/ Stars that died in 2023: Harry Morgan, American actor (M*A*S*H, Dragnet), died from pneumonia he was 96.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Harry Morgan, American actor (M*A*S*H, Dragnet), died from pneumonia he was 96.

Harry Morgan was a talented and versatile American actor and director, with a career spanning six decades. Born as Harry Bratsberg (sometimes spelled Bratsburg) on April 10, 1915, he passed away at the age of 96 on December 7, 2011, due to pneumonia.
Morgan's most prominent roles included Pete Porter in the television series "December Bride" (1954–1959) and its spin-off "Pete and Gladys" (1960–1962), Officer Bill Gannon in "Dragnet" (1967–1970), Amos Coogan in "Hec Ramsey" (1972–1974), and Colonel Sherman T. Potter in "MAS*H" (1975–1983) and "AfterMASH" (1983–1984). Throughout his career, Morgan also appeared in over 100 films.
He was married to Eileen Detchon from 1940 until her death in 1985, and later to Barbara Bushman from 1986 until his passing. Morgan had four children and faced legal issues in December 1987 when he was arrested for allegedly abusing his wife, though all charges were later dropped.
Harry Morgan's extensive body of work and memorable characters left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry and endeared him to generations of television viewers and film audiences alike.

(April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) 

Early life and career

Harry Morgan had a successful career on Broadway before transitioning to film and television. During his time with the Group Theatre in New York City, he performed in several notable productions under his birth name, Harry Bratsburg. Some of his Broadway roles included:
  • "Golden Boy" by Clifford Odets (1937)
  • "The Cream in the Well" (1941)
  • "Heavenly Express" (1940)
After joining the Group Theatre, Morgan acted alongside other prominent members such as Lee J. Cobb, Elia Kazan, Sanford Meisner, and Karl Malden. He also participated in summer stock productions at the Pine Brook Country Club in Nichols, Connecticut.
Morgan's Broadway career laid the foundation for his successful transition to film and television, where he became well-known for his roles in "MAS*H," "Dragnet," and numerous other popular series and movies.

Film work


With Cara Williams in Pete and Gladys
Morgan made his screen debut (originally using the name "Henry Morgan") in the 1942 movie To the Shores of Tripoli. His screen name later would become "Henry 'Harry' Morgan" and eventually Harry Morgan, to avoid confusion with the popular humorist of the same name.
In the same year, Morgan appeared in the movie Orchestra Wives as a young man pushing his way to the front of a ballroom crowd with his date to hear Glenn Miller's band play. A few years later, still credited as Henry Morgan, he was cast in the role of pianist Chummy MacGregor in the 1954 biopic The Glenn Miller Story.
Morgan continued to play a number of significant roles on the big screen in such films as The Ox-Bow Incident (1943); Wing and a Prayer (1944); Dragonwyck (1946); The Big Clock (1948); High Noon (1952); and several films in the 1950s for director Anthony Mann, including Bend of the River (1952); Thunder Bay (1953); The Glenn Miller Story (1954); The Far Country (1955) and Strategic Air Command (1955). In his later film career, he appeared in Inherit the Wind (1960); How the West Was Won (1962) (as Ulysses S. Grant); John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965); Frankie and Johnny (1966); Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969); Support Your Local Gunfighter! (1971); Snowball Express (1972); The Shootist (1976); The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979); and a cameo in the film version of Dragnet (1987) with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.

Radio and television

Morgan hosted the NBC radio series Mystery in the Air starring Peter Lorre in 1947. On CBS, he played Pete Porter in Pete and Gladys (1960–1962), with Cara Williams as wife Gladys. Pete and Gladys was a spinoff of December Bride (1954–1959), starring Spring Byington, a show in which Morgan had a popular recurring role. In 1950, Morgan appeared as an obtrusive, alcohol-addled hotel clerk in the Dragnet radio episode "The Big Boys".

1960s: Dragnet and other roles


Morgan with Jack Webb in Dragnet.
After Pete and Gladys ended production, Morgan guest starred in the role of Al Everett in the 1962 episode "Like My Own Brother" on Gene Kelly's ABC drama series, Going My Way, loosely based on the 1944 Bing Crosby film of the same name. That same year he played the mobster Bugs Moran in an episode of ABC's The Untouchables, with Robert Stack. In 1963, he was cast as Sheriff Ernie Backwater on Richard Boone's Have Gun - Will Travel western series on CBS.
In the 1964–1965 season, Morgan co-starred as Seldom Jackson in the 26-week NBC comedy/drama Kentucky Jones, starring Dennis Weaver, formerly of Gunsmoke.
Morgan is even more widely recognized as Officer Bill Gannon, Joe Friday's partner in the revived version of Dragnet (1967–1970).
Morgan had also appeared with Dragnet star Jack Webb in two film noir movies, Dark City (1950) and Appointment with Danger (1951), and was an early regular member of Jack Webb's stock company of actors on the original Dragnet radio show. Morgan later worked on two other shows for Webb: 1971's The D.A. and the 1972–1974 western series, Hec Ramsey. Morgan also appeared in at least one episode of Gunsmoke.

