Matthew Reginald Sheffield Cassan (18 February 1901 – 8 December 1957) was an English-American actor.

Life

He was born as Matthew Reginald Sheffield Cassan on 18 February 1901 in the St. George's, Hanover Square district of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, to Matthew Sheffield Cassan and Alice Mary Field. He had a brother, Edward Sheffield Cassan and a sister, Flora Kathleen Sheffield Cassan, who became an actress known as Flora Sheffield. His father was born in Ireland and his mother in England. They were married in London in 1892. Matthew died when Reginald was nine. In 1913 Reginald Sheffield (billed as Eric Desmond) appeared in ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...

''. In 1914, Alice Sheffield and her children

emigrated Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

to the United States where they lived in

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, New York. Reginald acted on the stage and in films. While his sister, Flora, was an actress, brother Edward worked as an accountant in a bank and later became a theatrical agent. Sheffield's Broadway performances credited as Reggie Sheffield include ''

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...

'' (1914), in which his mother, Alice Sheffield, also appeared, ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'' (1916), ''If'' (1917), ''The Betrothal'' (1918) and ''Helena's Boys'' (1924). His performances credited as Reginald Sheffield include ''Youth'' (1920), ''The Way Things Happen'' (1924), ''

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...

'' (1925), playing Sandy Tyrell, ''Slaves All'' (1926), ''Soldiers and Women'' (1929), playing Lieutenant Mason and ''Dear Old England'' (1930). Reginald Sheffield was married in 1927 to Louise Van Loon (21 January 1905 – 14 April 1987), a New York-born,

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

graduate with a liberal arts education. The couple had three children: * Mary Alice Sheffield Cassan (born 1928) * Jon Matthew Sheffield Cassan (11 April 1931 – 15 October 2010) (aka actor Johnny Sheffield) * William Hart Sheffield Cassan (15 July 1935 – 12 December 2010) (actor Billy Sheffield) As film production became more and more located in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, Sheffield and his wife travelled back and forth between New York City and Los Angeles. After several years they moved permanently to the West Coast. Being a trained stage actor, Sheffield easily made the transition from

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s to

talkies A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

. He was a working actor who became memorable in numerous character and supporting roles and appeared with some of the greatest film stars of the day, including

Constance Bennett Constance Campbell Bennett (October 22, 1904 – July 24, 1965) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actress and producer. She was a major Cinema of the United States, Hollywood star during the 1920s and 1930s; during the early 193 ...

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...

, George Arliss,

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...

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and Joan Fontaine. In 1954, he began appearing as Professor Mayberry in the television series '' Rocky Jones, Space Ranger''. And after his son, Johnny Sheffield, appeared in his last '' Bomba, the Jungle Boy'' film in 1955, Reginald created, produced and directed a pilot for a television series, ''Bantu, the Zebra Boy'', but a sponsor was not found and the show was never produced as a weekly series. Sheffield acted in both versions of

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

's ''The Buccaneer'' in (

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

) and (

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...

), the latter being his last screen appearance.

Death

Sheffield died 8 December 1957 at his home in

Pacific Palisades, California Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside Los Angeles, Westside region of the city of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of downtown Los Angeles. Throughout January 2025, the majority of Pacific Palisades was severely affec ...

, aged 56.

Filmography

*''

'' (1913) (Hepworth Manufacturing Company) .... David Copperfield (as a child) * '' The Country Cousin'' (1919) (Selznick Pictures) .... Sammy Wilson *'' Piccadilly Jim'' (1920) (Selznick Pictures) .... Ogden Pett *''

Classmates A classmate is a student who is a member of the same class, in any of its meanings (a course, a lesson, a graduating year). Classmate(s) may also refer to: * ''Classmates'' (1914 film), a 1914 silent film produced by the Biograph Company * ''Cl ...

