Years active 1899-1951 Name Frank Reicher | Role Film actor | |
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Occupation Stage and Film Actor, Director and Producer Spouse Ella Reicher (m. 1899–1948) Parents Emanuel Reicher, Hedwig Kindermann Siblings Hedwiga Reicher, Ernst Reicher Movies King Kong, Son of Kong, Dr Cyclops, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Mata Hari Similar People Ernest B Schoedsack, Bruce Cabot, Merian C Cooper, Emanuel Reicher, George Fitzmaurice | ||
Frank Reicher (December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American stage and film actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film King Kong.
Contents
Early life
Frank Reicher was born in Munich, Germany, the son of actor Emanuel Reicher and Hedwig Kindermann, a popular German prima donna who was a daughter of the famous baritone August Kindermann. Reicher's parents divorced in 1881 and his mother died two years later while at Trieste. His sister, Hedwiga Reicher, would also become a Hollywood actor. Frank Reicher immigrated to the States in 1899 and became a naturalized American citizen some twelve years later.
Career
Reicher made his Broadway debut the year he came to America playing Lord Tarquin in Harrison Fiske's production of Becky Sharp, a comedy by Langdon Mitchell based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. His early career was spent in legitimate theater on and off Broadway. He was head of the Brooklyn Stock Company when Jacob P. Adler performed The Merchant of Venice in Yiddish while the rest of the cast remained in English. Reicher was for a number of years affiliated with the Little Theatre on West Forty-Fourth Street as an actor and manager and would remain active on Broadway as actor, director or producer well into the 1920s. On stage, Reicher starred in such plays as the first Broadway production of Georg Kaiser's From Morning to Midnight (as the cashier), and the original production of Percy MacKaye's The Scarecrow (in the title role).
Frank Reicher is probably more familiar to modern audiences as a supporting character actor in films. He began his cinema career with an uncredited role in the 1915 film The Case for Becky and would go on work in over two hundred motion pictures. He is probably best remembered for playing the character of Captain Englehorn in King Kong and The Son of Kong, and for his work in such films as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950). His last Hollywood role was in the very first theatrical Superman movie, Superman and the Mole Men, in 1951.
Marriage
Frank Reicher married his wife Ella sometime around 1899 prior to his coming to America. Ella Reicher, a native of Oldenburg, joined him there the following year. The couple remained together until her death in 1948.
Death
Frank Reicher died at a hospital in Inglewood, California, aged 89. He was survived by his sister and a brother. His interment was at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
As director
Filmography
Actor
1951
Superman and the Mole-Men as
Hospital Superintendent
1951
The Lady and the Bandit as
Count Eckhardt (uncredited)
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye as
'Doc' Darius Green
1950
The Arizona Cowboy as
Major Sheridan
1950
Cargo to Capetown as
Judge Van Meeger (uncredited)
1949
Life of St. Paul Series as
Ananias
1949
Samson and Delilah as
Village Barber
1949
Barbary Pirate as
Cathcart
1949
Your Show Time (TV Series)
- Mademoiselle Fifi (1949)
1948
The Gallant Blade as
Major (uncredited)
1948
I, Jane Doe as
Doctor (uncredited)
1948
Carson City Raiders as
Razor Pool
1948
Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad as
Dr. MacKenzie
