Lumsden Hare

Francis Lumsden Hare was born on 17 October 1874 in County Tipperary, Ireland, and went on to become a prominent figure in American theatre and film. He received his education at St. Dunstan's College in London before embarking on a career that would span more than six decades. He died on 28 August 1964 in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 89. He was married to actress Selene Johnson.

Hare made his Broadway debut in 1908 in What Every Woman Knows, a production starring Maude Adams, and continued performing on Broadway through 1942, accumulating credits in more than 35 productions. Among his stage appearances were Plan M, Billy Draws a Horse, The Lady Has a Heart, Elmer Gantry, and 12,000. His involvement in the theatre extended beyond performance: he served as director on productions such as Peter's Mother in 1918, and took on the role of producer for a 1926 revival of What Every Woman Knows and the 1928 production of Elmer Gantry, among others.

Hare began his screen career in 1916 and ultimately accumulated more than 140 film credits before his final screen appearance in 1961, in addition to appearing in over a dozen television productions. New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall praised his film work on multiple occasions, noting the intelligence and authority Hare brought to his roles. Hall commended his portrayal of a Scotland Yard commissioner in Scotland Yard (1930), described his performance in Svengali (1931) as splendid, and praised his work in The World Moves On (1934) for its gratifying authority.