Henry Joseph Crocker II (July 2, 1893 – May 23, 1958) was an American journalist and occasional film actor.
Harry Crocker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 July 1893 San Francisco, California, US |
| Died | 23 May 1958 (aged 64) Beverly Hills, California, US |
| Parent(s) | Henry J. Crocker Mary Ives Crocker |
Life and career
Although Crocker was for most of his career a Los Angeles Examiner newsman, he also appeared as Rex in Charlie Chaplin's The Circus in 1928.[1] He was Chaplin's personal assistant until he was fired during the making of Chaplin's City Lights in 1930. Crocker later reconciled with Chaplin and maintained a friendship until the comedian left America in 1952.[2]
Overall, Crocker appeared in 20 films between 1925 and 1952, mostly in small roles or cameo appearances. His other films besides The Circus include The Big Parade (1925), Tillie the Toiler (1927), Sally in Our Alley (1927), A Warm Corner (1930), The Great John L. (1945), A Song for Miss Julie (1945) and Limelight (1952).
His grand uncle was Charles Crocker (1822–1888) who had been a builder of the Central Pacific Railroad and his distant cousins were the philanthropist William Henry Crocker, president of Crocker National Bank, mystic, princess and writer Aimee Crocker and Templeton Crocker past president of the California Historical Society who funded and headed expeditions with the California Academy of Sciences and other academic institutions aboard his personal yacht. Crocker married Elizabeth Jenns[3] in late 1936.[4] Crocker was also a close friend of Cole Porter. He died on May 23, 1958, after being in ill health for three years.[1][5]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | The Gold Rush | Uncredited unit publicist | |
| 1925 | The Big Parade | Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1926 | La Bohème | Bit Part | Uncredited |
| 1927 | Tillie the Toiler | Pennington Fish | |
| 1927 | Sally in Our Alley | Chester Drake | |
| 1927 | Becky | John Carroll Estabrook | |
| 1927 | South Sea Love | Bob Bernard | |
| 1928 | The Circus | Rex, A Tight Rope Walker | Also played a disgruntled property man and a clown. He was also an assistant director and uncredited unit publicist |
| 1928 | Show People | Himself | Cameo appearance |
| 1930 | A Warm Corner | Joseph | |
| 1931 | City Lights | He was Charlie Chaplin's assistant director during the making of this film but was fired, Also an uncredited writer and unit publicist | |
| 1933 | The Good Companions | Unklearther | |
| 1936 | Jack of All Trades | Uncredited appearance | |
| 1941 | H. M. Pulham, Esq. | Bob Ridge | |
| 1942 | Gentleman Jim | Charles Crocker | |
| 1943 | A Night for Crime | Arthur Brisbane | |
| 1945 | A Song for Miss Julie | John Firbank | |
| 1945 | The Great John L. | Arthur Brisbane | |
| 1946 | Night and Day | John Firbank | |
| 1947 | Monsieur Verdoux | Uncredited unit publicist | |
| 1949 | Dancing in the Dark | Master of Ceremonies | |
| 1950 | The Great Jewel Robber | Commentator | |
| 1952 | Limelight | Publicist Director |
References
External links
- Harry Crocker at IMDb
- Henry Joseph Crocker at Find a Grave
- Harry Crocker at Virtual History
- Still from The Circus (1928) at gettyimages.com