1970s: M*A*S*H


As Colonel Potter in M*A*S*H with Alan Alda and Mike Farrell
After his contract with Mark VIII had expired in 1974, Morgan's first appearance on M*A*S*H was in the show's third season (1974–1975), when he played eccentric Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in "The General Flipped at Dawn", which originally aired on September 10, 1974.
The following season, Morgan joined the cast of M*A*S*H for his co-starring role as Colonel Sherman T. Potter. A fan of the sitcom, Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson, who had left the show at the end of the previous season. Unlike Stevenson's character Henry Blake, Potter was a career Army officer who was a firm yet good-humored, caring father figure to the people under his command.
In 1980, Morgan won an Emmy award for his performance on M*A*S*H. When asked if he was a better actor after working with the show's talented cast, Morgan responded, "I don't know about that, but it's made me a better human being."[15] After the end of the series, Morgan reprised the Potter role in a short-lived spinoff series, AfterMASH.
Morgan also kept busy appearing in several Disney movies throughout the decade, including The Barefoot Executive, Snowball Express, Charley and the Angel, The Apple Dumpling Gang, The Cat from Outer Space (opposite McLean Stevenson) and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.

Later years

In 1986, he costarred with Hal Linden in Blacke's Magic, a show about a magician who doubled as a detective solving unusual crimes. The series lasted only one season. Morgan's character, Leonard Blacke, was a semi-retired con artist.
In 1979, Morgan played Mr. DePinna in a TV version of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's Pulitzer prize-winning play You Can't Take It With You. He also played the lead role of Martin Vanderhoff in a short-lived series based on the same play, in 1987. He was given a supporting role in John Wayne's last film The Shootist in 1976, playing the town lawman who cheered Wayne's character's forthcoming demise from cancer.
In 1987, Morgan reprised his Bill Gannon character, now a captain, for a supporting role in another film version of Dragnet, a parody of the original series written by and starring Dan Aykroyd and co-starring Tom Hanks and Christopher Plummer.
In the 1990s, Morgan played the role of Judge Stoddard Bell in a series of TV movies starring Walter Matthau (The Incident; Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (TV 1992) and Incident in a Small Town (1994 TV)). He was on an episode of The Simpsons as Officer Bill Gannon from Dragnet in the 7th season ("Mother Simpson") and had a recurring role on 3rd Rock from the Sun as Professor Suter. Morgan directed episodes for several TV series, including two episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, 1 episode of Adam-12 and eight episodes of M*A*S*H. Morgan had a guest role on The Jeff Foxworthy Show as Raymond and a guest role on Grace Under Fire as Jean's pot-smoking boyfriend.
In 2006, Morgan was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Personal life

Harry Morgan's personal life was marked by his two marriages and the family he built with his first wife, Eileen Detchon. Morgan's love for Detchon was evident through the inclusion of her photograph on the desk of his character Colonel Potter in "MAS*H." A drawing by their grandson, Jeremy Morgan, was also featured on the set, further emphasizing the importance of family to Morgan.
In addition to the connections to his personal life seen in "MAS*H," Morgan's wife Eileen inspired the name of Officer Bill Gannon's wife in "Dragnet," showcasing the intertwining of his real and on-screen personas.
Morgan and Eileen had four sons together: Christopher, Charles, Paul, and Daniel, although Daniel passed away in 1989. Following Eileen's death in 1985, Morgan married Barbara Bushman Quine in 1986, the granddaughter of silent film star Francis X. Bushman.
In 1997, Morgan faced legal trouble after being charged with domestic violence against his second wife, Barbara. The charges were later dropped upon completion of a six-month domestic violence counseling program. Morgan's family also included two siblings, Marguerite and Arnold, who have both since passed away.
Throughout his life, Morgan's dedication to his craft and his family remained apparent, leaving a lasting impact on the entertainment industry and the hearts of his loved ones.

Death

Harry Morgan's passing on December 7, 2011, marked the end of a long and distinguished career in the entertainment industry. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in Los Angeles at the age of 96. His son, Charles, mentioned that Morgan had recently received treatment for pneumonia. After his body was cremated, his ashes were given to his family.
Upon learning of Morgan's death, his former "MAS*H" co-star Mike Farrell released a heartfelt statement that highlighted Morgan's qualities as an actor and friend. Farrell praised Morgan as a "wonderful man" and a "fabulous actor," while also acknowledging the impact Morgan had on everyone who worked with him.
Farrell described Morgan as a "true professional," who, despite having worked alongside many great actors, never saw himself as one of them. He emphasized Morgan's reliability and ability to be playful on set, describing him as the "rock everyone depended on." He called Morgan the finest example of a "character actor" whose presence elevated the performances of those around him, making them shine even brighter.
The admiration Morgan received from his colleagues was reciprocated, as Farrell recounted Morgan's humility and gratitude towards his experience on "MAS*H." Morgan once said that while he didn't know if the show had made him a better actor, it had undoubtedly made him a better human being. This selflessness and dedication to personal growth are testaments to Morgan's character and his lasting impact on the entertainment industry.

Filmography


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