A Birthday Tribute to Marjorie Reynolds
Actress Marjorie Reynolds, a bright presence in films and TV of the '30s through '50s, was born in Idaho on August 12, 1917.
Marjorie was raised in Los Angeles and appeared in a handful of silent films as a child, then returned to movies in bit parts as a teenager.
Marjorie's first roles as a leading lady were in "B" Westerns opposite stars such as Buck Jones, Tex Ritter, and George O'Brien; she also appeared opposite Ken Maynard, Roy Rogers, Tim Holt, and Bob Baker.
Here she is with O'Brien in RACKETEERS OF THE RANGE (1939):
Marjorie is always a fun, spunky presence in "B" Westerns and is someone I'm happy to see listed in the opening credits. Here she is with Holt in CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941).
Today Marjorie is especially remembered for her role as Linda opposite Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in the classic HOLIDAY INN (1942).
Marjorie, dubbed by Martha Mears, introduced the song "White Christmas" to the world alongside Bing.
Another of her most notable films was Fritz Lang's MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944) opposite Ray Milland.
I also particularly enjoyed Marjorie opposite Barry Sullivan in BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE (1949).
Marjorie starred with William Bendix on TV's LIFE OF RILEY from 1953 to 1958.
Save for a couple brief TV appearances, she was retired from the screen after 1963.
Marjorie was married twice. She had one child from her first marriage to Jack Reynolds; her second husband, whom she survived, was actor-turned-editor John Whitney (THE BACHELOR'S DAUGHTERS).
Marjorie died in Manhattan Beach, California, on February 1, 1997.
Happily I still have many Marjorie Reynolds films ahead of me to see for the first time!
Links for Marjorie Reynolds films previously reviewed at Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: TIMBER STAMPEDE (1939) (also here), RACKETEERS OF THE RANGE (1939), CYCLONE ON HORSEBACK (1941), DUDE COWBOY (1941), MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944), MONSIEUR BEAUCAIRE (1946), BAD MEN OF TOMBSTONE (1949), HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951).
Reviewed in my Western RoundUp column for Classic Movie Hub: OVERLAND EXPRESS (1938).
Update: Here are reviews of MR. WONG IN CHINATOWN (1939), THE FATAL HOUR (1940), DOOMED TO DIE (1940), and HOLIDAY INN (1942).
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posted by Laura @ 8:50 PM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the heads up on her birthday. I've also enjoyed her playing opposite Boris Karloff & Grant Withers in several of the Mr. Wong films from Monogram, and as tailspin Tommy's girlfriend in that 4 film series also from Monogram.
Michael, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a note and for mentioning some of Marjorie's other work which you've enjoyed.
Happily I have some of her other movies, including TCM recordings of the Mr. Wong series, and I look forward to checking them out in the future!
Best wishes,
Laura
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