Maxwell Reed (2 April 1919 – 31 October 1974) was a

Northern Irish The people of Northern Ireland are all people born in Northern Ireland and having, at the time of their birth, at least one parent who is a British Nationality Law, British citizen, an Irish nationality law, Irish citizen or is otherwis ...

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

who became a

matinée idol Matinée idol is a term used mainly to describe film or theatre stars who are adored to the point of adulation by their fans. The term almost exclusively refers to adult male actors. Matinée idols often tend to play romantic and dramatic ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

films during the

1940s File:1940s decade montage.png, Above title bar: events during World War II (1939–1945): From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching Omaha Beach on Normandy landings, D-Day; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of ...

and

1950s File:1950s decade montage.png, 370x370px, Top, L-R: U.S. Marines engaged in street fighting during the Korean War, late September 1950; The first polio vaccine is developed by Jonas Salk.Centre, L-R: US tests its first thermonuclear bomb with co ...

Biography

Early years

Reed was born in

Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory)Larne/Latharna
Placenames Database of Ireland. is a to ...

. He left school aged fifteen to work on ships, including as a blockade runner. He wanted to act and ended up studying at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

for a year. During World War II he served in the RAF and then the Merchant Navy. After demobilisation he worked as an extra and in repertory. He did a screen test for

Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the north bank of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having opened in May 1976, th ...

Rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...

and joined

The Company of Youth The Company of Youth was an acting school for young contract players for the Rank Organisation who were being groomed for stardom. It was commonly known as the Rank Charm School. History The Company of Youth was a conscious attempt by J. Arthur ...

at the age of 27. Reed made his film debut in '' The Years Between'' (1946) and then appeared in '' Gaiety George'' (1946), both in uncredited roles.

Leading man

Producer

Sydney Box Frank Sydney Box (29 April 1907 – 25 May 1983) was a British film producer and screenwriter, and brother of British film producer Betty Box. In 1940, he founded the documentary film company Verity Films with Jay Lewis. He produced and co- ...

thought Reed had star potential and promoted him to leading man status for '' Daybreak'', a film noir which Box produced and co-wrote with his wife Muriel; Reed played an employee of

Eric Portman Eric Harold Portman (13 July 1901 – 7 December 1969) was an English stage and film actor. He is probably best remembered for his roles in three films for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger during the 1940s. Early life Born in Halifax, ...

's character Eddie who lusts after Eddie's wife, played by

Ann Todd Dorothy Ann Todd (24 January 1907 – 6 May 1993) was an English film, television and stage actress who achieved international fame when she starred in '' The Seventh Veil'' (1945). From 1949 to 1957 she was married to David Lean who directed ...

. The film was made in 1946, but not released until 1948 because of censorship issues. Box then cast Reed opposite

Patricia Roc Patricia Roc (born Felicia Miriam Ursula Herold; 7 June 1915 – 30 December 2003) was an English film actress, popular in the Gainsborough melodramas such as '' Madonna of the Seven Moons'' (1945) and ''The Wicked Lady'' (1945), though she on ...

as one of the leads in a film made immediately after but released before ''Daybreak'': '' The Brothers'' (1947). Reed followed it with a rare sympathetic character in ''

Dear Murderer ''Dear Murderer'' is a 1947 British film noir crime, drama, thriller, directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Eric Portman and Greta Gynt. The film has come to be regarded as one of the best movies made under the su ...

'' (1947), from a script by Box, which again starred Portman. He then made two films opposite

Anne Crawford Imelda Anne Crawford (22 November 1920 – 17 October 1956) was a British film actress. Biography Crawford was born in Palestine to a Scottish father and an English mother, and brought up in Edinburgh. On the advice of Alastair Sim, she atten ...

, '' Night Beat'' (1947) and '' Daughter of Darkness'' (1948), where he was back to playing his usual scoundrels. He had the lead in a film called ''Streets Paved with Water'' but this was abandoned during filming. Reed had more of a support role in ''

The Lost People ''The Lost People'', also known as ''Cockpit'', is a 1949 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and Bernard Knowles and starring Dennis Price, Mai Zetterling and Richard Attenborough. It was written by Bridget Boland based on her 1948 play ...

'' (1949), co-directed by Muriel Box, and '' Madness of the Heart'' (1949), starring

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was a British actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), '' Night Train to Munich ...

