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Frank Reicher

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Frank Reicher
Reicher as Ferrand in John Galsworthy's
The Pigeon, debut production at the
Little Theatre (1912)
Born
Franz Reichert

(1875-12-02)December 2, 1875
Munich, Germany
DiedJanuary 19, 1965(1965-01-19) (aged 89)
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Resting placeInglewood Park Cemetery
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active1899–1951
SpouseElla Reicher (m. circa 1899–1948; her death)
FatherEmanuel Reicher
RelativesHedwiga Reicher (half-sister)
Ernst Reicher (half-brother)

Frank Reicher (born Franz Reichert;[1][2] December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film King Kong.

Early life

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Reicher was born in Munich, Germany, the son of actor Emanuel Reichert.[3] Reicher's parents divorced in 1881 and his mother died two years later while at Trieste.[4][5] His half-sister, Hedwiga Reicher, would also become a Hollywood actor. His half-brother Ernst Reicher was popular as gentleman detective Stuart Webbs in the early German cinema of the 1910s. Frank Reicher immigrated to the States in 1899 and became a naturalized American citizen some twelve years later.[6]

Margalo Gillmore, Frank Reicher and Richard Bennett in the Broadway production of He Who Gets Slapped (1922)

Career

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Reicher made his Broadway debut the year he came to America playing Lord Tarquin in Harrison Fiske's production of Becky Sharp, a comedy by Langdon Mitchell based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair.[7] His early career was spent in legitimate theater on and off Broadway. He was head of the Brooklyn Stock Company when Jacob P. Adler performed The Merchant of Venice in Yiddish while the rest of the cast remained in English. Reicher was for a number of years affiliated with the Little Theatre on West Forty-Fourth Street as an actor and manager and would remain active on Broadway as actor, director or producer well into the 1920s. On stage, Reicher starred in such plays as the first Broadway production of Georg Kaiser's From Morning to Midnight (as the cashier), the original production of Percy MacKaye's The Scarecrow (in the title role), and the United States premiere of Leonid Andreyev's He Who Gets Slapped.[8][9]

Frank Reicher is probably more familiar to modern audiences as a supporting character actor in films. He began his cinema career with an uncredited role in the 1915 film The Case for Becky and would go on to work in over two hundred motion pictures. He is probably best remembered for playing the character of Captain Englehorn in King Kong and The Son of Kong, and for his work in such films as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950). His last Hollywood role was in the very first theatrical Superman movie, Superman and the Mole Men, in 1951.[8]

Marriage

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Frank Reicher married his wife Ella sometime around 1899 prior to his coming to America. Ella Reicher, a native of Oldenburg, joined him there the following year. The couple remained together until her death in 1948.[10][11][12][13]

Death

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Frank Reicher died at a hospital in Inglewood, California, aged 89. He was survived by his sister and a brother.[8] His interment was at Inglewood Park Cemetery.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Actor

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Director

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Year Title Studio Notes
1915 The Clue Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

First credit as a director. The first

of 8 films made with Blanche Sweet.

1915 The Secret Orchard Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

First solo credit as a director
1915 The Case of Becky Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1915 The Chorus Lady Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1915 The Secret Sin Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1915 Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 Pudd'nhead Wilson Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 For the Defense Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 The Sowers Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 The Love Mask Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 Alien Souls Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 The Dupe Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 Public Opinion Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 The Victory of Conscience Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 The Storm Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1916 Witchcraft Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 Betty to the Rescue Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 Lost and Won Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 The Black Wolf Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 Castles for Two Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 Sacrifice Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 Unconquered Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 The Inner Shrine Jesse L. Lasky

Feature Play Co.

1917 The Trouble Buster Pallas Pictures
1917 The Eternal Mother Metro Pictures
1917 An American Widow Metro Pictures
1918 The Claim Metro Pictures
1918 Treasure of the Sea Metro Pictures
1918 The Only Road Metro Pictures
1918 The Sea Waif World Film
1918 The Prodigal Wife Screencraft
1919 Suspense Screencraft
1919 The American Way World Film
1919 The Trap Universal Pictures
1919 The Battler World Film
1919 The Black Circle World Film
1920 Empty Arms Park-Whiteside

Productions

1921 Idle Hands Park-Whiteside

Productions

1921 Behind Masks Famous Players-Lasky
1921 Wise Husbands Pioneer Film Corp.
1921 Out of the Depths Art-O-Graf Unconfirmed
1929 Mister Antonio Tiffany-Stahl

Productions

Co-directed with James Flood
1931 Wir schalten um auf Hollywood MGM Final director credit

References

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  1. ^ Room, Adrian (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed.. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-7864-4373-4.
  2. ^ Kornberger, Sylvia (2014). Vampire, Monster, irre Wissenschaftler: So viel Europa steckt in Hollywoods goldener Horrorfilmära. Hamburg: Disserta Verlag. p. 414. ISBN 9783954253043.
  3. ^ Brenner, A. (July 1926). "The Yiddish Theatre Celebrates Its Birthday". B'nai B'rith Magazine. Vol. 40, No. 10. pp.353–355. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  4. ^ L'art moderne 1904
  5. ^ The Jewish Encyclopedia: Volume 10 edited by Isidore Singer, Cyrus Alder (1905)
  6. ^ US Passport Application August 4, 1922
  7. ^ Famous actresses of the day in America By Lewis Clinton Strang 1902, pg. 120
  8. ^ a b c The New York Times January 23, 1965
  9. ^ "Frank Reicher – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  10. ^ California Death Index
  11. ^ 1920 US Census Records
  12. ^ The Los Angeles Times April 4, 1948
  13. ^ US Passport Application (Ella Reicher) August 4, 1922
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