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IMDbPro

Harry Semels(1887-1946)

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Harry Semels
One of the industry's most versatile character actors, in his almost 30-year career Harry Semels appeared in hundreds of films. Adept at playing everything from Spanish waiters to German soldiers to Italian villagers--and even a haughty District Attorney from time to time--his stocky build and droopy mustache were a familiar sight to moviegoers, especially in the '30s and '40s, his peak years. He often worked for Columbia Pictures, and in that capacity appeared as a foil for The Three Stooges on many occasions, most notably in Disorder in the Court (1936), where he was a District Attorney on the receiving end of the trio's antics during a murder trial.
BornNovember 20, 1887
DiedMarch 2, 1946(58)
BornNovember 20, 1887
DiedMarch 2, 1946(58)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos26

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Known for

Charles Laughton and Fredric March in Les Misérables (1935)
Les Misérables
7.6
  • Cochepaille
  • 1935
Sin's Pay Day (1932)
Sin's Pay Day
5.2
  • Louie Joe
  • 1932
Walter Miller and Allene Ray in The House Without a Key (1926)
The House Without a Key
5.5
  • Saladine
  • 1926
Lucy Fox, Charles Hutchison, Warner Oland, and Harry Semels in Risque-tout (1921)
Risque-tout
6.7
  • Jim Tiegerley
  • 1921

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor



  • Robert Young, Ann Richards, and Sylvia Sidney in Un fils accuse (1946)
    Un fils accuse
    6.1
    • Madrid Waiter (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, and Patricia Morison in La clef (1946)
    La clef
    6.8
    • Pub patron (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Groucho Marx, Lois Collier, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx in Une nuit à Casablanca (1946)
    Une nuit à Casablanca
    6.9
    • Hotel Chef (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Randolph Scott, Steve Brodie, Richard Hale, John Halloran, William Moss, Nestor Paiva, Ann Richards, Lawrence Tierney, Tom Tyler, and Phil Warren in La ville des sans-loi (1946)
    La ville des sans-loi
    6.2
    • Bettor (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen in Le laitier de Brooklyn (1946)
    Le laitier de Brooklyn
    6.5
    • Ringsider at First Fight (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Paulette Goddard and Hurd Hatfield in Le journal d'une femme de chambre (1946)
    Le journal d'une femme de chambre
    6.5
    • Townsman (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Judy Garland in Les demoiselles Harvey (1946)
    Les demoiselles Harvey
    7.0
    • Townsman at Saloon (uncredited)
    • 1946
  • Smart Boy
    Short
    • Bar Customer (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith in San Antonio (1945)
    San Antonio
    6.3
    • Mexican (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Richard Lane and Gus Schilling in High Blood Pleasure (1945)
    High Blood Pleasure
    6.2
    Short
    • Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in Yolanda et le voleur (1945)
    Yolanda et le voleur
    5.9
    • Native Man (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour in En route pour l'Alaska (1945)
    En route pour l'Alaska
    7.1
    • Lombardi - Spitting Passenger (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain, Fay Bainter, Vivian Blaine, Dick Haymes, and Charles Winninger in La foire aux illusions (1945)
    La foire aux illusions
    7.0
    • Follies Spectator (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Aladin ou la lampe merveilleuse (1945)
    Aladin ou la lampe merveilleuse
    6.0
    • Leader of Caravan (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Andy Devine, Jack Oakie, Peggy Ryan, Arthur Treacher, and June Vincent in L'esprit fait du swing (1945)
    L'esprit fait du swing
    7.2
    • Theatre Patron (uncredited)
    • 1945

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Harry Semil
  • Height
    • 1.75 m
  • Born
    • November 20, 1887
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • March 2, 1946
    • Hollywood, California, USA
  • Spouse
    • Jean Lane(2 children)
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared (as "Ensemble"; Broadway debut) in "The Prima Donna" on Broadway. Musical comedy/opera. Music by Victor Herbert. Libretto by Henry Martyn Blossom. Orchestra under the direction of John Lund. Dresses by Mlle. Elsie de Wolfe. Directed by Fred G. Latham. Knickerbocker Theatre: 30 Nov 1908-30 Jan 1909 (72 performances). Cast: St. Clair Bayfield (as "Col. Dutois"), W.J. Ferguson (as "Monsieur Beaurivage, Athenee's father"), Donald Hall (as "Lt. Fernand Drouillard"), William Harcourt (as "Capt. Bordenave"), Martin Haydon (as "Lt. Gaston de Randal"), Ruth Holt Boucicault (as "The Duchess of Montrose"), Blanche Morrison (as "Countess Helene"), William Raymond (as "Lt. Armand, Count de Fontenne"; Broadway debut), Fritzi Scheff (as "Mlle. Athenee, prima donna of the Opera Comique, Paris"), James E. Sullivan (as "Herr Max Gundelfinger, known as "Pop"), Herbert Ayling (as "Baron de Pompal"), Marie Barry (as "Ensemble"), Josephine Bartlett (as "Mother Justine, proprietress of the cafe"), Phil Branson (as "Signor Giuseppe Ciucicini"), Peter Canova (as "Second waiter"), Robert E. Clark (as "Lieutenant Eugene de Beaumont"), Ada Cooke (as "Ensemble"), Armand Cortes (as "First waiter"), Ailsa Craig (as "Ensemble"), Grace Crowley (as "Ensemble"), Beatrice Cummings (as "Ensemble"), Grace Delmar (as "Mlle. Mathilde, cafe chanteuse"), Albert A. Dennay (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), Gertrude Doremus (as "Mignon, Cafe-concert girl"), Gertrude Douglas (as "Ensemble"), J.S. Duffus (as "Ensemble"), Renee Dyris (as "Mlle. Desiree, Cafe Chanteuse"), Clara Faye (as "Ensemble"), Florence Fisk (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), Luivine Frankel (as "Ensemble"), Marie Franklin (as "Ensemble"), Josephine Gibbons (as "Ensemble"), Sidney Glass (as "Ensemble"), I. Goldman (as "Ensemble"), P. Hahn (as "Ensemble"), Evelyn Hall (as "Ensemble"), Muriel Harmon (as "Ensemble"), Margaret Harrison (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), Leonard Hartley (as "Ensemble"), Genevieve Hawes (as "Ensemble"), Virgil Holmes (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), Evelyn Jackson (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), Fred Killeen (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), La Noveta (as "The Dancer"), Katherine Leslie (as "Ensemble"), Margaret MacKenzie (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"), George W. MacNamara (as "Lt. Prosper Rousseau"), Eleanor Mansfield (as "Ensemble"), Marguerite May (as "Bebe" / Cafe-concert girl"), Evelyn Mitchell (as "Ensemble"), Dottie Moyer (as "Ensemble"), Irene Moyer (as "Ensemble"), W.H. Mytinger (as "Ensemble"), Anna Pelham (as "Ensemble"), Alma Picard (as "Ensemble"), Lillian Randolph (as "Ensemble"), Virginia Reed (as "Clairette, Cafe-concert girl"), Vivian Rose (as "Ensemble"), Margaret Ross (as "Celeste, Cafe-concert girl"), H. Russell (as "Ensemble"), Vina Snyder (as "Ensemble"), Olive Stanley (as "Ensemble"), Katherine Stewart (as "Marquise du Perrifonds"), Emma Tritcheler (as "Ensemble"), Gwendolyn Valentine (as "Margot"), F. Von Gottfried (as "Ensemble"), Herman Walters (as "Ensemble"), Walter White (as "Metropolitan Octette" / "Ensemble"). Produced by Charles B. Dillingham.

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    His children were named Ruth and David.

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