleroy'' and '' Random Harvest'', judges like in '' This Land Is Mine'' or doctors like in ''

They All Kissed the Bride ''They All Kissed the Bride'' is a 1942 American screwball comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas. Crawford took over the title role after Carole Lombard died in a plane crash in early 1942. Crawfor ...

''. Simpson was also a frequent actor in the

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

movies, he appeared in ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'', '' The Prince and the Pauper'' and '' Captain Blood''.

Selected filmography

* '' The Dictator'' (1915) – Simpson * '' Out of the Drifts'' (1916) – Martin * '' The Man Who Played God'' (1922) – Battle * '' The Green Goddess'' (1923) – Watkins * '' Twenty-One'' (1923) – Mr. Willis * '' Twenty Dollars a Week'' (1925) – James Pettison * '' Miss Bluebeard'' (1925) – Bounds * '' Wild, Wild Susan'' (1925) – Malcolm * '' Lovers in Quarantine'' (1925) – The Silent Passenger * '' A Kiss for Cinderella'' (1925) – Mr. Cutaway * '' Womanhandled'' (1925) – Butler (uncredited) * '' Disraeli'' (1929) – Sir Hugh Myers (uncredited) * ''

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...

'' (1929) – Peabody * '' The Green Goddess'' (1930) – Watkins * '' Isle of Escape'' (1930) – Judge * '' Golden Dawn'' (1930) – Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Inside the Lines'' (1930) – Capper * ''

Manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

'' (1930) – Morson * ''

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

'' (1930) – Joe Pillin * '' The Way of All Men'' (1930) – Higgins * '' The Sea God'' (1930) – Pearly Nick * '' The Lady Who Dared'' (1931) – Butler * '' The Millionaire'' (1931) – Davis * '' The Reckless Hour'' (1931) – Stevens – Adams' Butler (uncredited) * '' Safe in Hell'' (1931) – Crunch * '' The Man Who Played God'' (1932) – Battle * '' A Passport to Hell'' (1932) – Simms * '' The Crash'' (1932) – Hodge * '' The Phantom of Crestwood'' (1932) – Mr. Vayne * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' (1932) – Faulkner * '' The Monkey's Paw'' (1933) – Mr. White * '' The Past of Mary Holmes'' (1933) – Jacob Riggs * '' The Secret of Madame Blanche'' (1933) – Aubrey's Lawyer (uncredited) * '' The Silk Express'' (1933) – Johnson, Kilgore's Secretary * '' Midnight Mary'' (1933) – Tindle * ''

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

'' (1933) – Lelain – Actor (uncredited) * '' Blind Adventure'' (1933) – Perkins—Butler (uncredited) * '' Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (1933) – Brade * '' Her Secret'' (1933) – Lathrop * '' Man of Two Worlds'' (1934) – Dr. Lott * '' The Mystery of Mr. X'' (1934) – Hutchinson * '' The House of Rothschild'' (1934) – Amschel Rothschild * '' Murder in Trinidad'' (1934) – First Doctor (uncredited) * '' Stingaree'' (1934) – Man with Beard (uncredited) * '' The World Moves On'' (1934) – Clumber * '' British Agent'' (1934) – Poohbah Evans * '' Among the Missing'' (1934) – Smeed * '' The Little Minister'' (1934) – Sanders Webster (uncredited) * ''

'' (1935) – Littimer * '' Shadow of Doubt'' (1935) – Morse * '' Mark of the Vampire'' (1935) – Jan * '' The Bishop Misbehaves'' (1935) – Mr. Grantham * '' Mutiny on the Bounty'' (1935) – Morgan * '' Splendor'' (1935) – Fletcher * '' East of Java'' (1935) – Resident (uncredited) * '' The Great Impersonation'' (1935) – Dr. Harrison * '' Captain Blood'' (1935) – Prosecutor * '' Little Lord Fauntleroy'' (1936) – Rev. Mordaunt * '' Trouble for Two'' (1936) – Collins * '' Mary of Scotland'' (1936) – Judge * '' Lloyd's of London'' (1936) – Old Man * '' Maid of Salem'' (1937) – Rev. Parris * '' The Prince and the Pauper'' (1937) – Clemens * '' Night of Mystery'' (1937) – Sproot * '' London by Night'' (1937) – Burroughs * '' Youth on Parole'' (1937) – Minor Role (uncredited) * '' 45 Fathers'' (1937) – Chamberlain (uncredited) * '' The Baroness and the Butler'' (1938) – Count Dormo * '' Invisible Enemy'' (1938) – Michael * ''

'' (1938) – Proprietor of Kent Road Tavern * '' Kidnapped'' (1938) – Old Man (uncredited) * ''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...

'' (1938) – Sauce (uncredited) * '' Booloo'' (1938) – 1st Governor * '' Made for Each Other'' (1939) – Simon – Judge Doolittle's Brother (uncredited) * '' Never Say Die'' (1939) – Kretsky * '' The Sun Never Sets'' (1939) – A Doctor (uncredited) * '' The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'' (1939) – Gates – Trial Prosecutor (uncredited) * '' Rulers of the Sea'' (1939) – Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

'' (1939) – Anne's Protector (uncredited) * '' The Earl of Chicago'' (1940) – Hargraves (uncredited) * '' The Invisible Man Returns'' (1940) – Mr. Cotton (uncredited) * '' New Moon'' (1940) – Guizot * '' The Body Disappears'' (1941) – Dean Claxton * '' Nazi Agent'' (1942) – Professor Sterling * '' The Male Animal'' (1942) – Dean Frederick Damon * ''

'' (1942) – Dr. Cassell * '' Eagle Squadron'' (1942) – Simms (uncredited) * '' Youth on Parade'' (1942) – Dean Wharton * '' Nightmare'' (1942) – Arnold – Money Changer * '' Random Harvest'' (1942) – The Vicar * '' My Kingdom for a Cook'' (1943) – Dexter * '' Two Weeks to Live'' (1943) – Professor Albert Frisby * '' This Land Is Mine'' (1943) – Judge * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) – Porter in Oxford (uncredited) * '' My Kingdom for a Cook'' (1943) – Professor Harlow * '' Government Girl'' (1943) – Judge Leonard (uncredited) * '' Jane Eyre'' (1943) – Mr. Woods – the Minister (uncredited) * '' The Uninvited'' (1944) – Will Hardy – Tobacconist (uncredited) * '' The Hour Before the Dawn'' (1944) – Magistrate (uncredited) * '' My Girl Tisa'' (1948) – Old Man (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Ivan F. 1875 births 1951 deaths Scottish male film actors Scottish male stage actors Scottish male silent film actors British emigrants to the United States Male actors from Glasgow 20th-century Scottish male actors Burials at Kensico Cemetery