Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsburg on April 10, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American television actor of Norwegian extraction. He graduated from Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan, where he achieved distinction as a statewide debating champion.blank">http://www.muskegon.k12.mi.us/mhs/DistinguishedGrads/DistinguishedGrads.html.
He is perhaps best known as _Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H, "Pete" on Pete and Gladys and December Bride, and Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet.
Father of producer Christopher Morgan (I).
Once belonged to the Group Theater in New York.
Of Norwegian descent, his grandparents were immigrants from Scandinavia.
In the episode "The Days Dwindle Down" (episode # 3.21) of "Murder, She Wrote" (1984), he played an LAPD Detective Webb. In 1967, he starred as a member of the LAPD in "Dragnet 1967" (1967) which was created by and co-starred Jack Webb.
Is the former father-in-law of Julie Cobb. In 1988, Cobb married James Cromwell (I), who had made a guest appearance on "M*A*S*H" (1972).
Once said that he enjoyed playing Colonel Potter on "M*A*S*H" (1972) so much that he felt that he could have "gone on forever" playing that character.
In several episodes of "M*A*S*H" (1972), Col. Potter was seen painting portraits, mainly of the other characters. These portraits were actually painted by Morgan.
Reprised his "Dragnet 1967" (1967), Dragnet 1966 (1969) (TV) and Dragnet (1987) character (Officer Bill Gannon) in "Simpsons, The" (1989) episode "Mother Simpson".
Appeared with Lee J. Cobb, the father of his future daughter-in-law Julie Cobb in How the West Was Won (1962).
Grandfather of Rosemary Morgan (I) and Jeremy Morgan (I).
Prior to joining the cast of "M*A*S*H" (1972) in the fourth season as the stern but decent Colonel Potter, he appeared in the third season episode "The General Flipped At Dawn" as a crazed general who wanted to move the 4077 unit closer to the front line.
Had four sons by his first wife: Charles and Paul are both attorneys, Christopher Morgan (I), a TV producer, and Daniel, who died in 1989.
Second wife, Barbara Bushman, is the granddaughter of silent screen star Francis X. Bushman and the daughter of Ralph Bushman.
Graduated from Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan.
In 1942, Morgan had a small part in Orchestra Wives (1942) featuring Glenn Miller (I). In 1953, co-starred in Glenn Miller Story, The (1953).
He was an active opponent of the anti-communist witch hunts in Hollywood.
Morgan was married for 45 years to stage actress Eileen Detchon, until her death. His second wife is Barbara Bushman, granddaughter of Francis X. Bushman, a silent era movie star who played Messala in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925). In 1996, in an argument after attending a party, Morgan was arrested for beating Quine, and according to the police report, she had "a red, swollen left foot, a one-quarter-inch cut near her right eye and a bruised right arm." Charges were dropped when he agreed to attend anger management classes.
