Elliott Reid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elliott Reid
Reid in the trailer for The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944)
Born	Edgeworth Blair Reid (1920-01-16)January 16, 1920 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died	June 21, 2013(2013-06-21) (aged 93) Studio City, California, U.S.
Other names	Ted Reid
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1935–1995

Edgeworth Blair "Elliott" Reid (born January 16, 1920 – died June 21, 2013) was a talented American actor. He worked in radio, movies, and television for many years. He was also known for his amazing impressions of famous people.

Early Life and Start in Acting

Elliott Reid was born in Manhattan, New York City. His mother, Christine Challenger Reid, was an artist. His father, Blair Reid, worked as a banker. Elliott went to the Professional Children's School. This school helps young people who want to act or perform.

From Radio to Stage Name

Elliott started his acting career very early. In 1935, he appeared on a radio show called The March of Time. This led to many jobs in radio dramas. This time was known as the "golden age of radio." During this period, radio was the main way people heard stories and news.

He played Melvin Castleberry on the children's radio show Billy and Betty. He also played Philip Cameron on the show Against the Storm. Elliott even hosted the radio version of The United States Steel Hour. Early in his career, he decided to use "Elliott" as his stage name. Sometimes, he was even called "Ted Reid."

Elliott worked on many radio shows directed by the famous Orson Welles. These included The Mercury Theatre on the Air. He also acted on Theatre Guild on the Air, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, Suspense, and CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

Elliott Reid in Movies

Elliott Reid with Pat Crowley in 1959

Elliott Reid is probably best known for his role in the classic movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). In this film, he played Ernie Malone. Ernie was a private detective hired to watch Marilyn Monroe's character. But then he fell in love with Jane Russell's character. Critics from Variety magazine praised his acting in the movie.

Working with Disney

Elliott also appeared in several popular Walt Disney movies. He played Professor Shelby Ashton in The Absent-Minded Professor (1961). His character was from Rutland University, a rival school to Medfield College. He returned as Professor Ashton in the sequel, Son of Flubber (1963). Both movies starred Fred MacMurray.

In 1963, Elliott was in the comedy The Wheeler Dealers. This movie starred James Garner and Lee Remick. He also played Ralph Hastings in Disney's 1966 movie Follow Me, Boys!. In 1968, he was a television commentator in Disney's Blackbeard's Ghost.

Television Appearances

Elliott Reid was a member of The Actors Studio from the very beginning. This is a famous place where actors train and work together. He was a regular on the NBC television show That Was the Week That Was (1964–1965). He also played Warren Winslow on the CBS comedy Miss Winslow and Son (1979).

Elliott made many guest appearances on popular TV shows. These included Murder, She Wrote, The Odd Couple, and I Love Lucy. He also appeared on It's Always Jan, Barney Miller, Small Wonder, Perry Mason, and The Munsters.

In 1992, Elliott was in an episode of Seinfeld called "The Letter." He played one of the art collectors interested in buying a painting of Kramer. His last TV role was in 1995 on the show Maybe This Time. He played Henry in the episode "Please Re-Lease Me." After retiring, he had a small, uncredited role in the 2000 short film 13 Heads of Hair. He also appeared in the 2005 film Scattering Mother.

Amazing Impressions

One of Elliott Reid's special talents was doing impressions. He was very good at mimicking other people's voices and mannerisms. He was especially famous for his impression of President John F. Kennedy. In fact, in 1962, he was invited to perform it for President Kennedy himself! Kennedy was very happy with the performance. People often said his Kennedy impression helped him get jobs in clubs in the early 1960s.

Stage Performances

Elliott Reid also had a successful career on Broadway. Broadway is where many famous plays are performed in New York City. His Broadway shows included Julius Caesar (1937–1938) and Macbeth (1948). He also appeared in comedies like Two Blind Mice (1949) and Two on the Aisle (1951–1952).

He played Felix Unger in the Chicago version of The Odd Couple from 1966-1967. His co-star was Dan Dailey, who played Oscar Madison. Later, he performed with Virginia Mayo in No, No, Nanette from 1972-1973. In 1976, he toured with Carol Channing in a play called The Bed Before Yesterday.

Later Life and Passing

Elliott Reid passed away on June 21, 2013, at the age of 93. He died from heart failure. Before his death, he had been living in an assisted living facility in Studio City, California.

Selected Filmography