Raymond Hart Massey

Massey, Raymond Hart

Raymond Hart Massey, actor (b at Toronto 30 Aug 1896; d at Los Angeles, Calif 29 July 1983), brother of Vincent MASSEY. His distinctive voice and craggy good looks made him indelibly associated with the role of Abraham Lincoln both on stage and in film. In Siberia, in February 1919, Massey mounted an army minstrel show with the Canadian forces before turning professional in July 1922 with the Everyman Theatre in England. He had already been an amateur at Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario (1913-14), Oxford (1919-20), and Hart House Theatre, U of T (1921-22). In 1924 he played 2 parts with Sybil Thorndike in Saint Joan and in 1931 made his debut on Broadway as Hamlet. Notable New York revivals of Bernard Shaw plays in which he starred were The Doctor's Dilemma (1941), Candida (1942) and Pygmalion (1945). His distinguished film career began in 1931 and included over 70 movies ranging from The Scarlet Pimpernel to East of Eden. In the late 1950s and 1960s he became known to a new generation as Dr Gillespie in the "Dr. Kildare" TV series.