Holmes Herbert


Holmes Herbert was an English character actor who appeared in Hollywood films from 1915 to 1952, often as a British gentleman.

Life and career

Born Horace Edward Jenner, Holmes Herbert emigrated to the United States in 1912. He was the first son of Edward Henry Jenner, who worked as an actor and comedian in the British theatre. He never made a film in his native country but managed to appear in 228 films during his career in the U.S., beginning with stalwart leading roles during the silent era and numerous supporting roles in many classic Hollywood films of the sound era, including Captain Blood, The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Life of Emile Zola, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Foreign Correspondent.
In silent films Herbert could play different nationalities, as did his contemporaries like Wyndham Standing, but when sound films came in, their pronounced British accents were revealed.
Herbert is perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Jekyll's friend Dr. Lanyon in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and made something of a career in horror films of the period, appearing in The Terror, The Thirteenth Chair, The Mystery of the Wax Museum, The Invisible Man, Mark of the Vampire, Tower of London, The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Undying Monster, The Mummy's Curse and The Son of Dr. Jekyll. He also played in several of Universal's cycle of Sherlock Holmes films during the 1940s. He retired from acting in 1952.
Herbert was married three times. His first wife was actress Beryl Mercer, and his second was Elinor Kershaw Ince, widow of film mogul Thomas H. Ince. Both marriages ended in divorce. Third wife Agnes Bartholomew died, leaving Herbert a widower, in 1955. He died in 1956 at age 74.

Selected filmography