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Джордж Брент (родился Джордж Патрик Нолан , 15 марта 1904 - 26 мая 1979) был ирландско-американским актером театра, кино и телевидения. Его лучше всего помнят по одиннадцати фильмам, которые он снял с Бетт Дэвис , в том числе « Иезавель» и « Темная победа» .

Ранняя жизнь [ править ]

Брент родился на Мэйн-стрит, Баллинасло , графство Голуэй , 15 марта 1904 года [1] [2] [3] в семье Джона Дж. И Мэри (урожденная МакГиннесс) Нолан. Его отец был продавцом, а мать была уроженкой Клонфэда, Мур, графство Роскоммон. [4] В сентябре 1915 года [4] он переехал со своей младшей сестрой Кэтлин в Нью-Йорк. Там они присоединились к своей матери, которая жила в США после разлуки с мужем.

Брент вернулся в Ирландию в феврале 1921 года [4] во время ирландской войны за независимость (1919–1922) и был задействован в Ирландской республиканской армии . В этот период он также стал сотрудничать с Театром Аббатства . [5] [6]

Он сбежал из Ирландии с наградой за его голову британским правительством, хотя позже он утверждал, что был курьером лидера партизан и тактика Майкла Коллинза . Согласно Ballinasloe Life (том 2, выпуск 4, октябрь / ноябрь 2012), [2] карьеры ирландской войны за независимость трех разных мужчин по имени Джордж Нолан (Брент и двое других; один из графства Дублин, а другой из графства Оффали) были явно объединены, что может объяснить некоторые расхождения в отношении года рождения, жизни и деятельности Брента в период с 1919 по 1922 год. [5] [7] [8]

Карьера [ править ]

Американская сценическая карьера [ править ]

Брент уехал из Англии [9] в Канаду и вернулся в Соединенные Штаты в августе 1921 года. [10] [11]

Он решил стать профессиональным актером. Он дебютировал на Бродвее в постановке режиссера Гатри МакКлинтика « Дуврская дорога» . В течение 1920-х годов он сыграл множество пьес, в том числе руководил несколькими собственными акционерными компаниями. Он появился в постановках «Ирландская роза» Эби (гастролировал в течение двух лет), « Стелла Даллас» , « Вверху в комнате Мейбл» , « Элмер Великий» , « Седьмое небо» , « Белый груз» и « Время сирени» . Он работал в акционерных обществах Колорадо, Род-Айленда, Флориды и Массачусетса. В 1930 году он появился на Бродвее в фильме «Любовь, честь и предательство» вместе с Кларком Гейблом .[5][12][13]

Early films: Fox and Universal[edit]

Brent moved to Hollywood and made his first film for 20th Century Fox, Under Suspicion (1930).[5][6] He continued in support roles for Fox in Once a Sinner (1931), Fair Warning (1931), and Charlie Chan Carries On (1931).[12]

At Universal he was seventh billed for Ex-Bad Boy (1931) and fifth for Homicide Squad (1931), then was in the Rin Tin Tin serial The Lightning Warrior (1931) at Mascot Pictures.

Warner Bros.[edit]

Brent was signed by Warner Bros. in 1931, where he played Barbara Stanwyck's leading man in So Big! (1932). This established him as a leading man for female stars.[5][6] Bette Davis had a small role.

Brent appeared in The Rich Are Always with Us (1932) with Ruth Chatterton; again, Davis had a support role.[14]

This was followed by Week-End Marriage (1932) with Loretta Young, The Purchase Price (1932) with Stanwyck, Miss Pinkerton (1932) with Joan Blondell, The Crash (1932) with Chatterton, and They Call It Sin (1932) with Young.

Paramount borrowed Brent for the leading man role in Luxury Liner (1933). Back at Warners, Brent was one of several studio names appearing in 42nd Street (1933), he played the lover of Bebe Daniels.

He returned to supporting female stars: Kay Francis in The Keyhole (1933), Chatterton in both Lilly Turner (1933) and Female (1933), and Stanwyck in Baby Face (1933).

In October 1933, he and Chatterton refused to make a film they had been assigned, Mandalay and were replaced by Lyle Talbot and Kay Francis. Brent's salary was then $1,000 a week.[15]

Brent was top billed in From Headquarters (1933) with Margaret Lindsay then MGM borrowed him to play Myrna Loy's leading man in Stamboul Quest (1934). In September 1934, Chatteron filed for divorce.[16]

Bette Davis[edit]

Brent was top billed in Housewife (1934) with Bette Davis, who was his co star. He was leading man to Jean Muir in Desirable (1935) then MGM used him for The Painted Veil (1934) with Greta Garbo.

Brent supported Josephine Hutchinson in The Right to Live (1935), Francis in Living on Velvet (1935) and Stranded (1935). He then made two films with Davis, where she was top billed: Front Page Woman (1935) and Special Agent (1935).

Brent appeared in The Goose and the Gander (1935) with Francis, then was borrowed by RKO to make In Person (1935) with Ginger Rogers. At Warners he was top billed in the comedy Snowed Under (1936), then Walter Wanger borrowed him to play Madeleine Carroll's leading man in The Case Against Mrs. Ames (1936).[17]

At Warners he was reunited with Davis in The Golden Arrow (1936) and Francis in Give Me Your Heart (1936). Columbia borrowed him to support Jean Arthur in More Than a Secretary (1936) then Warners gave him top billing in God's Country and the Woman (1936) with Margaret Lindsay.

Brent made Mountain Justice (1937) with Hutchinson and The Go Getter (1937) with Anita Louise. Warners then put Brent in his first male-orientated movie: Submarine D-1 (1937) with Pat O'Brien and Wayne Morris. In November 1937 he became an American citizen.[18]

Brent made Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) with Olivia de Havilland, then made Jezebel (1938) with Davis - only he was the second male lead, with Henry Fonda playing Davis' main love interest.

Warners put him in an action "B" film with Humphrey Bogart, Racket Busters (1938) then he was reunited with Francis in Secrets of an Actress (1938). He was in the military drama Wings of the Navy (1939) with de Havilland and John Payne.

He appeared in Dark Victory (1939) with Davis, which was a huge success. So too was The Old Maid (1939) where Davis and Miriam Hopkins fought over Brent. Both films were directed by Edmund Goulding.

20th Century Fox borrowed Brent for a key support role in The Rains Came (1939). At Warners he supported James Cagney and O'Brien in The Fighting 69th (1940).[19]

Paramount borrowed him for Adventure in Diamonds (1940), where he had top billing over Isa Miranda. He was Merle Oberon's leading man in 'Til We Meet Again (1940), then starred in The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) and South of Suez (1940). He supported Ann Sheridan in Honeymoon for Three (1941) and Davis in The Great Lie (1941).[20]

Columbia borrowed him for the lead role in They Dare Not Love (1941) with Martha Scott and Edward Small used him in two films, International Lady (1941) with Ilona Massey and Twin Beds (1942) with Joan Bennett.[21]

Brent made one final film with Davis, In This Our Life (1942), alongside de Havilland. He supported Stanwyck in The Gay Sisters (1942) and was top-billed in You Can't Escape Forever (1942) with Brenda Marshall and Silver Queen (1942) with Priscilla Lane.

Military service[edit]

In 1942, Brent, an accomplished pilot who had tried and, because of age, failed to enlist in the armed services, temporarily retired from films to teach flying as a civilian flight instructor with the Civilian Pilot Training Program and later became a pilot in the US Coast Guard[22] for the duration of the war.[23]

His final film for Warner Bros. was My Reputation with Barbara Stanwyck as a widow that was filmed from November 1943 to January 1944, and with the exception of military audiences, was not released until 1946.[22] Brent acted on radio during this period.[24]

Freelance actor[edit]

While Brent returned to his acting career after the conflict, he never recaptured his former popularity but during the immediate post war period he still remained a star of big budget films. RKO used him as Hedy Lamarr's leading man in Experiment Perilous (1944). For Hal Wallis he did The Affairs of Susan (1945) with Joan Fontaine then Tomorrow Is Forever (1946) at International with Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles.

He returned to RKO for The Spiral Staircase (1946), a huge success. At Universal he was teamed with Lucille Ball in Lover Come Back (1946), then he made Temptation (1946) with Oberon and Edward Small at International.

Brent went to Eagle Lion to make a comedy Out of the Blue (1947) and Columbia for The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947) with Blondell. Universal teamed him with Yvonne De Carlo in Slave Girl (1947).

Brent was one of several names in Christmas Eve (1947) for Benedict Bogeaus and Luxury Liner (1948) at MGM, a remake of the 1933 film in which Brent had appeared.

He went to Republic to star in Angel on the Amazon (1948) and in Universal's Red Canyon (1949) played the father of the star, Ann Blyth. At the same studio he was third lead in Illegal Entry (1949) then had the lead in a "B" The Kid from Cleveland (1949). He supported Colbert in Bride for Sale (1950) at RKO.[25]

The budgets of Brent's films continued to shrink. He did two for Lippert Pictures: F.B.I. Girl (1951) and The Last Page (1952), the latter shot in England with Diana Dors.[26] There was Montana Belle (1952) with Jane Russell then two for Monogram: Tangier Incident (1953) and Mexican Manhunt (1953).

Television[edit]

Brent moved into television in the early 1950s[5] guest starring in The Revlon Mirror Theater, Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson, The Ford Television Theatre, Climax!, Fireside Theatre, Stage 7, Studio 57, Science Fiction Theatre, Celebrity Playhouse, Schlitz Playhouse and the religion anthology series, Crossroads.

He was cast in the lead in the 1956 television series Wire Service, which ran for 39 performances.

After appearing on Rawhide and The Chevy Mystery Show, Brent retired.

In 1978, he made one last film, the made-for-television production Born Again.[5][6][27]

In 1960, Brent was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars. He received a motion-pictures star located at 1709 Vine Street and a second star located at 1612 Vine Street for his work in television.[28]

Personal life[edit]

Brent was married five times: to Helen Louise Campbell (1925–1927), Ruth Chatterton (1932–1934), Constance Worth (1937),[29] Ann Sheridan (1942–1943), and Janet Michaels (1947–1974). Chatterton, Worth, and Sheridan were also actresses.[5][6] Chatterton and Sheridan were both Warner Bros. players.[5][30]

His final marriage to Janet Michaels, a former model and dress designer, lasted 27 years until her death in 1974. They had two children together: a daughter, Suzanne (born August 3, 1950), and a son, Barry (born November 26, 1954).[31]

Brent also had affairs with actresses Greta Garbo and Bette Davis, the latter a frequent Warner Bros. co-star.

George Brent suffered from emphysema and died of natural causes in 1979 in Solana Beach, California.[32][33][34]

Filmography[edit]

Feature films[edit]

Short subjects[edit]

