Prolific veteran character man of stage since the 1930s, screen since the early 40s and TV since the mid-50s. Early in his career, Morgan changed his name to Harry from Henry to avoid confusion with a popular radio and TV personality. Though he has appeared in more than 50 films, Morgan is best known for memorable supporting roles on two popular and innovative TV series, the 1967 revival of the low-key police procedural "Dragnet" and the classic black comedy series set during the Korean War, "M*A*S*H". In the former he was Officer Bill Gannon, the almost equally phlegmatic partner of Jack Webb's Joe Friday. In the latter Morgan succeeded McLean Stevenson in the role of commanding officer of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital from 1975 through 1983. His Colonel Sherman Potter was an affable authority figure, folksy and grandfatherly yet regular Army and a damn good surgeon. Morgan won a 1979/80 Emmy for his portrayal. He reprised the role of Bill Gannon, promoted to captain, for the feature spoof "Dragnet" (1987) starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks. Morgan donned civvies and advanced to star status playing Dr. Potter again for "AfterMASH" (CBS, 1983-84), the less successful stateside-set sequel.
As a student at the University of Chicago, the young Morgan planned to study law until public speaking and debating classes turned him to acting. He joined a little theater group while working in Washington DC on summer vacation and made his professional stage debut in summer stock in Mount Kisco, New York. Morgan spent two years in the original Broadway production of "Golden Boy" before moving to California, where he was discovered in a Santa Barbara stock company production by a talent scout for 20th Century-Fox. He entered films in 1942, appearing in four productions including "To the Shores of Tripoli". Often cast as sidekicks to such luminaries as Henry Fonda and James Stewart, Morgan was favored by directors who specialized in tough masculine fare, notably Anthony Mann ("Bend of the River" 1952; "The Far Country" 1955) for whom he acted in six films. He seemed most appropriate in Westerns and tough urban dramas but his many credits span the gamut of genres. Morgan was the judge in "Inherit the Wind" (1960), the harried director of Joan Crawford in "Torch Song" (1953) and the angel who helps Fred MacMurray change his ways in the Disney comedy "Charley and the Angel" (1973).
Morgan made his debut as a TV series regular playing a supporting role on "December Bride" (1954-59), a very popular sitcom about a wonderful mother-in-law who lives with her daughter and son-in-law. Morgan won raves and an Emmy nod as cranky neighbor Pete Porter, who finds much to hate about his own wife and mother-in-law. The character proved so popular that Morgan was spun off into his own sitcom "Pete and Gladys" (CBS, 1960-62). His TV career was truly off and running; Morgan went on to play regulars in ten series as of 1995. He was also frequently in TV-movies, miniseries and guest shots. Morgan has also worked extensively as a TV director on "Adam-12", "The D.A.", "Hec Ramsey" and "M*A*S*H".
- Also Credited As:
Harry Bratsburg, Henry Morgan
- Born:
April 10, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan
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Job Titles:
Actor, Director
Family
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Son: Charles Morgan.
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Son: Chris Morgan.
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Son: Daniel Morgan.
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Son: Paul Morgan.
Significant Others
Education
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University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Milestones
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1942 Feature acting debut (as Henry Morgan), "To the Shores of Tripoli"
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1942 Moved to California
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1943 Prominently featured as Henry Fonda's traveling companion in the Western drama "The Ox-Bow Incident"
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1952 First of six films with director Anthony Mann, "Bend of the River"
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1954 Debut as a TV series regular, played cranky neighbor Pete Porter on the popular sitcom "December Bride"
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1959 Garnered first Emmy nomination, Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for "December Bride" for 1958/59
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1960 Last film with director Mann, "Cimarron"
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1970 TV-movie debut, "But I Don't Want to Get Married!"
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1971 Co-starred with Robert Conrad in the short-lived legal drama, "The D.A." (Also directed episodes)
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1974 Did an acclaimed guest spot as a crazed general on the hit comedy-drama series "M*A*S*H", the third season opener episode entitled "The General Flipped at Dawn"
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1978 TV miniseries debut, "The Bastard"
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1979 Appeared in "Roots: The Next Generation", the sequel to the landmark miniseries
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1979 Perfectly cast as President Harry S. Truman on the docudrama miniseries "Backstairs at the White House"
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1980 Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for a "M*A*S*H" episode entitled "Stars and Stripe" (broadcast 12/17/79)
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1986 Co-starred as the recovering con man father of magician-detective Hal Linden on "Blacke's Magic"
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1987 Returned to features after an eight-year absence to reprise the role of Bill Gannon, now a captain, for the feature spoof of "Dragnet" starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks
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1992 Co-starred as Judge Stoddard Bell with Walter Matthau and Susan Blakely in the telefilm "Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore", a sequel to the 1990 CBS TV-movie "The Incident"
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1994 Reprised the role of Judge Bell and reteamed with Matthau for the TV-movie sequel "The Family Secret: Incident in a Small Town"
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1996 Charged by his wife with spousal abuse
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Appeared as a "repertory" member on "The Richard Boone Show", an ambitious dramatic anthology series
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Co-starred as Officer Bill Gannon opposite Jack Webb in the 1967 revival of "Dragnet"
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Directed episodes of the Jack Webb-produced "Adam-12"
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Joined "M*A*S*H" as Colonel Sherman Potter (also directed episodes)
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Joined a little theater group while working in Washington DC on summer vacation
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Narrated and played a recurring role on the Western detective series "Hec Ramsey" (also directed episodes)
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Planned to study law at the University of Chicago until public speaking and debating classes turned him to acting
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Played a regular on the family comedy-drama "Kentucky Jones"
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Professional stage debut, "At Mrs. Beam's" with Frances Farmer and Mildred Natwick in summer stock at Mt. Kisco, NY
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Signed by 20th Century-Fox after being spotted by a talent scout in William Saroyan's one-act play, "Hello, Out There", in a Santa Barbara stock company
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Spent two years in the original Broadway production of "Golden Boy"
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Starred as Dr. Sherman Potter on the sequel series "AfterMASH"
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Starred as Pete Porter in the sitcom spinoff, "Pete and Gladys"