'' (1924) (First National) .... Bert Stafford *'' The Pinch Hitter'' (1925) (Associated Exhibitors) .... Alexis Thompson *''

White Mice "White Mice" is a special edition sketch of the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', first broadcast on 24 December 1985 on BBC Breakfast Time. Synopsis A parody, spoof investigation of Del Boy is conducted by the BBC Breakfast show, ''Breakfa ...

'' (1926) (Associated Exhibitors) .... Peter de Peyster *'' The Nest'' (1927) (Excellent Pictures) .... Martin Hamilton *'' The College Widow'' (1927) (Warner Bros.) .... Bit Role (uncredited) *'' The Adorable Cheat'' (1928) (Chesterfield Motion Picture Corp.) .... Will Dorsey *'' Sweet Sixteen'' (1928) (Rayart Pictures) .... Tommy Lowell *'' The Green Goddess'' (1930) (Warner Bros.) .... Lt. Cardew *''

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

'' (1930) (Warner Bros.) .... Bob Phillin *'' Partners of the Trail'' (1931) (Monogram) .... John Durant *''

Lost in Limehouse Lost or LOST may refer to getting lost, or to: Arts, entertainment, and media Television * ''Lost'' (TV series), a 2004 American drama series about people who become stranded on a mysterious island * ''Lost'' (2001 TV series), a short-lived Ameri ...

'' (1933, Short, aka ''Lady Esmeralda's Predicament'') (RKO) .... Dr. Jackson *'' If I Were Free'' (1933) (RKO) .... Sharpshooter (uncredited) *'' The House of Rothschild'' (1934) (

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

, United Artists) .... Stock Trader *'' All Men Are Enemies'' (1934) (20th Century Fox) .... Officer (uncredited) *'' Of Human Bondage'' (1934) (RKO) .... Cyril Dunsford *'' One More River'' (1934, aka ''Over the River'') (Universal Studios) .... Tommy *'' Charlie Chan in London'' (1934) (20th Century Fox) .... Flight Cmdr. King (uncredited) *'' The Lives of a Bengal Lancer'' (1935) (Paramount) .... Novice Clerk (uncredited) *''

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...

'' (1935) (20th Century Fox) .... Richelieu's Outrider *'' Becky Sharp'' (1935) (RKO) .... Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

'' (1935) (20th Century Fox) .... One of Oscar's friends (uncredited) *'' Society Fever'' (1935) (Chesterfield, Invincible) .... Lord Michael *''

Dante's Inferno ''Inferno'' (; Italian for ' Hell') is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century narrative poem '' The Divine Comedy'', followed by and . The ''Inferno'' describes the journey of a fictionalised version of Dante himsel ...

'' (1935) (20th Century Fox) .... Bidder (uncredited) *'' Without Regret'' (1935) (Paramount) .... Reporter (uncredited) *'' Splendor'' (1935) (United Artists) .... Billy Grimes *'' The White Angel'' (1936) (Warner Bros., First National) .... Patient (uncredited) *'' The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1936) (Warner Bros.) .... Bentham (uncredited) *''

It Happened Out West ''It Happened Out West'' is a 1937 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Earle Snell and John Roberts. The film stars Paul Kelly (actor), Paul Kelly, Judith Allen, Johnny Arthur, LeRoy Mason, Lew Ke ...

'' (1937, aka ''The Man from the Big City'') (UK) (20th Century Fox) .... Middleton *'' Another Dawn'' (1937) (Warner Bros.) .... Wireless Operator (uncredited) *'' Sergeant Murphy'' (1938) (Warner Bros.) .... English radio commentator (uncredited) *'' The Buccaneer'' (1938) (Paramount) .... Ship's Surgeon *'' Hollywood Stadium Mystery'' (1938) (Republic Pictures) .... Det. Murdoch in Play (uncredited) *'' Female Fugitive'' (1938) (Monogram) .... Dr. Richardson *''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

'' (1938) (First National, Warner Bros.) .... Herald at archery tournament (uncredited) *'' Gunga Din'' (1939) (RKO) ....

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British Raj, British India, which inspired much ...

(uncredited) *'' Vigil in the Night'' (1940) (RKO) .... Judge Tyler (uncredited) *'' My Son, My Son!'' (1940) (United Artists) .... Thurston - Mine Superintendent (uncredited) *''

Earthbound ''EarthBound'', originally released in Japan as is a 1994 role-playing video game, role-playing video game developed by Ape, Inc., Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as the second e ...

'' (1940) (20th Century Fox) .... Defense Attorney *'' Arise, My Love'' (1940) (Paramount) .... Steward (uncredited) *'' Hudson's Bay'' (1941) (20th Century Fox) .... Clerk (uncredited) *'' The Lady Eve'' (1941) (Paramount) .... Professor Jones (uncredited) *''

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's London boroughs, 32 boroughs. Its name derives from the location of the original ...

'' (1941) (20th Century Fox) .... Hat Clerk (uncredited) *'' Suspicion'' (1941) (RKO) .... Reggie Wetherby *'' Bedtime Story'' (1942) (Columbia) .... Broadcaster (uncredited) *'' Take a Letter, Darling'' (1942) (Paramount) .... Husband (uncredited) *'' Eagle Squadron'' (1942) (Universal) .... Doc (uncredited) *'' Eyes in the Night'' (1942) (MGM) .... Victor *'' Random Harvest'' (1942) (MGM) .... Judge (uncredited) *'' The Gorilla Man'' (1943) (Warner Bros.) .... Announcer (voice, uncredited) *'' The Crystal Ball'' (1943) (United Artists) .... Dad in Shooting Gallery (uncredited) *'' Tonight We Raid Calais'' (1943) (20th Century Fox) .... English Commander *'' Appointment in Berlin'' (1943) (Columbia) .... Miller - Wilson's Butler (uncredited) *'' Bomber's Moon'' (1943) (20th Century Fox) .... Cantway (uncredited) *'' The Man from Down Under'' (1943) (MGM) .... Recruit (uncredited) *'' My Kingdom for a Cook'' (1943) (Columbia) .... Reuter's English Reporter *'' Passport to Destiny'' (1944) (RKO) .... (uncredited) *'' The Great Moment'' (1944) (Paramount) .... Horace Greeley (uncredited) *'' Wilson'' (1944) (20th Century Fox) .... Secretary of War Newton D. Baker (uncredited) *'' Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'' (1944) (Paramount) .... Purser (uncredited) *'' The Man in Half Moon Street'' (1945) (Paramount) .... Mr. Taper (uncredited) *'' Guest Wife'' (1945) (United Artists) .... Restaurant Manager (uncredited) *'' Confidential Agent'' (1945) (Warner Bros.) .... Miner (uncredited) *'' My Name Is Julia Ross'' (1945) (Columbia) .... McQuarrie (uncredited) *''

Captain Kidd William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in Ne ...

'' (1945) (United Artists) .... Captain of the King's Guard (uncredited) *''

Three Strangers ''Three Strangers'' is a 1946 American film noir crime drama directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre, and featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. The screenplay was written by John Hu ...

'' (1946) (Warner Bros., First National) .... Hotel Clerk (uncredited) *'' To Each His Own'' (1946) (Paramount) .... Headwaiter (uncredited) *'' Devotion'' (1946) (Warner Bros.) .... Charles Dickens (uncredited) *'' The Searching Wind'' (1946) (Paramount) .... Harry, Reporter (uncredited) *'' Centennial Summer'' (1946) (20th Century Fox) .... President Ulysses S. Grant (uncredited) *''

The Verdict ''The Verdict'' is a 1982 American legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by David Mamet, adapted from Barry Reed's 1980 novel of the same name. The film stars Paul Newman as a down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer in Boston who acc ...