1947
Escape Me Never as
The Minister
1947
Song of Love as
Mr. Fuerbach (uncredited)
1947
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as
Karl Maasdam
1947
Violence as
Pop
1947
Monsieur Verdoux as
Doctor (uncredited)
1947
Yankee Fakir as
Banker H.W. Randall
1947
Mr. District Attorney as
Peter Lantz (uncredited)
1946
Home in Oklahoma as
Jason Cragmyle
1946
Sister Kenny as
Dr. Chuter (uncredited)
1946
My Pal Trigger as
Judge J.E. Ellis (uncredited)
1946
Song of Arizona as
Doctor (uncredited)
1946
The Shadow Returns as
Michael Hasdon
1946
A Guy Could Change as
Doctor (uncredited)
1945
The Strange Mr. Gregory as
Riker - the Butler
1945
The Tiger Woman as
Coroner
1945
Voice of the Whistler as
Dr. Rose (uncredited)
1945
Rhapsody in Blue as
Guest (uncredited)
1945
Phantoms, Inc. (Short) as
Philip Kenneson Sr. (uncredited)
1945
Blonde Ransom as
Judge
1945
A Medal for Benny as
Father Bly (uncredited)
1945
Hotel Berlin as
Fritz (uncredited)
1945
The Jade Mask as
Harper
1944
The Big Bonanza as
Dr. Ballou
1944
House of Frankenstein as
Ullman
1944
The Conspirators as
Casino Attendant (uncredited)
1944
The Mummy's Ghost as
Professor Norman
1944
Gildersleeve's Ghost as
Dr. John Wells
1944
The Adventures of Mark Twain as
Doctor in Elmira (uncredited)
1944
The Hitler Gang as
The Justizminister (uncredited)
1944
Address Unknown as
Professor Schmidt
1944
In Our Time as
Baron Jarski (uncredited)
1944
Captain America as
Lyman [Ch. 1]
1943
Sucker Bait (Documentary short) as
Nazi Spy School Student
1943
The Song of Bernadette as
Dr. St. Cyr (uncredited)
1943
Tornado as
Old Man Linden (uncredited)
1943
Watch on the Rhine as
Admiral (uncredited)
1943
Bomber's Moon as
Dr. Hartman
1943
Background to Danger as
Rudick (uncredited)
1943
Yanks Ahoy as
German (uncredited)
1943
Above Suspicion as
Colonel Gerold (uncredited)
1943
Mission to Moscow as
General von Koestrich - German ambassador (uncredited)
1943
Plan for Destruction (Short) as
Karl Ernst Haushofer
1943
Hangmen Also Die! as
Interpreter (uncredited)
1943
The Purple V as
Bit Role (uncredited)
1942
Scattergood Survives a Murder as
Thaddeus Quentin
1942
The Mummy's Tomb as
Prof. Norman
1942
Night Monster as
Dr. Timmons
1942
Divide and Conquer (Short) as
French Propagandist (uncredited)
1942
Secret Enemies as
Henry Bremmer
1942
The Gay Sisters as
Dr. Thomas Bigelow
1942
I Married an Angel as
Driver (uncredited)
1942
Beyond the Blue Horizon as
Sneath
1942
Mystery of Marie Roget as
Magistrate
1942
To Be or Not to Be as
Polish Official (uncredited)
1942
Nazi Agent as
Fritz
1941
Dangerously They Live as
Jarvis
1941
One Foot in Heaven as
Board Member (uncredited)
1941
Father Takes a Wife as
Captain of the 'SS Leslie C.' (uncredited)
1941
Underground as
PLrof. Baumer
1941
Shining Victory as
Dr. Esterhazy
1941
The Nurse's Secret as
Mr. Henderson
1941
They Dare Not Love as
German Captain (uncredited)
1941
Flight from Destiny as
Edvaard Kreindling
1941
The Face Behind the Mask as
Dr. Ronald Cheever (uncredited)
1941
Four Mothers as
Festival Committee Member (uncredited)
1940
Sky Murder as
Dr. Crattan
1940
South to Karanga as
Dr. Greenleaf
1940
The Man I Married as
Friehof
1940
The Lady in Question as
President
1940
All This, and Heaven Too as
Police Official (uncredited)
1940
Typhoon as
Doctor
1940
Dr. Cyclops as
Professor Kendall
1940
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as
Old Man (uncredited)
1939
Everything Happens at Night as
Pharmacist
1939
South of the Border as
Don Diego Mendoza
1939
Our Neighbors - The Carters as
Dr. Proser
1939
Ninotchka as
Soviet Lawyer (uncredited)
1939
Sabotage as
George Wallner -- Head of Saboteurs (uncredited)
1939
The Escape as
Dr. Shumaker
1939
Rio as
