
George Brent
Active - 1930 - 1978 | Born - Mar 15, 1904 in Shannonsbridge, Ireland | Died - May 26, 1979 in Solana Beach, CA | Genres - Drama, Romance, Crime, Comedy, Mystery | Height: 6’ 1”
With his pencil-thin mustache, the suave, gallant George Brent was one of Hollywood’s most dependable leading men. A handsome, but never very exciting or dynamic lead, he played opposite all of Warner’s greatest actresses, including Barbara Stanwyck and Olivia de Havilland he is best known for his work with Bette Davis, with whom (according to some sources) he had a lasting but secret off-screen romance.
He began his career playing small roles as a child in Abbey Theater (Ireland) plays. During the Irish Rebellion he participated in subversive activities and had to be smuggled out of the country to Canada where he eventually toured with a stock company for two years, before moving on to New York. There he continued to appear with several stock companies, three of which he formed on his own. Brent then found work on Broadway in the late ‘20s, before heading for Hollywood to begin a career that spanned two decades.
Brent was typically cast as a gentlemanly, romantic leading man (after briefly being cast in tough hero roles). He debuted in Under Suspicion (1930). He retired from the big screen in 1953, going on to star in the TV series Wire Service (1956-59). He made his final screen appearance in 1978, playing a judge in Born Again. His six wives included actresses Ruth Chatterton (with whom he co-starred in The Rich Are Always With Us, [1932]), Constance Worth, and Ann Sheridan (with whom he appeared in Honeymoon for Three, [1941]).
Available Films:
Active - 1930 - 1978 | Born - Mar 15, 1904 in Shannonsbridge, Ireland | Died - May 26, 1979 in Solana Beach, CA | Genres - Drama, Romance, Crime, Comedy, Mystery | Height: 6’ 1”
With his pencil-thin mustache, the suave, gallant George Brent was one of Hollywood’s most dependable leading men. A handsome, but never very exciting or dynamic lead, he played opposite all of Warner’s greatest actresses, including Barbara Stanwyck and Olivia de Havilland he is best known for his work with Bette Davis, with whom (according to some sources) he had a lasting but secret off-screen romance.
He began his career playing small roles as a child in Abbey Theater (Ireland) plays. During the Irish Rebellion he participated in subversive activities and had to be smuggled out of the country to Canada where he eventually toured with a stock company for two years, before moving on to New York. There he continued to appear with several stock companies, three of which he formed on his own. Brent then found work on Broadway in the late ‘20s, before heading for Hollywood to begin a career that spanned two decades.
Brent was typically cast as a gentlemanly, romantic leading man (after briefly being cast in tough hero roles). He debuted in Under Suspicion (1930). He retired from the big screen in 1953, going on to star in the TV series Wire Service (1956-59). He made his final screen appearance in 1978, playing a judge in Born Again. His six wives included actresses Ruth Chatterton (with whom he co-starred in The Rich Are Always With Us, [1932]), Constance Worth, and Ann Sheridan (with whom he appeared in Honeymoon for Three, [1941]).
Available Films:
42ND STREET BABY FACE CHRISTMAS EVE CORPSE CAME C.O.D., THE CRASH, THE EXPERIMENT PERILOUS FEMALE FIGHTING 69TH, THE |
FROM HEADQUARTERS FRONT PAGE WOMAN GREAT LIE, THE ILLEGAL ENTRY INTERNATIONAL LADY KEYHOLE, THE MAN BAIT MAN WHO TALKED TOO MUCH, THE |
MISS PINKERTON PAINTED VEIL, THE PURCHASE PRICE, THE RACKET BUSTERS RAINS CAME, THE SOUTH OF SUEZ SPECIAL AGENT SPIRAL STAIRCASE |
STAMBOUL QUEST THEY CALL IT SIN TIL WE MEET AGAIN TOMORROW IS FOREVER YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FOREVER |
Trivia:
Had a tumultuous two-year long affair with Bette Davis, his frequent and most prolific co-star of eleven feature films: So Big! (1932), The Rich Are Always with Us (1932), Housewife (1934), Front Page Woman (1935), Special Agent (1935), The Golden Arrow (1936), Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), The Old Maid (1939), The Great Lie (1941) and In This Our Life (1942).
He played Jane Powell's father in the film Luxury Liner (1948). Powell claims that the two had a crush on each other and that Brent didn't express it until near the end of his life when he proposed marriage to her when he was in his 70's.
Warner Bros. tested George for the title role in Captain Blood (1935) after Robert Donat turned the role down. Despite his reliable tenure at the studio, he was better known as a ladies' man in tearjerkers than a swashbuckler and newcomer Errol Flynn got the part, becoming an instant star.
Last saw his favorite co-star Bette Davis in 1978 when he went to visit her back stage at one of her one-woman shows in San Diego that featured film clips from her vast career. She didn't recognize him at first as he had grown quite old, white haired and unhealthily overweight. He died in May of 1979.
His hair was completely gray by the time he started working for Warner Brothers, and he had to dye his hair black.
Had a tumultuous two-year long affair with Bette Davis, his frequent and most prolific co-star of eleven feature films: So Big! (1932), The Rich Are Always with Us (1932), Housewife (1934), Front Page Woman (1935), Special Agent (1935), The Golden Arrow (1936), Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), The Old Maid (1939), The Great Lie (1941) and In This Our Life (1942).
He played Jane Powell's father in the film Luxury Liner (1948). Powell claims that the two had a crush on each other and that Brent didn't express it until near the end of his life when he proposed marriage to her when he was in his 70's.
Warner Bros. tested George for the title role in Captain Blood (1935) after Robert Donat turned the role down. Despite his reliable tenure at the studio, he was better known as a ladies' man in tearjerkers than a swashbuckler and newcomer Errol Flynn got the part, becoming an instant star.
Last saw his favorite co-star Bette Davis in 1978 when he went to visit her back stage at one of her one-woman shows in San Diego that featured film clips from her vast career. She didn't recognize him at first as he had grown quite old, white haired and unhealthily overweight. He died in May of 1979.
His hair was completely gray by the time he started working for Warner Brothers, and he had to dye his hair black.