Henry Bergman

Henry Bergman (February 23, 1868 – October 22, 1946) was an American actor whose career spanned stage and film across more than five decades. Born in San Francisco, California, Bergman began his theatrical work in live performance during the late nineteenth century, appearing in Henrietta at the Hollis Street Theatre in Boston in 1888 and in touring productions of The Senator in 1892 and 1893.

Bergman's Broadway career extended from 1899 to 1932 and encompassed a range of musical productions. His debut on Broadway came in 1899 alongside Anna Held in Papa's Wife, which was a musical hit of that year. Among his other Broadway credits were the musicals My Lady's Maid, Step This Way, Mam'selle Napoleon, and The Military Maid.

At the age of forty-six, Bergman made his first film appearance with the L-KO Kompany in 1914. Two years later, in 1916, he began a long professional association with Charlie Chaplin, starting with the film The Floorwalker. From that point forward, Bergman worked as a character actor in Chaplin's productions and also served in behind-the-scenes capacities, including as Assistant Director. His on-screen appearances in Chaplin films included The Pawnshop, The Immigrant, A Dog's Life, The Gold Rush, The Circus, and City Lights. His final acting role on screen was as a restaurant manager in Modern Times, and his last off-screen contribution to a Chaplin production was for The Great Dictator in 1940.

Outside of performing, Chaplin assisted Bergman in financing a Hollywood restaurant called Henry's, which attracted a celebrity clientele and preceded the later Brown Derby restaurant in prominence. Bergman remained connected to Chaplin Studios until his death from a heart attack on October 22, 1946. He is interred at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.