Harrison Hunter (1870 – January 2, 1923) was a Scottish-American actor. Hunter was born to Scottish parents who were visiting Nashville, Tennessee. His parents took him back to Scotland; he was raised in the United Kingdom and began his acting career there. He married actress Sidney Crowe. In 1892 they had a daughter, who later performed under the name Leah Bateman. Hunter returned to the United States in 1899 as a member of the theatrical company of Olga Nethersole. He stayed and purchased a farm in Brookfield, Massachusetts.[1]
Hunter's final role was as the title character in The Bat, a stage mystery about a murderous criminal nicknamed "the Bat", who is looking for hidden money in a Long Island mansion. Hunter's character claims to be a police detective, but is revealed as the Bat in the final scene. The producers kept the twist ending a secret from the cast until the dress rehearsal. Hunter was upset to learn that his character was a criminal, but the play was a huge hit.[2] He stuck with the role through a Broadway run of over two years, then continued with a touring company. While the show was playing in Boston, Hunter entered the Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital for surgery and died of complications a week later on January 2, 1923.[3]
^Sharrar, Jack F. (1998) [1989]. Avery Hopwood: His Life and Plays. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. p. 127. ISBN0-472-10963-4. OCLC924828273.
