BIO

Lawrence Hanray was born Lawrence Henry Jacobs in London, England, in 1874.   His father, a glass manufacturer, changed the family name to Hanray after filing for bankruptcy in 1897.

Hanray began acting in regional theatre and performed in Australia during the early years of the 20th century.   He returned to England in 1904 and continued performing in regional theatre and summer stock before first appearing in London’s West End in 1910 at the age of 36.   He continued to appear on the London stage and elsewhere through 1946.

He made his Broadway debut in 1922, at the age of 48, and appeared in three more productions through 1940.

Although Hanray first appeared in a British silent feature for Hepworth Studios in 1923, he did not return to the medium until 1930 after the introduction of sound.   Over the next 17 years, he appeared in more than 65 feature films.

He married Dorothy Farnsworth in 1914 and was widowed four years later.   His second wife was the stage actress Lois Grace Heatherley (1892-1966).   Their daughter became the actress Ursula Hanray.

Hanray died in London, England, in 1947, at the age of 73.

Additional English stage history is available at:

Additional Broadway stage history is available at:

Additional biographical information is available at:

NOTED FILMS