'' (1946) (Warner Bros.) .... Chaplain (uncredited) *''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' (1946) (Universal, International) .... Wickersham (uncredited) *''Singapore'' (1947) (Universal) .... Travel Agent (uncredited) *''

The Exile ''The eXile'' was a Moscow-based English-language biweekly free tabloid newspaper, aimed at the city's expatriate community, which combined outrageous, sometimes satirical, content with investigative reporting. In October 2006, co-editor Jake ...

'' (1947) (Universal) .... Commanding Officer (uncredited) *'' If Winter Comes'' (1947) (MGM) .... Manager (uncredited) *'' A Woman's Vengeance'' (1948) (Universal) .... Solicitor (uncredited) *''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' (1948) (MGM) .... Subaltern (uncredited) *'' Kiss the Blood Off My Hands'' (1948) (Universal) .... Superintendent *'' A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (1949) (Paramount) .... Auctioneer (uncredited) *'' Mr. Belvedere Goes to College'' (1949) (20th Century Fox) .... Prof. Ives (uncredited) *''

Prison Warden The warden ( US, Canada) or governor ( UK, Australia), also known as a superintendent (US, South Asia) or director (UK, New Zealand), is the official who is in charge of a prison. Name In the United States, Mexico, and Canada, warden is the m ...

'' (1949) (Columbia) .... English Charlie / Watkins *'' That Forsyte Woman'' (1949) (MGM) .... Mr. McLean (uncredited) *'' Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' (1950) (Columbia) .... Farmer (uncredited) *'' At Sword's Point'' (1951) (RKO) .... Cardinal (uncredited) *'' The Story of Three Loves'' (1953) (MGM) .... Coudray's Stage Manager (segment "The Jealous Lover") (uncredited) *'' Young Bess'' (1953) (MGM) .... Court Recorder (uncredited) *'' Second Chance'' (1953) (RKO) .... Mr. Woburn, English tourist *'' Forbidden'' (1953) (Universal) .... Englishman (uncredited) *''

The Black Shield of Falworth ''The Black Shield of Falworth'' is a 1954 American Technicolor historical adventure film from Universal-International, produced by Robert Arthur (film producer), Robert Arthur and Melville Tucker and directed by Rudolph Maté. It stars Tony Cur ...

'' (1954) (Universal) .... Lord Constable (uncredited) *'' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956) (20th Century Fox) .... Bespectacled Man (uncredited) *'' D-Day the Sixth of June'' (1956) (20th Century Fox) .... Hotel Proprietor (uncredited) *'' Secret of Treasure Mountain'' (1956) (Columbia) .... Edward Lancaster *'' The Story of Mankind'' (1957) (Warner Bros.) .... Julius Caesar *'' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958) (Warner Bros.) .... Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited; posthumous release) *'' The Buccaneer'' (1958) (Paramount) .... Tripes (posthumous release; final film role)

TV series starring roles

*'' Rocky Jones, Space Ranger'' (1954) .... Professor Mayberry *'' The Robot of Regalio'' (1956) .... Professor Mayberry *''

Renegade Satellite Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design * Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design * Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comm ...

'' (1956) .... Professor Mayberry ... aka ''The Trial of Rocky Jones'' (1980) (USA video title) *'' The Magnetic Moon'' (1956) .... Professor Mayberry *''The Cold Sun'' (1956) .... Professor Mayberry

TV guest starring roles

*'' Four Star Playhouse'' (1952) ... Gordon Richards ... episode 9: "Man on a Train" aired 15 January 1953 *'' Studio 57'' (1954) episode 78: "The Brown Leather Case" aired 10 June 1956 *''

The Adventures of Jim Bowie ''The Adventures of Jim Bowie'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1956 in television, 1956 to 1958 in television, 1958. Its setting was the 1830s-era Louisiana T ...

'' (1956) episode: "The Bounty Hunter" aired 17 May 1957

References

Bibliography

*John Holmstrom, ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 17–18.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheffield, Reginald 1901 births 1957 deaths English male film actors English male television actors Male actors from London 20th-century English male actors English emigrants to the United States