Michael Rennie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Rennie
Rennie in 1958
Born	Eric Alexander Rennie (1909-08-25)25 August 1909 Idle, (Bradford) West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	10 June 1971(1971-06-10) (aged 61) Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Resting place	Harlow Hill Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Education	The Leys School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1936–1971
Spouse(s)	Maggie McGrath ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1960)​ Joan England ​ ​ (m. 1938; div. 1945)​
Partner(s)	Renee Taylor (née Gilbert)
Children	2

Michael Rennie (born Eric Alexander Rennie; 25 August 1909 – 10 June 1971) was a British actor. He starred in movies, on television, and on stage. He is best known for playing the space visitor Klaatu in the science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). During his career, which lasted over 30 years, Rennie appeared in more than 50 films and many American TV shows.

Michael Rennie's Early Life and Acting Start

Michael Rennie was born in Idle, near Bradford, England. His father owned a wool mill, and his family was quite well-off. He went to school at The Leys School in Cambridge.

After school, he worked at his family's mill, but he didn't like it. He tried different jobs, like selling cars and sweeping floors. When he was 26, in 1935, he decided to become an actor. He kept his last name but chose "Michael" as his stage name. He looked up to actor Ronald Colman.

How Did Michael Rennie Start in British Films?

Michael Rennie was very tall, at 6 feet 4 inches. A casting director at Gaumont British noticed him and hired him as an extra. Rennie wanted to start this way so he could learn how movies were made.

His first small role was in the Alfred Hitchcock film Secret Agent (1936). He also appeared in East Meets West (1936). After this, he was told he was too new to act in big movie parts.

Rennie then went to work in "repertory theatre," which means performing in plays with a company that puts on different shows. He became a star with the York Repertory Company. One of his famous roles there was Professor Henry Higgins in the play Pygmalion. He also worked on his accent to sound more American, so people often thought he was Canadian.

Michael Rennie During World War II

Rising to Fame in Films

When World War II began in 1939, Rennie started getting bigger movie roles. These included This Man Is Dangerous (1940) and Dangerous Moonlight (1941). He also got a role in Ships with Wings.

Rennie's first major film role was in the suspense movie Tower of Terror (1941). He played a romantic lead in this film. He later said it was his least favorite role. He was seen as a "rapidly rising newcomer" and an "athletic, Gable-ish young man."

Michael Rennie's War Service

Rennie joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve (a part of the Royal Air Force) in May 1941. He was trained as a fighter pilot in the United States. He was discharged from the RAF in 1944.

Becoming a Film Star

Big Roles in British Movies

After the war ended in 1945, Rennie got his first big break. He starred with Margaret Lockwood in the musical I'll Be Your Sweetheart (1945). Critics in the US praised his performance, saying he was "likely Hollywood material."

He then appeared in The Wicked Lady (1945), which was a huge box-office hit. He also had a notable scene in Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), starring Vivien Leigh. These roles made him a leading actor. He became very popular with female fans.

In 1946, Rennie signed a big five-year contract, making him one of the highest-paid actors in Britain. He made films like White Cradle Inn (1947) and The Idol of Paris (1948). He also starred in Trio (1950), playing a patient in a love story with Jean Simmons.

Michael Rennie's Hollywood Career

Joining 20th Century Fox

Michael Rennie was one of several British actors chosen for the movie The Black Rose (1950). He played King Edward I, who was known as "Longshanks" because he was tall. His performance impressed Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century Fox studio. Zanuck offered him a role in The 13th Letter (1951).

Fox was so happy with Rennie's work that they offered him a seven-year contract in November 1950.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Rennie as Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Rennie's next film was The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), where he played the main character, Klaatu. This was a very important science fiction film. It explored ideas about suspicion and humanity's place in the universe. Rennie said the director told him to play the role with "dignity."