. After his initial late 1940s success he then starred in his first B movie, ''

Blackout Blackout(s), black out, or The Blackout may refer to: Loss of lighting or communication * Power outage, a loss of electric power * Blackout (broadcasting), a regulatory or contractual ban on the broadcasting of an event * Blackout (fabric), a t ...

'' (1950). This was followed by a supporting role in ''

The Clouded Yellow ''The Clouded Yellow'' is a 1950 British mystery film directed by Ralph Thomas and produced by Betty E. Box for Carillon Films. It stars Jean Simmons and Trevor Howard. A dismissed secret service agent falls in love with a disturbed young woma ...

'' (1950) with

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...

and

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...

, then the lead in some more B pictures, '' The Dark Man'' (1950) and '' There Is Another Sun'' (1951). Reed said in June 1950 that "they tried to make me a star too soon." Reed moved to the U.S. to make ''

Flame of Araby ''Flame of Araby'' (a.k.a. ''Flame of the Desert'') is a 1951 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Charles Lamont starring Maureen O'Hara and Jeff Chandler. British film star Maxwell Reed made his American film debut in the picture. L ...

'' (1952), starring

Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...

and

Jeff Chandler Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Cochise in '' Broken Arrow'' (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting ...

. He returned to Britain to play the villain opposite

Yvonne de Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film star and sex symbol in the 1940s a ...

and

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

in the Anglo-American production '' Sea Devils'' (1953); he was also part of the ensemble cast of

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in west London, England. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on th ...

' '' The Square Ring'' (1953). After making ''

Captain Phantom ''Captain Phantom'' () is a 1953 Italian historical adventure film directed by Primo Zeglio and starring Frank Latimore, Anna Maria Sandri, Maxwell Reed and Paola Barbara. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were desig ...

'' (1953) in Italy, Reed starred in more British B movies, '' Marilyn'' (1953), '' Before I Wake'' (1955) and '' The Brain Machine'' (1956). He had a small role in ''

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

'' (1956).

Hollywood

Reed moved to Hollywood permanently in the late 1950s and guest starred on TV shows like '' Celebrity Playhouse'' and '' The Betty Hutton Show''. He landed the title role in the 1950s television series ''

Captain David Grief ''Captain David Grief'' (also known as ''The Jack London Stories'') is an American action/adventure television series that aired in syndication from October 1957 to 1960. The program was based on a series of Jack London short-stories centered on ...

'', based on

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

Jack London John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...

. It ran for two seasons in syndication, and was the first television series made on location in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

; the first nine episodes were shot on

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

before production moved to southern California. Reed had support roles in films like ''

The Notorious Landlady ''The Notorious Landlady'' is a 1962 American comedy mystery film starring Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Fred Astaire.'' Variety'' film review; June 27, 1962, page 6.'' Harrison's Reports'' film review; June 30, 1962, page 98. The film was dire ...

'' (1962) and appeared as a guest star in television series such as ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', ''

Kraft Mystery Theater ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947, on NBC, airing at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Imper ...

'', ''The Beachcomber'', ''

The Lloyd Bridges Show ''The Lloyd Bridges Show'' is an American anthology drama television series produced by Aaron Spelling that aired on CBS from September 11, 1962 to May 28, 1963, starring and hosted by Lloyd Bridges. Broadcast history ''The Lloyd Bridges Show'', ...

'', ''The Great Adventure'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'' and ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

''. His last feature film was '' Picture Mommy Dead'' (1966). His last acting role was back in Britain, the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

'' episode ''The Dancing Men'' in 1968.

Personal life

Reed was the first husband of actress

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Awards, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime Emm ...

, whom he married on 24 May 1952. He is reported to have raped her when dating and she married him out of shame. They were separated in 1954 and the marriage ended in divorce in 1956, after which Reed sued her for alimony, claiming that he had earned only $1,000 over the previous 12 months. He later withdrew this claim. He died from cancer in 1974, aged 55, in London.

Filmography

References

External links

*
''The Forgotten Man: the Films of Maxwell Reed'' at Britmovie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Maxwell 1919 births 1974 deaths Male film actors from Northern Ireland Male television actors from Northern Ireland Deaths from cancer in England People from Larne 20th-century male actors from Northern Ireland Irish emigrants to the United States Rape in the United Kingdom Male actors from County Antrim