Harry Mestayer

Harry Tweed Mestayer (1876–1958) was an American actor whose career spanned silent film and stage, with Broadway appearances extending from 1902 to 1939. Born into a theatrical family, he was the son of Shakespearean actor Charles H. Mestayer, and several other members of his family also worked as actors. The Museum of the City of New York holds multiple photographs of Mestayer in acting roles.

His stage work took him across the country, including productions in California and multiple engagements in Chicago before establishing a sustained presence on Broadway. His Broadway credits included Mamba's Daughters, Glorious Morning, the musical Three Waltzes, the play Hamlet, and the musical May Wine. He also appeared on Broadway in a 1918 production of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck, in which he played Gregers Werle. Earlier in his career, he performed in Ibsen's Ghosts in Walla Walla, Washington in 1905, taking the role of Oswald Alving.

Mestayer's film career encompassed more than two dozen productions, in which he took on both leading and supporting roles. His silent film credits included The House of a Thousand Candles, in which he played Jack Glenam, and Stop Thief!, where he appeared as Jack Dougan. Other film appearances included Millionaire Baby (1915), Badgered (1916), Wives of the Rich (1916), Her Dream of Life (1916), and Black Oxen (1923), in which he portrayed James Oglethorpe. He played a District Attorney in both The Acquittal (1923) and The Locked Door (1929). In the 1918 film Wife or Country, he not only starred as Dale Barker but also co-wrote the production. Additional film credits included The Atom (1918), Unguarded Women (1924), and Flapper Wives (1924).

Mestayer was married twice. His first marriage, to actress Victory Bateman, lasted from 1901 to 1905. He subsequently married Jessie D. Lockwood, who was not a professional in the entertainment industry, and that marriage lasted from 1908 to 1924.