Richard Greene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Greene
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Greene in 1938.
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| Born |
Richard Marius Joseph Greene
25 August 1918 Plymouth, England
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| Died | 1 June 1985 (aged 66) Holt, Norfolk, England
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1933–1982 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
Richard Marius Joseph Greene (born August 25, 1918 – died June 1, 1985) was a famous English actor. He starred in many movies and TV shows. People often called him a "matinée idol" because he was very popular.
He appeared in over 40 films. Richard Greene is best known for playing the main character in the British TV show The Adventures of Robin Hood. This show was very popular and ran for 143 episodes from 1955 to 1959.
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Early Life and Family
Richard Greene was born in Plymouth, England. His family had roots in Ireland and Scotland. He grew up as a Roman Catholic. He went to Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London until he was 18.
Acting was in Richard's family. His aunt, Evie Greene, was also an actress. Both his father, Richard Abraham Greene, and his mother, Kathleen Gerrard, were actors. They worked at the Plymouth Repertory Theatre. Richard Greene was part of a family with four generations of actors.
Some people thought he was related to William Friese-Greene. William Friese-Greene was an inventor who helped create movies. However, later research showed this was not true.
Richard Greene's Acting Career
Richard Greene started acting on stage when he was just 15 years old. His first role was a small part in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar in 1933. He was a handsome young man. He also earned money by modeling shirts and hats.
He appeared in other plays like Journey's End. He also had a small role in the movie Sing As We Go in 1934. In 1936, he joined a theater group called the Jevan Brandon Repertory Company. He became well-known for his role in the play French Without Tears that same year.
Big movie studios like MGM and 20th Century Fox noticed him. On January 17, 1938, Richard Greene signed a contract with 20th Century Fox.
Working with 20th Century Fox
When he was 20, Richard Greene joined 20th Century Fox. His first movie for them was Four Men and a Prayer in 1938. He quickly became very popular, especially with female fans. He received a lot of fan mail, almost as much as the famous actor Tyrone Power.
He starred with Sonia Henie in My Lucky Star (1938). He also worked with director John Ford again in Submarine Patrol (1939). He appeared in Kentucky (1938) with Loretta Young.
Richard Greene played the romantic lead in the Shirley Temple movie The Little Princess (1939). He also played Sir Henry Baskerville in the 1939 Sherlock Holmes film The Hound of the Baskervilles. This movie was the first time Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce played Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
He had a supporting role in Stanley and Livingstone (1939) with Spencer Tracy. He also played the main character in Here I Am a Stranger (1939). He continued to play lead roles in "A" movies when World War II started.
Serving in World War II
When World War II began, Richard Greene wanted to join the army. He got permission from Fox to leave his movie contract. He traveled to England and joined the 27th Lancers. He was later promoted to captain in May 1944.
While serving, he was given time off to act in some British films. These included Flying Fortress (1942) and Unpublished Story (1942). In 1943, he appeared in the thriller Yellow Canary. He also acted in a British comedy called Don't Take It to Heart (1944).
He later toured with a play called Arms and the Man. This was to entertain the soldiers. Richard Greene left the army in December 1944.
Returning to Hollywood
After the war, he starred in a British musical called Gaiety George (1946). It was not a big success.
He then went back to Hollywood. He appeared in the big movie Forever Amber (1947). He played a villain in The Fighting O'Flynn (1948). He was also in The Fan (1949).
Richard Greene returned to England for films like That Dangerous Age (1949). He went back to Hollywood to play the hero in The Desert Hawk (1950). The director said he was perfect for the role.
In 1951, he divorced his first wife, Patricia Medina. He continued to make movies. He starred in Lorna Doone (1951) and The Black Castle (1952). He also made adventure films like The Bandits of Corsica (1953) and Captain Scarlett (1953).
Starring as Robin Hood
Richard Greene came back to Britain looking for new acting roles. He felt that he had been typecast in too many "cloak-and-dagger" movies.
He got a role in a play called I Capture the Castle. Then, a film company offered him the main role in a new TV series. This was The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955–59). He became an instant success as Robin Hood.
The TV show was very popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States. There were also many products like comic books and "Robin Hood Shoes" that featured his image. This success helped him greatly.
While filming the series, he also appeared in a few movies. These included Contraband Spain (1955) and Beyond the Curtain (1960). He even played Robin Hood again in the movie Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960).
Later TV Roles and Fu Manchu
Richard Greene appeared in many other TV shows. Some of these were The Doctors, The Morecambe and Wise Show, and Dixon of Dock Green. He also had a role in The Professionals and Tales of the Unexpected.
He played the character Sir Denis Nayland Smith in two Fu Manchu films. These were The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968) and The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969).
Later Life and Death
Richard Greene passed away on June 1, 1985. He was 66 years old. He died from a cardiac arrest at his home in England. His daughter, Patricia, said that he had not fully recovered from an injury he got from a fall three years earlier. She also mentioned that he still had many fans who sent him letters asking for signed pictures.
Filmography
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See also
In Spanish: Richard Greene para niños
