Raymond Hart Massey (1896 - 1983)

Born 30 Aug 1896 in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Margery Hilda (Fremantle) Sebright — married 6 Jun 1921 (to 1929) in St Martin's Church, Plaistow, London, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Dorothy (Ludington) Massey — married 1939 (to 1982) in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

Died 29 Jul 1983 at age 86 in Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Raymond Massey is Notable.

Lieutenant Raymond Massey served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I
Service started: 08 Nov 1915
Unit(s): 30th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery; 50th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery
Service ended: 12 May 1919

Raymond Massey was a Canadian-born actor best known for his portrayals of Abraham Lincoln on stage, in film and on television. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Lincoln in the film version of Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940).

Raymond Massey as Abe Lincoln in the play Abe Lincoln in Illinois

He was born on 30 Aug 1896^[1] in Toronto, York, Ontario,^[1] the son of Anna Vincent ^[1] and Chester Massey,^[1] the wealthy owner of Massey-Harris Limited and grandson of its founder, Daniel Massey.

At the outbreak of World War I, Massey joined the Canadian Army, serving with the artillery on the Western Front. He returned to Canada suffering shell-shock and was engaged as an Army instructor for American officers at Yale University. In 1918, he was sent to serve in Siberia, where he made his first stage appearance, entertaining American troops on occupation duty. Severely wounded in action in France, he was sent home, where he eventually worked in the family business, selling farm implements.

Drawn to the theatre, he first appeared on the London stage in 1922. His first movie role was in High Treason (1927). In 1929, he directed the London premiere of The Silver Tassie. He played Sherlock Holmes in The Speckled Band, the first sound film version of the story, in 1931. In 1934, he starred in The Scarlet Pimpernel and in 1936 he starred in Things to Come, a film adaptation by H.G. Wells of his own speculative novel, The Shape of Things to Come (1933). In 1944, Massey played the District Attorney in Fritz Lang's classic film noir, The Woman in the Window, which starred Edward G. Robinson and Joan Bennett.

Massey became well known on television in the 1950s and 1960s. He was cast in 1960 as Sir Oliver Garnett in the episode "Trunk Full of Dreams" of the NBC western series, "Riverboat." He is also remembered as Dr. Gillespie in the popular 1961 NBC series "Dr. Kildare", with Richard Chamberlain in the title role. Massey and his son, Daniel, were cast as father and son in "The Queen's Guards"(1961).

Massey was married three times:

• Margery Fremantle from 1921 to 1929 (divorce); they had one child, architect Geoffrey Massey.
  
• Adrianne Allen from 1929 to 1939 (divorce); Allen was a London and Broadway stage actress. They had two children who followed him into acting: Anna Massey and Daniel Massey.
  
• Dorothy Ludington Whitney, on 10 Jul 1939 in Manhattan, New York^[2] until her death.

Massey, a widower, died of cardiorespiratory arrest due to pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, California,^[3] on July 29, 1983,^[3] a month before he would have turned 87. The informant on his death certificate was his son, Geoffrey Massey. ^[3]

Massey is buried in New Haven, Connecticut's Beaverdale Memorial Park.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Birth Registration: "Canada, Ontario Births, 1869-1912" Citing Birth, Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,846,559.
   FamilySearch Record: FMZG-CX7 (accessed 29 May 2022)
   FamilySearch Image: 939J-D698-62 Image number 00222
   Raymond Hart Massey birth 30 Aug 1896 in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada.
2. ↑ Marriage: "New York, New York, Index to Marriage Licenses, 1908-1910, 1938-1940"; New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Marriage Licenses; Borough: Manhattan; Year: 1939
   Ancestry Record 61788 #255067 (accessed 29 May 2022)
   Raymond Hart Massey (42) marriage to Dorothy Ludington Whitney on 10 Jul 1939 in New York, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Burial: California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000"
   Citing FHL microfilm: 2047573; Record number: 125;
   FamilySearch Record: HGZD-2ZN2 (accessed 29 May 2022)
   Raymond Hart Massey burial (died on 29 Jul 1983 at age 86) on 2 Aug 1983 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States.
4. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image).
   Find A Grave: Memorial #2474 (accessed 29 May 2022)
   Memorial page for Raymond Massey Famous memorial (30 Aug 1896-29 Jul 1983), citing Beaverdale Memorial Park, New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA (plot: Section D); Maintained by Find a Grave.

See also:

• Service record for Raymond Hart Massey published by Library and Archives of Canada. Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 6020 - 11 Item Number: 137271 Record Group: Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)
• Canadian Encyclopedia, entry for Raymond Hart Massey
• Raymond Massey on Wikipedia
• Wikidata: Item Q531461
• Raymond Massey at Find a Grave

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Audrey Neva for starting this profile.
• Family sources and details supplied in part by Melissa McKay