Paris Banker (uncredited)
1939
Nurse Edith Cavell as
Baron Von Bissing
1939
The Magnificent Fraud as
Mendietta Garcia
1939
Unexpected Father as
Adoption Hearing Referee (uncredited)
1939
Sons of Liberty (Short) as
Lyons -- Storekeeper (uncredited)
1939
Juarez as
Duc de Morny (uncredited)
1939
Mystery of the White Room as
Dr. Amos Thornton
1939
Never Say Die as
Man in Charge of Duel (uncredited)
1939
Society Smugglers as
Jones
1939
Woman Doctor as
Dr. Mathews
1939
Devil's Island as
President of Assize Court
1938
The Girl Downstairs as
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1938
Torchy Gets Her Man as
The Professor
1938
The Storm as
Dr. Striker (uncredited)
1938
Suez as
General Changarnier
1938
Letter of Introduction as
Second Doctor - Midtown Hospital (uncredited)
1938
I'll Give a Million as
Prefect of Police
1938
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse as
Professor O.J. Ludwig (uncredited)
1938
City Streets as
Dr. Ferenc Waller
1938
Three Comrades as
Major - Young Soldier's Father (uncredited)
1938
Rascals as
Dr. C.M. Garvey
1938
Prison Nurse as
Doctor Hartman
1937
Prescription for Romance as
Jozsef
1937
Beg, Borrow or Steal as
Monsieur Debillon (uncredited)
1937
45 Fathers as
Prentiss (uncredited)
1937
Heidi as
Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
1937
Lancer Spy as
Admiral
1937
Stage Door as
Stage Director
1937
Fit for a King as
Kurtz
1937
On Such a Night as
Horace Darwin
1937
The Life of Emile Zola as
M. Perrenx (uncredited)
1937
West Bound Limited as
Pop Martin
1937
Midnight Madonna as
Vincent Long II
1937
The Emperor's Candlesticks as
Pavloff
1937
The Devil Is Driving as
District Attorney (uncredited)
1937
The Road Back as
Ernst's Father
1937
King of Gamblers as
Herman (uncredited)
1937
Night Key as
Carl
1937
Espionage as
Von Cram
1937
Stolen Holiday as
Rainer
1937
The Great O'Malley as
Dr. Larson
1937
Man of the People as
Professor Robinson - Geologist (uncredited)
1937
The Mighty Treve as
Eben McClelland
1937
Under Cover of Night as
Rudolph Brehmer
1936
Sinner Take All as
Theo Drukker (uncredited)
1936
Camille as
Creditor Agent (uncredited)
1936
Laughing at Trouble as
Dr. Larson
1936
Along Came Love as
Planetarium Lecturer
1936
Old Hutch as
District Attorney (uncredited)
1936
Star for a Night as
Doctor Heimkin
1936
The Gorgeous Hussy as
Commander of U.S.S. Constitution (uncredited)
1936
Second Wife as
Headmaster
1936
Girls' Dormitory as
Dr. Hoffenreich
1936
The Devil-Doll as
Doctor (uncredited)
1936
Nobody's Fool as
Chairman (uncredited)
1936
Anthony Adverse as
Coach Driver to Paris
1936
Under Two Flags as
French General
1936
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford as
Henry Strand (uncredited)
1936
Murder on a Bridle Path as
Dr. Peters (Gregg's)
1936
Till We Meet Again as
Colonel Von Diegel
1936
The Country Doctor as
Dr. Paul Luke
1936
Sutter's Gold as
Governor Felipe Vega (uncredited)
1936
The Story of Louis Pasteur as
Dr. Pfeiffer
1935
The Lone Wolf Returns as
Coleman (scenes deleted)
1935
Magnificent Obsession as
Dr. Rochard (uncredited)
1935
The Invisible Ray as
Professor Meiklejohn (Mendelssohn in end credits)
1935
The Great Impersonation as
Dr. Trenk
1935
Kind Lady as
Gustave Roubet
1935
The Fighting Marines as
Wheeler - M-70 (uncredited)
1935
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo as
Second Assistant Director
1935
Remember Last Night? as
Coroner (uncredited)
1935
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan as
Dr. Coate
1935
Rendezvous as
Dr. R.A. Jackson
1935
Born to Gamble as
Defense Attorney (uncredited)
1935
Charlie Chan in Egypt as
Dr. Jaipur
1935
Star of Midnight as
Abe Ohlman (uncredited)
1935
The Florentine Dagger as
Von Stein
1935
