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Reginald Owen
Actor, Additional Credits
Born August 4, 1887Died November 5, 1972 (85 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was an English character actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and later in television programmes. The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert Tree's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his professional debut in 1905. In 1911, he starred in the original production of Where the Rainbow Ends as Saint George which opened to very good reviews on 21 December 1911. Reginald Owen had a few years earlier met the author Mrs. Clifford Mills as a young actor, and it was he who on hearing her idea of a Rainbow Story persuaded her to turn it into a play, and thus "Where the Rainbow Ends" was born.
He went to the United States in 1920 and worked originally on Broadway in New York, but later moved to Hollywood, where he began a lengthy film career. He was always a familiar face in many Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions.
Owen is perhaps best known today for his performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1938 film version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a role he inherited from Lionel Barrymore, who had played the part of Scrooge on the radio every Christmas for years until Barrymore broke his hip in an accident.
Owen was one of only five actors to play both Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson (Jeremy Brett played Watson on stage in the United States prior to adopting the mantle of Holmes on British television, Carleton Hobbs played both roles in British radio adaptations while Patrick Macnee played both roles in US television films). Howard Marion-Crawford played Holmes in a radio adaptation of "The Speckled Band" and later played Watson to Ronald Howard’s Holmes in the 1954-55 television series.
Owen first played Watson in the film Sherlock Holmes (1932), and then Holmes himself in A Study in Scarlet (1933). Having played Ebenezer Scrooge, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Owen has the odd distinction of playing three classic characters of Victorian fiction only to live to see those characters be taken over and personified by other actors, namely Alastair Sim as Scrooge, Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.
Later in his career, Owen appeared opposite James Garner in the television series Maverick in the episodes "The Belcastle Brand" (1957) and "Gun-Shy" (1958) and also guest starred in episodes of the series One Step Beyond and Bewitched. He was featured in the Walt Disney films Mary Poppins (1964) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). He had a small role in the 1962 Irwin Allen production of the Jules Verne novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. In August 1964, his Bel-Air mansion was rented out to the Beatles, who were performing at the Hollywood Bowl, when no hotel would book them.
John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was an English character actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and later in television programmes. The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert Tree's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his professional debut in 1905. In 1911, he starred in the original production of Where the Rainbow Ends as Saint George which opened to very good reviews on 21 December 1911. Reginald Owen had a few years earlier met the author Mrs. Clifford Mills as a young actor, and it was he who on hearing her idea of a Rainbow Story persuaded her to turn it into a play, and thus "Where the Rainbow Ends" was born.
He went to the United States in 1920 and worked originally on Broadway in New York, but later moved to Hollywood, where he began a lengthy film career. He was always a familiar face in many Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions.
Owen is perhaps best known today for his performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1938 film version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a role he inherited from Lionel Barrymore, who had played the part of Scrooge on the radio every Christmas for years until Barrymore broke his hip in an accident.
Owen was one of only five actors to play both Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson (Jeremy Brett played Watson on stage in the United States prior to adopting the mantle of Holmes on British television, Carleton Hobbs played both roles in British radio adaptations while Patrick Macnee played both roles in US television films). Howard Marion-Crawford played Holmes in a radio adaptation of "The Speckled Band" and later played Watson to Ronald Howard’s Holmes in the 1954-55 television series.
Owen first played Watson in the film Sherlock Holmes (1932), and then Holmes himself in A Study in Scarlet (1933). Having played Ebenezer Scrooge, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Owen has the odd distinction of playing three classic characters of Victorian fiction only to live to see those characters be taken over and personified by other actors, namely Alastair Sim as Scrooge, Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.
Later in his career, Owen appeared opposite James Garner in the television series Maverick in the episodes "The Belcastle Brand" (1957) and "Gun-Shy" (1958) and also guest starred in episodes of the series One Step Beyond and Bewitched. He was featured in the Walt Disney films Mary Poppins (1964) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). He had a small role in the 1962 Irwin Allen production of the Jules Verne novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. In August 1964, his Bel-Air mansion was rented out to the Beatles, who were performing at the Hollywood Bowl, when no hotel would book them.
Known For
Filmography
| 2011 | A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! · as Ebenezer Scrooge |
| 1987 | Disney Sing-Along Songs: Heigh-Ho · as Admiral Boom |
| 1985 | The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes · as Sherlock Holmes (archive Footage) |
| 1974 | That's Entertainment! · as (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 1971 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks · as Gen. Teagler |
| 1970 | McCloud (TV Series) |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief (TV Series) · as Clerk |
| 1967 | Rosie! · as Patrick |
| 1965 | Camp Runamuck (TV Series) · as Phineas Everwood |
| 1965 | Run for Your Life (TV Series) · as Sir Hillary Cooper |
| 1964 | Mary Poppins · as Admiral Boom |
| 1964 | Kentucky Jones (TV Series) · as Julian Fitz-Arthur |
| 1964 | Bewitched (TV Series) |
| 1964 | |
| 1963 | The Thrill of It All · as Old Tom Fraleigh |
| 1963 | Tammy and the Doctor · as Jason Tripp |
| 1962 | Five Weeks in a Balloon · as Consul |
| 1960 | Thriller (TV Series) · as The Hussar ('a Terribly Strange Bed') |
| 1959 | Adventures in Paradise (TV Series) · as Ambrose Feather |
| 1959 | One Step Beyond (TV Series) · as Herbert Blakely |
| 1958 | Darby's Rangers · as Sir Arthur Hollister |
| 1957 | Maverick (TV Series) · as Marquis Norbert Belcastle |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) · as J. Cecil Bennett |
| 1954 | Climax! (TV Series) · as Doctor |
| 1954 | Red Garters · as Judge Wallace Winthrop |
| 1954 | The Great Diamond Robbery · as Bainbridge Gibbons |
| 1951 | Grounds for Marriage · as Dely Delacorte |
| 1950 | Kim · as Father Victor |
| 1950 | The Miniver Story · as Mr. Foley |
| 1949 | Challenge to Lassie · as Sergeant Davie |
| 1949 | The Secret Garden · as Ben Weatherstaff |
| 1948 | Hills of Home · as Hopps |
| 1948 | The Three Musketeers · as Treville |
| 1948 | Julia Misbehaves · as Benjy Hawkins |
| 1948 | The Pirate · as The Advocate |
| 1947 | If Winter Comes · as Mr. Fortune |
| 1947 | Green Dolphin Street · as Captain O'hara |
| 1947 | Thunder in the Valley · as James Moore |
| 1946 | They Met at Midnight · as Judge |
| 1946 | The Imperfect Lady · as Mr. Hopkins |
| 1946 | Monsieur Beaucaire · as King Louis Xv |
| 1946 | Cluny Brown · as Henry Carmel |
| 1946 | The Diary of a Chambermaid · as Captain Lanlaire |
| 1945 | The Sailor Takes a Wife · as Mr. Amboy |
| 1945 | Captain Kidd · as Cary Shadwell |
| 1945 | She Went to the Races · as Dr. Pembroke |
| 1945 | Kitty · as Duke Of Malmunster |
| 1945 | The Valley of Decision · as Mccready |
| 1945 | The Picture of Dorian Gray · as Lord George Farmour |
| 1944 | National Velvet · as Farmer Ede |
| 1944 | The Canterville Ghost · as Lord Canterville |
| 1943 | Madame Curie · as Dr. Becquerel |
| 1943 | Three Hearts for Julia · as John Girard |
| 1943 | Salute to the Marines · as Mr. Henry Casper |
| 1943 | Above Suspicion · as Dr. Mespelbrunn |
| 1943 | Assignment in Brittany · as Col. Trane |
| 1943 | Forever and a Day · as Simpson |
| 1942 | Reunion in France · as Schultz |
| 1942 | Random Harvest · as "biffer" |
| 1942 | White Cargo · as Skipper Of The Congo Queen |
| 1942 | We Were Dancing · as Maj. Tyler-Blane |
| 1942 | Somewhere I'll Find You · as Willie Manning |
| 1942 | Cairo · as Philo Cobson |
| 1942 | Pierre of the Plains · as Noah Glenkins |
| 1942 | Mrs. Miniver · as Foley |
| 1942 | I Married an Angel · as 'whiskers' |
| 1942 | Woman of the Year · as Clayton |
| 1941 | Tarzan's Secret Treasure · as Professor Elliott |
| 1941 | Lady Be Good · as Max Milton |
| 1941 | A Yank in the R.A.F. · as 'internal Injury' In Air Raid Drill |
| 1941 | Charley's Aunt · as Mr. Redcliffe |
| 1941 | They Met in Bombay · as General Allen |
| 1941 | A Woman's Face · as Bernard Dalvik |
| 1941 | Free and Easy · as Sir George Kelvin |
| 1941 | Blonde Inspiration · as Reginald Mason |
| 1940 | Hullabaloo · as 'buzz' Foster |
| 1940 | Florian · as Emperor Franz Josef |
| 1940 | The Ghost Comes Home · as Hemingway |
| 1940 | The Earl of Chicago · as Gervase Gonwell |
| 1939 | Remember? · as Mr. Bronson |
| 1939 | Bad Little Angel · as Edwards, Marvin's Valet |
| 1939 | The Real Glory · as Capt. Hartley |
| 1939 | Bridal Suite · as Sir Horace Bragdon |
| 1939 | Hotel Imperial · as General Videnko |
| 1939 | Fast and Loose · as Vincent Charlton |
| 1938 | The Girl Downstairs · as Charlie Grump |
| 1938 | A Christmas Carol · as Ebenezer Scrooge |
| 1938 | Vacation from Love · as John Hodge Lawson |
| 1938 | Three Loves Has Nancy · as William, The Butler |
| 1938 | Kidnapped · as Capt. Hoseason |
| 1938 | Paradise for Three · as Johann Kesselhut |
| 1938 | Everybody Sing · as Hillary Bellaire |
| 1937 | Rosalie · as Chancellor |
| 1937 | Conquest · as Tallyrand |
| 1937 | The Bride Wore Red · as Admiral Monti |
| 1937 | Madame X · as Maurice Dourel |
| 1937 | Personal Property · as Claude Dabney |
| 1937 | Dangerous Number · as William |
| 1936 | Love on the Run · as Baron Otto Spandermann |
| 1936 | Adventure in Manhattan · as Blackton Gregory |
| 1936 | The Girl on the Front Page · as Archie Biddle |
| 1936 | Yours for the Asking · as Dictionary Mckinney |
| 1936 | Trouble for Two · as President Of Club |
| 1936 | The Great Ziegfeld · as Sampston |
| 1936 | Petticoat Fever · as Sir James Felton |
| 1936 | Rose-Marie · as Myerson |
| 1935 | A Tale of Two Cities · as Stryver |
| 1935 | Anna Karenina · as Stiva |
| 1935 | The Bishop Misbehaves · as Guy Waller |
| 1935 | Call of the Wild · as Mr. Smith |
| 1935 | Escapade · as Paul |
| 1935 | The Good Fairy · as The Waiter |
| 1935 | Enchanted April · as Henry Arbuthnot |
| 1934 | Here Is My Heart · as Vova |
| 1934 | Music in the Air · as Ernst Weber |
| 1934 | Madame Du Barry · as King Louis Xv |
| 1934 | Of Human Bondage · as Thorpe Athelny |
| 1934 | Stingaree · as The Governor-General |
| 1934 | Where Sinners Meet · as Leonard |
| 1934 | The House of Rothschild · as Herries |
| 1934 | Fashions of 1934 · as Oscar Baroque |
| 1934 | Mandalay · as Police Commissioner Col. Thomas Dawson |
| 1934 | Nana · as Bordenave |
| 1933 | Queen Christina · as Charles |
| 1933 | Double Harness · as Freeman |
| 1933 | Voltaire · as King Louis Xv |
| 1933 | The Narrow Corner · as Mr. Frith |
| 1933 | A Study in Scarlet · as Sherlock Holmes |
| 1932 | Robbers' Roost · as Cecil Herrick |
| 1932 | Downstairs · as Baron 'nicky' Von Burgen |
| 1932 | Sherlock Holmes · as Dr. Watson |
| 1932 | A Woman Commands · as The Prime Minister |
| 1932 | Lovers Courageous · as Lord Jimmy |
| 1931 | Platinum Blonde · as Dexter Grayson |
| 1931 | The Man in Possession · as Claude Dabney |
| 1929 | The Letter · as Robert Crosbie |
| 1922 | The Grass Orphan · as Heathcote St. John |
| 1916 | Sally in Our Alley · as Harry |
| 1914 | The Flight of Death · as Cast |