After this success, Rennie had good roles in films like Phone Call from a Stranger (1952) and 5 Fingers (1952). He also did voice-overs for several Fox films, including Titanic (1953).

Les Misérables and Other Roles

Because The Day the Earth Stood Still was so popular, Fox decided to make a new version of Les Misérables (1952) with Rennie as the lead. While his performance was respected, the movie didn't make a huge profit. This meant the studio stopped trying to make Rennie a major star.

However, he became a very successful supporting actor at Fox. He often played important figures like doctors or military officers. He was in Sailor of the King (1953) and Dangerous Crossing (1953). He also played Saint Peter in The Robe (1953), which was the first movie made in CinemaScope and a huge hit.

Rennie continued to appear in many films, including King of the Khyber Rifles (1954) and Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954). He played Charles XIV John of Sweden in Désirée (1954), opposite Marlon Brando. He was also in Soldier of Fortune (1955).

On TV, he received good reviews for his role in "A Man of Taste" (1955). He enjoyed live TV because he felt he could give stronger performances. He played Franciscan friar Junípero Serra in Seven Cities of Gold (1955). His contract with Fox ended after Island in the Sun (1957).

After 20th Century Fox

After leaving Fox, Rennie worked as a freelance actor. He supported Cornel Wilde in Omar Khayyam (1957) and returned to Britain for the war film Battle of the V-1 (1958).

He starred in the Disney mountaineering film Third Man on the Mountain (1959). Irwin Allen gave him a leading role in The Lost World (1960), based on a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. After this, he began working more in television.

The Third Man TV Series and Broadway

Rennie became well-known on television for playing Harry Lime in The Third Man (1959–65). This TV series was loosely based on the famous film. The filming schedule allowed Rennie to work on other projects too.

In the early 1960s, Michael Rennie also appeared on Broadway in the play Mary, Mary. He played a film star named Dirk Winsten. The play was very successful, running for over 1,500 performances. Rennie stayed with the show for about five months. When the play was made into a film in 1963, Rennie was one of the few Broadway cast members to appear in the movie version.

Later Career and Final Films

During the 1960s, Rennie made many guest appearances on popular TV shows. These included Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, Wagon Train, and Lost in Space. He played an alien zookeeper in Lost in Space. He also appeared as Captain Smith of the Titanic in the first episode of The Time Tunnel. He played the villainous Sandman in Batman.

Rennie's later films included Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966), Cyborg 2087 (1967), and Hotel (1967). He also had guest roles in The Power and The Devil's Brigade (both 1968). His last films were made in Britain, Italy, Spain, and the Philippines.

Michael Rennie's Personal Life

Michael Rennie was married twice. He had a son named David Rennie, who became a judge in England. He also had another son, John Marshall, with a longtime friend.

In 1958, Rennie was earning a good income from his acting career.

Michael Rennie's Death

Michael Rennie's grave in Harlow Hill Cemetery, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Michael Rennie passed away suddenly on 10 June 1971, at his mother's home in Harrogate, England. He died from an aortic aneurysm, which is a serious medical condition. His ashes were buried in Harlow Hill Cemetery in Harrogate.

Images for kids

• Secret Agent (1936 film)

  Army Captain (uncredited)

• The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936)

  (uncredited)

• Conquest of the Air (1936)

  (uncredited)

• Gypsy (1937 film)

  (uncredited)

• Gangway (film) (1937)

  Ship's Officer (uncredited)

• The Squeaker (1937 film) (1937)

  Medical Examiner (uncredited)

• The Divorce of Lady X (1938)

  (uncredited)

• Bank Holiday (film) (1938)

  Guardsman (uncredited)

• This Man in Paris (1939)

  (uncredited)

• The Briggs Family (1940)

  Plainclothes Policeman (uncredited)

• This Man Is Dangerous (1941)

  Inspector

• Turned Out Nice Again (1941)

  Diner (uncredited)

• Dangerous Moonlight (1941)

  Kapulski

• "Pimpernel" Smith (1941)

