Harry Lorraine (26 March 1885 – 27 March 1970), born Harry Albert Heard in Brighton, Sussex, England, was an actor in English silent films.
Early life
Harry Heard was the oldest of three children born to Thomas Heard and Harriett (née Ashdown). At age 16 he was working as a painter for his father, but then established himself as a magician, daredevil, and escapologist, sometimes with the spelling Harry Herd, as "The world’s youngest Handcuff King," an English version of Harry Houdini, although it's uncertain whether he met Houdini or saw him perform.
Acting career
Heard began his film career in 1912 and used the name Harry Lorraine throughout his acting career. It appears to have been strictly a stage name, as he used the surname Heard on his marriage certificate in 1932, and there is no known documentation of a legal name change.
Lorraine's first acting role was Little John in Robin Hood Outlawed. The next month, he took the lead role of Lieutenant Rose in Lieutenant Rose and the Train Wreckers. In this movie, typical for the time period, Lorraine's character is traveling on a train which has been directed to a siding by the enemy, and – all while the smallest slip means certain death – as the train is hurtling along, he climbs out of the carriage, swings himself between two coaches, and disconnects the couplings, thereby saving the day by sending on the bulk of the train to destruction while his own carriage remains safely on the track.
Lorraine did his own stunts in movies, drawing on his natural strength and the physical skills he had developed prior to acting. During a time when it seemed audiences wanted more and every action movie had to outdo previous movies – and with only visual effects and music – some were quite challenging and even dangerous. Examples of some of the daredevil stunts Lorraine performed include diving into a pool of sharks (filming on location in Jamaica), being thrown bound hand and foot from Walton Bridge into the river thirty feet below, fighting six men single-handedly and getting thrown down onto a table with such force that it splintered (this was an unrehearsed and unexpected thrill), jumping from an airplane, dangling from the jib of a very tall crane while bound, being dragged by a taxicab, and sundry chase scenes.
Lorraine's acting career spanned three decades, and its end probably had as much to do with the near-standstill of the British film industry during World War II as with his advancing age for the types of characters he usually played.
Personal life
In 1932, Lorraine married Gladys Seals in Kingston. His name was recorded as Harry Heard on the marriage certificate. He was forty-five years old and his occupation was listed as film director; she was twenty-four. Gladys used the name Tonie throughout her life. They had two boys, both born in Staines, whose surnames were registered as both Heard and Lorraine, and adopted to use the surname Lorraine.
The British film industry was decimated by the effects of World War II, and after the war Lorraine left acting to manage his father’s building business. Known as Lorraine Estates, it was initially involved in repairing bomb damage to property in Battersea and other sites in and around London. Lorraine continued working in the building business almost until his death at age 85 on 27 March 1970, and was recorded as "film director (retired)" on his death certificate. Tonie died in 2002, at age 94.
Selected filmography Release dateTitle of FilmRoleFilm Production CompanySeptember 1912Robin Hood OutlawedLittle JohnBritish and Colonial13 October 1912Lieutenant Rose and the Train WreckersLieutenant RoseClarendon1 January 1913Signals in the NightBritish and ColonialMarch, 1913The Favourite for the Jamaica CupHeadwayBritish and ColonialMarch, 1913Tom Cringle in JamaicaTom CringleBritish and ColonialMay, 1913Stock is as Good as MoneyBritish and ColonialSeptember, 1913Lieutenant Daring and the Mystery of Room 41Lieutenant DaringBritish and ColonialSeptember, 1913A Tragedy in the AlpsBritish and ColonialDecember, 1913The Little Snow WaifBritish and Colonial1913In Fate’s GripBritish and Colonial1913The Master CrookBritish and Colonial1913Through the CloudsBritish and ColonialFebruary 1914Lieutenant Daring, Aerial ScoutLieutenant DaringBritish and Colonial14 May 1914Detective Daring and the Thames CoinersLieutenant Daring, DirectorDaring Films (his own production company)1914London’s UnderworldLieutenant Daring, DirectorDaring Films (his own production company)1914Mary the FishergirlDaring Films (his own production company)before 24 June 1914The Belle of Crystal PalaceMotographbefore 24 June 1914Queenie of the CircusMotographbefore 24 June 1914The World at WarMotographc. July 1914The Great Spy RaidP & M Filmsc. August 1914Huns of the North SeaP & M Films1914Lieutenant Rose and the Sealed OrdersLieutenant RoseClarendonApril 1915The CounterfeitersSexton BlakeI.B. DavidsonApril 1915Stolen HeirloomsSexton BlakeI.B. DavidsonJuly 1915The Great Cheque FraudSexton BlakeI.B. DavidsonNovember 1915The Thornton Jewel Mystery Sexton BlakeI.B. Davidson1915WirelessCommander Daring, DirectorFamous British Players1916Popular Song FavouritesHenry Tress1 January 1917If Thou Wert BlindEric LeslieClarendon1917The Happy WarriorFoxyHarma Photoplays (his own production company)July 1918Big MoneyDirectorHarma Photoplays (his own production company)1918The Great ImpostorHixtonHarma Photoplays (his own production company)1919The Lads of the VillageDirectorAtlantic16 August 1919The Further Exploits of Sexton Blake: The Mystery of the S.S. OlympicDirector, ProducerGaumont/Atlantic1920The Woman and Officer 26Director, Producer, and wrote the screenplayAtlantic1920Pillars of SocietyProducerR.W. Syndicatebefore 1923The Tiger's EyeAtlanticbefore 1923The Unknown QuantityAtlanticbefore 1919The Pluck of the NavyAtlanticOctober 1928Sweeney ToddQTS Productions1 January 1929Unto Each OtherProducerFoxFebruary 1930Stranger than FictionJack DentonMrs. C.M. Wright1935A Fire has Been ArrangeduncreditedTwickenham Film Studios24 February 1940The Stars Look Downno appearance, possibly sets and propsGrand National Pictures1 February 1941Freedom Radio (also called A Voice in the Night)uncreditedTwo Cities/Sound City/Columbia
Notes Copies of some of Lorraine's movies are no longer extant, and there are only brief synopses for some. For others, even story lines and listing of credits are not available. During Lorraine's career, there was another actor named Harry Lorraine, an American silent film actor who was noted for comedy and romance films, not action films. Their careers largely overlapped, and due to incomplete records and because the English Harry Lorraine spent time and is thought to filmed movies in the United States, their filmographies have not yet been disambiguated with certainty.
References