O.P. Heggie

O.P. Heggie

Golden-voiced character actor O.P. Heggie has sometimes been described as a Scotsman; in truth, he was born in Australia of Scots parents. Trained for a musical career, Heggie began "trodding the boards" at the turn of the century. He had nearly 30 years' worth of stage experience when he made his film debut in 1928. His most notable film roles included Inspector Nayland Smith in The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929), Louis XI in The Vagabond King (1930), Edmond Dantes' cellmate Abbe Faria in The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) and Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables (1934). Shortly after completing work on The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936), the 56-year old Heggie died, the victim of a brief pneumonia outbreak in Los Angeles. It is a tribute to the artistry of O.P. Heggie that his portrayal of the blind hermit in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) remains powerful and moving even after Gene Hackman's devastating takeoff in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide