Reginald Owen

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John Reginald Owen (born August 5, 1887 in Wheathampstead , Hertfordshire , England , † November 5, 1972 in Boise , Idaho , USA ) was a British actor .

Life

Owen trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his stage debut in 1905 at the age of 18. In 1920 he moved to New York and played there on Broadway from 1925 . Four years later he moved to Hollywood to work as a film actor. In 1929 he was seen in The Letter alongside actors such as Jeanne Eagels , OP Heggie and Herbert Marshall . Owen became known in the 1930s through the role of Doctor Watson , friend and constant companion of the master private detective Sherlock Holmes . He later played the detectives in the 1933 film A Study in Scarlet . From then on, Owen appeared in many productions for film and television. He also played in several films by the director Edwin L. Marin , including in his perhaps best-known leading role as Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Dickens film adaptation A Christmas Carol (1938), where he replaced the sick Lionel Barrymore before shooting began.

The well-known actor mostly worked for MGM and proved his versatility in relatively different roles. In his later years he once again attracted attention through films by Walt Disney and appearances on the series Maverick . Owen was also a frequent guest actor in numerous other US television series of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1964 he took on the role of "Admiral Boom" in the children's film classic Mary Poppins . Also in 1972, the year he died, he played again on stage in the piece A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Phil Silvers .

Reginald Owen was married three times: First marriage to actress Lydia Bilbrook (1888–1990), with whom he had two children. In his second marriage he married the stage actress Harold Austin. He was married to Barbara Haveman until the end of his life. He died of a heart attack on November 5, 1972 . At that time he was still writing his autobiography . Owen didn't have a permanent voice actor . He was spoken by Paul Wagner and Walther Süssenguth , among others .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Commons : Reginald Owen  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Owen, Reginald
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Owen, John Reginald (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH August 5, 1887
PLACE OF BIRTH Wheathampstead , Hertfordshire , England
DATE OF DEATH 5th November 1972
Place of death Boise , Idaho , USA