Laurence Hanray

Laurence Hanray

Laurence Hanray (16 May 1874 – 28 November 1947), sometimes credited as Lawrence Hanray, was a British film and theatre actor born in London, England. He is also credited as the author of several plays and music hall songs. Laurence Hanray was born Lawrence Henry Jacobs in St John's Wood on 16 May 1874, the son of Angelo Jacobs (c. 1851-1910), a glass manufacturer, and Leah (née Nathan; 1850/1851 - 1946). His father changed his name to Angelo Jacobs Hanray, and with it the family name, after becoming bankrupt in 1897, although Laurence had been using the name Hanray professionally from at least 1892, when he appeared as a member of the Hermann Vezin Theatre Company in supporting roles in Hamlet and Macbeth at Her Majesties Theatre, Dundee. Australian newspapers show he was in Australia and New Zealand from around 1901-04, appearing as Carraway Bones the undertaker in the farce Turned Up at the Theatre Royal, Perth, in May 1901, and subsequently at most of the main cities until June 1904. Travel records show him departing Sydney for Auckland in August 1901, and sailing from Sydney for London on 7 October 1904. He then resumed touring in Britain. In the 1911 census, Laurence Hanray (36), actor, is listed as residing at the Woolton Hall Hydropathic Hotel, Much Woolton, Lancashire, England. Hanray married Dorothy Mary Chambers Farnsworth (1884-1918) in the Birkenhead district during the first quarter of 1914. She petitioned for divorce in 1917, but then died suddenly in London on 16 August 1918. Hanray married Lois Grace Heatherley (1892-1966) in Paddington during the same quarter his first wife died. Lois was also an actress and performed with Laurence at the Booth Theatre, Broadway, in 1921. They were also together in The Faithful Heart, she as Ginger and Laurence as Major Lestrade, at the Comedy Theatre, Haymarket. Travel records then show the couple arriving in New York in September 1922. He appeared in John Galsworthy's play Loyalties at the Gaeity Theatre on Broadway. They arrived in Liverpool in May 1923. The couple also played together in Escape at the Booth Theatre, Broadway in 1927, she as Miss Grace and he in multiple roles (the Fellow Convict, the Old Gentleman and the Farmer). Laurence and Lois had a daughter, Ursula Susan Edith Hanray, on 16 November 1923. According to travel records, the family visited America from September 1927. Laurence also went on his own to Canada in September 1931, and also during 1939-1940. Ursula became a child actress, playing the title role in the first televised production of Alice Through The Looking Glass in 1937, and the young Queen Victoria in a London theatre in 1940. Hanray worked almost up to his death; The Times reported in early September 1947 that he was to appear in a play at Dunfermline Abbey Theatre. He died at age 73 on 28 November 1947, following an operation at the Middlesex Hospital, London. Lois Grace Hanray died aged 74 on 25 April 1966.

Known For: Acting

Born: Hampstead, London, England, UK, 1874-05-15

Died: 1947-11-28

No.	Year	Title	Role	Vote Average
1	1930	Beyond the Cities	Gregory Hayes	0
2	1931	Her Reputation	Mr. Montgomery	0
3	1932	The Faithful Heart	Major Ango	55
4	1932	Love on Wheels	Gallop's Commissionaire	50
5	1932	That Night in London	Ribbles	0
6	1932	Wedding Rehearsal	News editor	46
7	1932	Leap Year	Hope	0
8	1932	There Goes the Bride	Police Chief (uncredited)	64
9	1933	The Man from Toronto	Duncan	40
10	1933	The Good Companions	Mr. James Tarvin	58
11	1933	This Week of Grace	Lawyer Cowlber	43
12	1933	Loyalties	Jacob Twisden	60
13	1933	His Grace Gives Notice	Mr Greyling	0
14	1933	The Private Life of Henry VIII	Archbishop Cranmer	64
15	1934	The Rise of Catherine the Great	Goudovitch	59
16	1934	Those Were the Days	Wormington	75
17	1934	Chu Chin Chow	Kasim Baba	43
18	1934	What Happened Then?	Dr. Bristol	50
19	1934	The Great Defender	Parker	48
20	1934	Lorna Doone	Parson Bowden	58
21	1935	Murder at Monte Carlo	Collum	0
22	1935	Brewster's Millions	Grant	60
23	1935	Mimi	Barbemouche	52
24	1935	Adventure Ltd.	Simon Ledbury	0
25	1935	Drake of England	Minor role	70
26	1935	Street Song	Tuttle	55
27	1936	The Three Maxims	Thomas	0
28	1936	Whom the Gods Love: The Original Story of Mozart and His Wife	Archbishop of Salzburg	52
29	1936	Beloved Impostor	Arthur	0
30	1936	The Man Who Could Work Miracles	Mr. Bamfylde	57
31	1936	Lonely Road	Jenkinson	62
32	1936	Someone at the Door	Poole	0
33	1936	Rembrandt	Heertsbeeke	68
34	1937	Moonlight Sonata	Mr. Bishop	70
35	1937	It's Never Too Late to Mend	Lawyer Crawley	58
36	1937	Fire Over England	French Ambassador	60
37	1937	Midnight Menace	Sir George, Lead Conspirator	65
38	1937	Dark Journey	Cottin	64
39	1937	Action for Slander	Clerk of Court (as Lawrence Hanray)	0
40	1937	Knight Without Armour	Forrester	58
41	1937	The Girl in the Taxi	Charencey	60
42	1937	Smash and Grab	Praskins (as Laurence Hanray)	58
43	1937	The Last Chance	Mr. Perrin	60
44	1938	A Royal Divorce	Klemens von Metternich	0
45	1938	Many Waters		0
46	1938	Julius Caesar	Casca	0
47	1940	21 Days Together	Solicitor	61
48	1941	The Ghost of St. Michael's	Clerk of Court	66
49	1941	Quiet Wedding	Mr. Williamson	50
50	1941	Old Mother Riley's Circus	Cheddar, KC	44
51	1942	Hatter's Castle	Dr. Lawrie	59
52	1942	Let the People Sing		62
53	1943	My Learned Friend	Sir Norman	60
54	1944	On Approval	Parkes	69
55	1944	Hotel Reserve	Police Commissioner	65
56	1944	Love Story	Angus Rossiter	64
57	1945	Waterloo Road		62
58	1945	Read All About It	Bostock	46
59	1947	The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby	Mr. Gride	65
60	1947	Mine Own Executioner	Dr. Lefage	70

Laurence Hanray

Film

Television