Harry Morgan(1915-2011)
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Harry Morgan was a prolific character actor who starred in over 100
films and was a stage performer. Known to a younger generation of fans
as "Col. Sherman T. Potter" on
M*A*S*H (1972). Also known for his
commanding personality throughout his career, he tackled movies and
television in a way no other actor would do it.
Born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit, Michigan to Anna Olsen, a homemaker who
immigrated from Sweden, and Henry Bratsberg, a mechanic who immigrated
from Norway. After graduating from Muskegon High School in Muskegon,
Michigan, he took on a salesman job before becoming a successful actor.
Several of his most memorable film roles were:
The Omaha Trail (1942), in the
next quarter-century, he would also appear in
The Ox-Bow Incident (1942),
Wing and a Prayer (1944),
State Fair (1945),
Dragonwyck (1946),
All My Sons (1948),
Red Light (1949),
Outside the Wall (1950),
Dark City (1950) where he met future
Dragnet 1967 (1967) co-star
Jack Webb, who would be best friends
until Webb's death, late in 1982, along with
Appointment with Danger (1950).
His films credits also include:
High Noon (1952),
The Glenn Miller Story (1954),
Strategic Air Command (1955),
among many others. He also co-starred with
James Garner in
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)
and Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971).
On television, he is fondly remembered as
Spring Byington's jokingly henpecked
neighbor, "Pete Porter" on
December Bride (1954), where
he became the show's scene-stealer. It was also based on a popular
radio show that transferred into television. The show was an
immediate success to viewers, which led him into starring his own
short-lived spin-off series,
Pete and Gladys (1960), which
co-starred Cara Williams, who met Morgan
in the movie,
The Saxon Charm (1948).
Morgan began his eight-year association with old friend,
Jack Webb, and Universal, starting
with Dragnet 1967 (1967), which
he played Off. Bill Gannon. For the second time, like
December Bride (1954) before
this, it was an immediate hit, where it tackled a lot of topics.
Dragnet was canceled in 1970, after a 4-season run, due to Morgan's
best friend and co-star (Jack Webb)
leaving the show to continue producing other shows, such as
Adam-12 (1968) and
Emergency! (1972). Morgan would
later work with Webb in both short-lived series,
The D.A. (1971), opposite
Robert Conrad and
Hec Ramsey (1972), opposite
Richard Boone. After those roles,
Morgan ended his contract with both Universal and Mark VII, to sign
with 20th Century Fox.
Morgan's biggest role was that of a tough-talking, commanding,
fun-loving, serious Army Officer, "Col. Sherman T. Potter" on
M*A*S*H (1972), when he replaced
McLean Stevenson, who left the show to
unsuccessfully star in his own sitcom. For the third time, the show was
still a hit with fans, and at 60, he was nominated for Emmies nine
times and won his first and only Emmy in 1980, for Outstanding
Supporting Actor. By 1983, M*A*S*H's series was getting very expensive,
as well as with the cast, hence, CBS reduced it to 16 episodes. Despite
M*A*S*H's finale in 1983, Morgan went on to star in a short-lived
spin-off series AfterMASH (1983),
co-starring Jamie Farr and
William Christopher, from the
original M*A*S*H (1972) series,
without series' star Alan Alda.
He also co-starred in 2 more short-lived series, as he was over 70,
beginning with
Blacke's Magic (1986) with
Hal Linden and his final role with
You Can't Take It with You (1987).
That same year, he reprised his role, for a second time as "Off. Bill
Gannon" in the film, Dragnet (1987),
which starred Dan Aykroyd and
Tom Hanks. Then, he guest-starred in several
shows such as:
The Twilight Zone (1985),
Renegade (1992),
The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1995),
for the third time, he also reprised his "Off. Bill Gannon" role,
supplying his voice on
The Simpsons (1989). Towards the
end of his acting career, as he reached 80, he had a recurring role as
the older college professor on
3rd Rock from the Sun (1996),
opposite John Lithgow. Afterwards,
he retired from show business and lived with his family. Harry Morgan
died on December 7, 2011 at 96. On confirming his death, his son
Charles said that he had been recently treated for pneumonia. Morgan
was also one of the oldest living Hollywood male actors.
films and was a stage performer. Known to a younger generation of fans
as "Col. Sherman T. Potter" on
M*A*S*H (1972). Also known for his
commanding personality throughout his career, he tackled movies and
television in a way no other actor would do it.
