Harry James Holman (March 15, 1862 – May 3, 1947) was an American actor. He appeared in approximately 130 films from 1923 to 1947.

Biography

Born in Conway, Missouri, Holman dropped out of school in the ninth grade and began seeking work as an actor. In films from at least 1930, he played "a vast array of mayors, justices of the peace, attorneys, millionaires and sugar daddies". He is best known to modern audiences as the desperate Professor Richmond who tries to transform the uncouth Three Stooges into gentlemen in the film Hoi Polloi (1935). He also played frequently in the films of director Frank Capra, for example as the mayor in Meet John Doe (1941) and as the befuddled high school teacher Mr. Partridge in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)''. On Broadway, Holman portrayed Wilson Prewitt in The County Chairman (1903) and Caesar Augustus Miggs in Ruled Off the Turf (1906). Holman performed in vaudeville, heading the Harry Holman Comedy Company, which presented skits including "The Merchant Price". In 1929 or 1932, Holman left vaudeville, where he "was nationally known" for his "Hard-Boiled Hampton" comedy sketch. On May 3, 1947, Holman died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California.

Selected filmography