  Prison Camp Officer (uncredited)

• Tower of Terror (1941 film) (1941)

  Anthony Hale

• Ships with Wings (1942)

  Lieut. Maxwell

• The Big Blockade (1942)

  Royal Air Force: George

• The Sky's the Limit (1943)

  George

• I'll Be Your Sweetheart (1945)

  Bob Fielding

• The Wicked Lady (1945)

  Kit Locksby

• Caesar and Cleopatra (film) (1945)

  1st Centurion

• The Root of All Evil (1947 film) (1947)

  Charles Mortimer

• White Cradle Inn (1947)

  Rudolph

• Morning Departure (1948)

  Lt.-Cmdr. Stanford

• The Idol of Paris (1948)

  Hertz

• Uneasy Terms (1948)

  Slim Callaghan

• The Golden Madonna (1949)

  Mike Christie

• Miss Pilgrim's Progress (1950)

  Bob Thane

• Trio (film) (1950)

  Major Templeton (segment "Sanatorium")

• The Black Rose (1950)

  King Edward

• The Body Said No! (1950)

  Himself

• The 13th Letter (1951)

  Dr. Pearson

• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

  Klaatu

• The House in the Square (1951)

  Roger Forsyth

• The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)

  Narrator (uncredited)

• Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)

  Dr. Robert Fortness

• 5 Fingers (1952)

  Colin Travers

• Les Misérables (1952 film) (1952)

  Jean Valjean

• Pony Soldier (1952)

  Ending Narrator (uncredited)

• Titanic (1953 film) (1953)

  End Narrator (uncredited)

• The Desert Rats (film) (1953)

  Narrator (uncredited)

• Sailor of the King (1953)

  Lt. Richard Saville

• Dangerous Crossing (1953)

  Dr. Paul Manning

• The Robe (film) (1953)

  Apostle Peter

• King of the Khyber Rifles (film) (1953)

  Brig. Gen. J. R. Maitland

• Prince Valiant (1954 film) (1954)

  Narrator (uncredited)

• Princess of the Nile (1954)

  Rama Khan

• Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)

  Peter

• Mambo (1954 film) (1954)

  Enrico Marisoni

• Désirée (film) (1954)

  Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte

• Soldier of Fortune (1955 film) (1955)

  Inspector Merryweather

• Seven Cities of Gold (film) (1955)

  Father Junipero Serra

• The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)

  Lord Albert Esketh

• Teenage Rebel (1956)

  Jay Fallon

• Island in the Sun (film) (1957)

  Hilary Carson

• Omar Khayyam (film) (1957)

  Hasani Sabah

• Battle of the V-1 (1958)

  Stefan

• Third Man on the Mountain (1959)

  Captain John Winter

• The Lost World (1960 film) (1960)

  Lord John Roxton

• Mary, Mary (film) (1963)

  Dirk Winsten

• Mark Dolphin (1965)
• Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966)

  Brooks Durham

• Mr. Paracelaus, Who Are You? (1966)
• Cyborg 2087 (1966)

  Garth A7

• Hotel (1967 film) (1967)

  Geoffrey – Duke of Lanbourne

• Death on the Run (1967)

  Major Worthington Clark

• Naked You Die (1968)

  Inspector Durand

• The Power (1968 film) (1968)

  Arthur Nordlund

• The Devil's Brigade (film) (1968)

  General Mark Clark

• The Last Chance (1968 film) (1968)

  George McConnell

• European Eye (1968)

  Martin Purcell

• Giugno '44 – Sbarcheremo in Normandia (1968)

  Blynn

• Subterfuge (1968 film) (1968)

  Goldsmith

• The Battle of El Alamein (film) (1969)

  Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery

• Stoney (1969)

  Harvey Ward

• Los Monstruos del Terror (1970)

  Dr. Odo Warnoff

See also

In Spanish: Michael Rennie para niños