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Today's birthday, March 5: British actor Henry Travers (1874-1965).
Henry Travers was a veteran of the English stage before becoming well-known in the US for his role in It's A Wonderful Life.
Born Travers John Heagerty on March 5, 1874 in Northumberland, Travers moved to the US in 1917 to appear on Broadway.
By the early 1930s he was appearing alongside famous actors such as John Barrymore and Robert Montgomery in films including Reunion In Vienna (1933) and Another Language (1933).
He appeared in more than 20 films throughout the `30s and kicked off the next decade with four films, including Edison, The Man.
Travers' 1942 role in Mrs Miniver earned him an Oscar nomination. He also lent his grandfatherly demeanour to such films as High Sierra, Shadow Of A Doubt and The Bells Of St Mary's.
But Travers is best known for his role as guardian angel Clarence Oddbody in Frank Capra's 1946 hit film It's A Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart.
The film was nominated for five Oscars in 1947 and won a Golden Globe for best motion picture director.
The same year, another of Travers' films, The Yearling, took out two Oscars - for best Art Direction and Cinematography.
Travers' final film appearance was as Judge Bullfinch in The Girl From Jones Beach (1949).
He died in Hollywood in 1965.