Born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit, Michigan to Anna Olsen, a homemaker who
immigrated from Sweden, and Henry Bratsberg, a mechanic who immigrated
from Norway. After graduating from Muskegon High School in Muskegon,
Michigan, he took on a salesman job before becoming a successful actor.
Several of his most memorable film roles were:
The Omaha Trail (1942), in the
next quarter-century, he would also appear in
The Ox-Bow Incident (1942),
Wing and a Prayer (1944),
State Fair (1945),
Dragonwyck (1946),
All My Sons (1948),
Red Light (1949),
Outside the Wall (1950),
Dark City (1950) where he met future
Dragnet 1967 (1967) co-star
Jack Webb, who would be best friends
until Webb's death, late in 1982, along with
Appointment with Danger (1950).
His films credits also include:
High Noon (1952),
The Glenn Miller Story (1954),
Strategic Air Command (1955),
among many others. He also co-starred with
James Garner in
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)
and Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971).
On television, he is fondly remembered as
Spring Byington's jokingly henpecked
neighbor, "Pete Porter" on
December Bride (1954), where
he became the show's scene-stealer. It was also based on a popular
radio show that transferred into television. The show was an
immediate success to viewers, which led him into starring his own
short-lived spin-off series,
Pete and Gladys (1960), which
co-starred Cara Williams, who met Morgan
in the movie,
The Saxon Charm (1948).
Morgan began his eight-year association with old friend,
Jack Webb, and Universal, starting
with Dragnet 1967 (1967), which
he played Off. Bill Gannon. For the second time, like
December Bride (1954) before
this, it was an immediate hit, where it tackled a lot of topics.
Dragnet was canceled in 1970, after a 4-season run, due to Morgan's
best friend and co-star (Jack Webb)
leaving the show to continue producing other shows, such as
Adam-12 (1968) and
Emergency! (1972). Morgan would
later work with Webb in both short-lived series,
The D.A. (1971), opposite
Robert Conrad and
Hec Ramsey (1972), opposite
Richard Boone. After those roles,
Morgan ended his contract with both Universal and Mark VII, to sign
with 20th Century Fox.
Morgan's biggest role was that of a tough-talking, commanding,
fun-loving, serious Army Officer, "Col. Sherman T. Potter" on
M*A*S*H (1972), when he replaced
McLean Stevenson, who left the show to
unsuccessfully star in his own sitcom. For the third time, the show was
still a hit with fans, and at 60, he was nominated for Emmies nine
times and won his first and only Emmy in 1980, for Outstanding
Supporting Actor. By 1983, M*A*S*H's series was getting very expensive,
as well as with the cast, hence, CBS reduced it to 16 episodes. Despite
M*A*S*H's finale in 1983, Morgan went on to star in a short-lived
spin-off series AfterMASH (1983),
co-starring Jamie Farr and
William Christopher, from the
original M*A*S*H (1972) series,
without series' star Alan Alda.
He also co-starred in 2 more short-lived series, as he was over 70,
beginning with
Blacke's Magic (1986) with
Hal Linden and his final role with
You Can't Take It with You (1987).
That same year, he reprised his role, for a second time as "Off. Bill
Gannon" in the film, Dragnet (1987),
which starred Dan Aykroyd and
Tom Hanks. Then, he guest-starred in several
shows such as:
The Twilight Zone (1985),
Renegade (1992),
The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1995),
for the third time, he also reprised his "Off. Bill Gannon" role,
supplying his voice on
The Simpsons (1989). Towards the
end of his acting career, as he reached 80, he had a recurring role as
the older college professor on
3rd Rock from the Sun (1996),
opposite John Lithgow. Afterwards,
he retired from show business and lived with his family. Harry Morgan
died on December 7, 2011 at 96. On confirming his death, his son
Charles said that he had been recently treated for pneumonia. Morgan
was also one of the oldest living Hollywood male actors.