Reginald Denny was born on November 20, 1891 in Richmond, Surrey, England. His given name at birth was Reginald Leigh Dugmore. Acting ran in the family. His father, W.H. Denny was a stage actor and singer who was a member of Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company.
At the age of 17, Reginald moved to America with his family, and acted in a stage play, THE QUAKER GIRL.
In 1912, Reginald toured with a performing group, throughout America and India.
Because he inherited his father's fine baritone voice, he also toured with the Bandmann Opera Company.
In 1915, he started his career in American silent films. However, in 1917, he returned to England and joined the Royal Flying Corp., and served his native country for 2 years. When he returned to America in 1919, his found himself in demand for silent films, making almost 60 films, playing a variety of characters.
Malcolm Denny, an actor who starred in THE DICE WOMAN in 1927, is Reginald Denny's brother.
In 1913, Reginald Denny married Irene Haisman. Irene Haisman was an actress and starred in THE TIME, THE PLACE AND THE GIRL in 1929. They had one child named Barbara. They were later divorced in 1927.
In November of 1928 Reginald Denny married Betsy Lee and they had three children. Betsy Lee was also an actress and acted THE NIGHT BIRD in 1928.
Reginald Denny Industires, is a company founded on Reginald Denny's hobby, model aviation. He won a contract from the Army to build a radio-controlled target drone. Radioplane was fomed in 1940 during WWII. The Reginald Denny Industries produced 15,000 target drones for the army. Radioplane was later purchased by Northrop in 1952.
Reginald Denny also owned a hobby shop on Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, California specializing in RC model planes.
Close to the end of WWII, Reginald Denny gave permission to the war industy to photo shoot at his Radioplane Plant. The photographers happened to notice a pretty young employee of Reginald Denny's at the Plant. The photographers photographed her and brought the pictures to the attention of some important people in the Hollywood movie industry and they agreed to give her a try in the business. The employee's given name was Norma Jean Mortensen but everyone knows her by her screen name, Marilyn Monroe.
In 1940, Reginald Denny was in Alfred Hitchock's REBECCA. He played the part of Frank Crawley.
Reginald Denny has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California.
On June 16, 1967, Reginald Denny died of cancer.
Some of the credits of Reginald Denny include -
BATMAN - 1966
ASSAULT ON A QUEEN - 1966
BATMAN - TV - 1966
CAT BALLOU - 1965
THE PHANTOM - 1961
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - 1956
SABAKA - 1954
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE - 1953
THE IROQUIOS TRAIL - 1950
MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE - 1948
CHRISTMAS EVE - 1947
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY - 1947
SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD - 1944
THUNDER BIRDS - 1942
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR - 1942
SPRING PARADE - 1940
BLOCKADE - 1938
TWO IN A CROWD - 1936
THE RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD - 1934
OF HUMAN BONDAGE - 1934
OH FOR A MAN - 1930
THE NIGHT BIRD - 1928
SPORTING YOUTH - 1924
THE KENTUCKY DERBY - 1922
NIOBE - 1915
Reginald Denny - MovieActors.com
