Raymond Massey
Biography
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian actor born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 30, 1896, and he died on July 29, 1983, at the age of 86. Known for his commanding stage-trained voice, Massey received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his lead role in Abe Lincoln in Illinois in 1940. He reprised his role as Lincoln on television and in the film How the West Was Won in 1962. Among his other well-known roles, Massey played Dr. Gillespie in the NBC television series Dr. Kildare from 1961 to 1966, portrayed John Brown in Santa Fe Trail in 1940 and Seven Angry Men in 1955, played Abraham Farlan in A Matter of Life and Death in 1946, and appeared as Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace in 1944.
Career overview
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian actor recognized for his commanding stage-trained voice. Born on August 30, 1896, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Massey established a notable career in film and television with ninety known acting credits. He earned an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his lead role as Abraham Lincoln in Abe Lincoln in Illinois, which was released in 1940. Massey later reprised his role as Lincoln on television and in the film How the West Was Won, released in 1962.
Throughout his career, Massey portrayed several other well-known historical and fictional characters on screen. He played John Brown in the films Santa Fe Trail in 1940 and Seven Angry Men in 1955. His diverse filmography also includes the roles of Abraham Farlan in A Matter of Life and Death in 1946 and Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace in 1944. In addition to his feature film work, Massey appeared extensively on television, playing Dr. Gillespie in the NBC television series Dr. Kildare, which ran from 1961 to 1966. Massey died on July 29, 1983, at the age of eighty-six.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
97 titles- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- My Darling Daughters' Anniversary (1973) as Matthew Cunningham
- The President's Plane Is Missing (1973) as Secretary of State Freeman Sharkey
- All My Darling Daughters (1972) as Matthew Cunningham
- Walt Whitman: Poet for a New Age (1971) as Abraham Lincoln
- Night Gallery (1970) as Dr. Glendon
- Night Gallery (1970) as Colonel Archie Dittman (segment "Clean Kills and Other Trophies")
- Mackenna's Gold (1969) as The Preacher
- Saint Joan (1967) as The Inquisitor
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966) as B. Elzie Bubb
- Choice (1964) as Narrator
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- How the West Was Won (1962) as Abraham Lincoln
- Jacqueline Kennedy's Asian Journey (1962) as Narrator
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Dr. Leonard Barry Gillespie
- The Fiercest Heart (1961) as Willem Prisloom
- The Queen's Guards (1961)
- The Great Impostor (1960) as Abbott Donner
- Insight (1960)
- Seconds for Survival (1960) as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Adventures in Paradise (1959) as Captain William Brooks
- Riverboat (1959) as Sir Oliver Garnett
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958) as Amos Claypool
- The Naked and the Dead (1958) as General Cummings
- Wagon Train (1957) as Montezuma IX
- Omar Khayyam (1957) as The Shah
- Mayerling (1957) as The Prime Minister
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Malachi West
- Armchair Theatre (1956) as Sir George Sidney, MP
- Armchair Theatre (1956) Writer
- The True Story of the Civil War (1956) as Narrator
- The Naked Eye (1956) as Sprecher
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Sam Pine
- The 20th Century Fox Hour (1955) as George Apley
- East of Eden (1955) as Adam Trask
- Battle Cry (1955) as Major General Snipes
- Seven Angry Men (1955) as John Brown
- Prince of Players (1955) as Junius Brutus Booth
- Climax! (1954) as Sir George Sidney
- Climax! (1954) as Doc Woodward
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Lord Hook
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Paul von Hindenburg
- The Desert Song (1953) as Sheik Yousseff
- The American Road (1953) as Narrator
- Carson City (1952) as Big Jack Davis
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as The Inquisitor
- Sugarfoot (1951) as Jacob Stint
- David and Bathsheba (1951) as Nathan
- Come Fill the Cup (1951) as John Ives
- The Victor Borge Show (1951) as Self
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) as Dr. Henry Craig
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) as Dr. Clark Evans
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950) as Judge Benton
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Mystery Guest
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Abe Lincoln
- Chain Lightning (1950) as Leland Willis
- Dallas (1950) as Will Marlow
- Barricade (1950) as Boss Kruger
- Challenge: Science Against Cancer (1950) as Narrated by (voice)
- Lights Out (1949)
- The Fountainhead (1949) as Gail Wynand
- Roseanna McCoy (1949) as Old Randall McCoy
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Ford Theatre (1948)
- The Ford Theatre Hour (1948) as Clinton Jones
- Mourning Becomes Electra (1947) as Ezra Mannon
- Possessed (1947) as Dean Graham
- A Matter of Life and Death (1946) as Abraham Farlan
- God Is My Co-Pilot (1945) as Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault
- Hotel Berlin (1945) as Arnim von Dahnwitz
- Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) as Jonathan Brewster
- The Woman in the Window (1944) as Dist. Attorney Frank Lalor
- Action in the North Atlantic (1943) as Capt. Steve Jarvis
- Reap the Wild Wind (1942) as King Cutler
- Breakdowns of 1942 (1942) as Self
- Desperate Journey (1942) as Major Otto Baumeister
- 49th Parallel (1941) as Andy Brock
- Dangerously They Live (1941) as Dr. Ingersoll
- Santa Fe Trail (1940) as John Brown
- Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) as Abe Lincoln
- The Drum (1938) as Prince Ghul
- Black Limelight (1938) as Peter Charrington
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) as Black Michael
- The Hurricane (1937) as DeLaage
- Fire Over England (1937) as King Philip II of Spain
- Under the Red Robe (1937) as Cardinal Richelieu
- Dreaming Lips (1937) as Miguel del Vayo
- Things to Come (1936) as John Cabal / Oswald Cabal
- The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) as Chauvelin
- The Old Dark House (1932) as Philip Waverton
- The Face at the Window (1932) as Paul le Gros
- The Speckled Band (1931) as Sherlock Holmes
- The Crooked Billet (1930)
- High Treason (1929) as Member of Federated States Council
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Raymond Massey best known for?
Raymond Massey is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Dinah! (1974), Night Gallery (1970), Night Gallery (1970), Mackenna's Gold (1969).
When and where was Raymond Massey born?
Raymond Massey was born on August 30, 1896 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They passed away on July 29, 1983.
How many credits does Raymond Massey have?
Raymond Massey has accumulated over 97 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1929 to 1974.
What is Raymond Massey's background in cinema and television?
Raymond Hart Massey was a Canadian actor born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 30, 1896, and he died on July 29, 1983, at the age of 86. Known for his commanding stage-trained voice, Massey received an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for his lead role in Abe Lincoln in Illinois in 1940. He reprised his rol...
Raymond Massey by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as The Inquisitor — aged about 54
- Night Gallery (1970) as Dr. Glendon — aged about 73
- Night Gallery (1970) as Colonel Archie Dittman (segment "Clean Kills and Other Trophies") — aged about 73
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Sam Pine — aged about 58
- A Matter of Life and Death (1946) as Abraham Farlan — aged about 49
- Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) as Jonathan Brewster — aged about 47
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