Radio appearances[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "General Registrar's Office" (PDF). IrishGenealogy.ie. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Ballinasloe Life (Volume 2, Issue 4, Oct/Nov 2012 cache) Archived March 26, 2016, at the Wayback Machine; accessed 22 September 2015.
  3. ^ Some sources have cited 1899, but most cite 1904.
  4. ^ a b c Scott O'Brien, George Brent - Ireland's Gift to Hollywood and its Leading Ladies (2014) BearManor; ISBN 978-1-59393-599-3 (paper back)/978-1-59393-764-5 (hard copy).
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Byrne, James Patrick; Coleman, Philip and King, Jason Francis. (2008). Ireland and the Americas, Vol 2., New York: ABC-CLIO. pp. 119-120.ISBN 978-1851096145
  6. ^ a b c d e Cozad, W. Lee. (2002). Those Magnificent Mountain Movies: (The Golden Years) 1911-1939, p. 160. Lake Arrowhead, CA: Rim of the World Historic Society. ISBN 978-0972337205
  7. ^ Karney, Robyn. (1986). The Movie Stars Story, p. 48. New York: Crescent Books.ISBN 978-0517437360
  8. ^ "George Brent" The Irish Times. The Irish Times 16 Mar 2000: 32.
  9. ^ ""George Brent"". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ^ George Brent - Ireland's Gift to Hollywood and its Leading Ladies (2014) by Scott O'Brien
  11. ^ GEORGE BRENT ONCE PLAYED SECRET AGENT IN REAL LIFE Los Angeles Times 12 Aug 1934: A4.
  12. ^ a b George BRENT: HIS TRAVELS Picture Show; London Vol. 27, Iss. 701, (Oct 8, 1932): 18.
  13. ^ THE LIFE STORY OF George Brent Picture Show; London Vol. 40, Iss. 1,035, (Feb 25, 1939): 18.
  14. ^ George Brent, Suave Movie Veteran, Dies at 75 The Washington Post ]28 May 1979: C6.
  15. ^ GEORGE BRENT JOINS WIFE IN FILM ROLE WALKOUT Los Angeles Times 27 Oct 1933: A10.
  16. ^ Ruth Chatterton Files Suit to Divorce George Brent: R. CHATTERTON OF STAGE FAME SEEKS DIVORCE Sues George Brent in Los Angeles. Chicago Daily Tribune 18 Sep 1934: 3.
  17. ^ Matthew Bernstein, Walter Wagner: Hollywood Independent, Minnesota Press, 2000 p.436 ISBN 978-0816635481
  18. ^ George Brent Now a Citizen New York Times 27 Nov 1937: 21.
  19. ^ George Brent Spent Early Years Amidst Danger and Thrills The Times of India 30 Dec 1939: 16.
  20. ^ George Brent, Stage and Film Star, Dies at 75: Incomplete Source Oliver, Myrna. Los Angeles Times 28 May 1979: 1.
  21. ^ Earle Brings New Idea; Ford to Do Big-Seller: 'Twin Beds' Plans Made Society Name Wins Lead Marie Wilson Role Set Paramount Casts Denning Bates Replaces Bainter Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times Feb 1941: 7.
  22. ^ a b O’Brien, Scott George Brent: Ireland's Gift to Hollywood and Its Leading Ladies BearManor Media
  23. ^ George Brent Seeks Army Job: Film Star Plans to Be Flying Instructor if He Passes Tests Los Angeles Times 26 Aug 1942: 18.
  24. ^ Warner Bros. financial information in The William Shaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 26 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
  25. ^ 'Bride for Sale' Has Claudette Colbert, Robert Young and George Brent in Leads A. W. New York Times 21 Nov 1949: 29.
  26. ^ Drama: George Brent to Star in England; Don De Fore Chooses Deal on Stage Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 29 June 1951: B9
  27. ^ briefly George Brent dies at 75 The Globe and Mail 28 May 1979: P.13.
  28. ^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame - George Brent". walkoffame.com/. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  29. ^ Constance Worth, George Brent Wed The Washington Post 20 May 1937: 1.
  30. ^ ANN SHERIDAN, GEORGE BRENT WED IN FLORIDA Chicago Daily Tribune 6 Jan 1942: 13.
  31. ^ "About | Suzanne Brent". suzannebrent. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  32. ^ "George Brent, Movie Actor, Dies; Was Leading Man to Many Stars". The New York Times. 1979-05-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  33. ^ George Brent dies in Hollywood, news.google.com; accessed 22 September 2015.
  34. ^ George Brent dies aged 75 The Irish Times 28 May 1979: 8.
  35. ^ "Those Were the Days". Nostalgia Digest. 42 (2): 38. Spring 2016.
  36. ^ "Bennett, Brent, Menjou Star on "Screen Guild"". Harrisburg Telegraph. October 12, 1946. p. 17. Retrieved October 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Kirby, Walter (February 22, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 40. Retrieved June 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

  • George Brent at IMDb
  • George Brent at the TCM Movie Database
  • George Brent at the Internet Broadway Database
  • George Brent at Find a Grave
  • Photographs and literature