A Dog of Flanders as
Herr Vanderkloot
1935
Straight from the Heart as
Coroner (uncredited)
1935
The Casino Murder Case as
Assistant Coroner (uncredited)
1934
Mills of the Gods as
Barrett
1934
Life Returns as
Dr. James
1934
Secret of the Chateau as
Auctioneer
1934
I Am a Thief as
Max Bolen
1934
The Case of the Howling Dog as
Dr. Carl Cooper
1934
British Agent as
Mr. X
1934
The Fountain as
Doctor
1934
Return of the Terror as
Franz Reinhardt
1934
The World Moves On as
Herr Robess (uncredited)
1934
Little Man, What Now? as
Lehmann
1934
Let's Talk It Over as
Richards
1934
The Line-Up as
Abraham Schultz (uncredited)
1934
Men in White as
Doctor (uncredited)
1934
The Countess of Monte Cristo as
Police Commissioner
1934
No Greater Glory as
Doctor
1934
Journal of a Crime as
Herr Winterstein
1934
Hi, Nellie as
Danny
1934
8 Girls in a Boat as
The Examiner (uncredited)
1933
Son of Kong as
Capt. Englehorn
1933
Ever in My Heart as
Dr. Hoffman (uncredited)
1933
After Tonight as
Major--Medical Officer (uncredited)
1933
Captured! as
Herr Hauptman - the Adjutant
1933
Before Dawn as
Joe Valerie
1933
Jennie Gerhardt as
Old Weaver (uncredited)
1933
A Bedtime Story as
Aristide
1933
King Kong as
Capt. Englehorn
1933
Topaze as
Dr. Stegg
1933
Employees' Entrance as
Garfinkle
1932
Rasputin and the Empress as
German-Language Teacher (uncredited)
1932
Flesh as
Warden in Germany (uncredited)
1932
Scarlet Dawn as
Plotsky (uncredited)
1932
The Crooked Circle as
Rankin
1932
A Woman Commands as
The General
1931
Mata Hari as
The Cook-Spy
1931
Suicide Fleet as
Holtzmann
1931
The Sin of Madelon Claudet as
Arresting Detective (uncredited)
1931
Beyond Victory as
German Military Hospital Chief
1931
Gentleman's Fate as
Papa Francesco Tomasulo
1930
A Lady's Morals as
Italian Theater Manager (uncredited)
1930
Billy the Kid as
General Lew Wallace (uncredited)
1930
Strictly Unconventional as
Duke of Brocklehurst (uncredited)
1930
Die Sehnsucht jeder Frau as
Der Doktor
1930
The Grand Parade
1929
Mister Antonio as
Milton Jorny
1929
Her Private Affair as
State's Attorney
1929
Paris Bound (uncredited)
1929
Black Waters as
Randall
1929
Strange Cargo as
Dr. Stecker
1929
His Captive Woman as
District Attorney
1928
Sins of the Fathers as
The Eye Specialist
1928
Someone to Love as
Simmons
1928
Napoleon's Barber (Short) as
Napoleon's Barber
1928
The Masks of the Devil as
Count Zellner
1928
The Blue Danube as
Baron von Statzen
1928
Four Sons as
The Schoolmaster
1928
Beau Sabreur as
Gen. de Beaujolais
1926
Her Man o' War as
Prof. Krantz
1921
Wise Husbands
1915
The Case of Becky as
One of Dr. Emerson's Patients (uncredited)
Director
1931
Wir schalten um auf Hollywood
1929
Mister Antonio
1921
Out of the Depths (unconfirmed)
1921
Wise Husbands
1921
Behind Masks
1921
Idle Hands
1920
Empty Arms
1919
The Black Circle
1919
The Battler
1919
The Trap
1919
The American Way
1919
Suspense
1918
The Prodigal Wife
1918
The Sea Waif
1918
The Only Road
1918
The Treasure of the Sea
1918
The Claim
1917
An American Widow
1917
The Eternal Mother
1917
The Trouble Buster
1917
The Inner Shrine
1917
Unconquered
1917
Sacrifice
1917
Castles for Two
1917
The Black Wolf
1917
Lost and Won
1917
Betty to the Rescue
1916
Witchcraft
1916
The Storm
1916
The Victory of Conscience
1916
Public Opinion
1916
The Dupe
1916
Alien Souls
1916
The Love Mask
1916
The Sowers
1916
For the Defense
1916
Pudd'nhead Wilson
1915
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo
1915
The Secret Sin
1915
The Chorus Lady
1915
The Case of Becky
1915
The Secret Orchard
1915
The Clue (as Frank Reichert)
Miscellaneous
1930
Girl of the Port (dialogue director)
1930
The Grand Parade (staged by)
1929
Big News (dialogue director - uncredited)
1929
Paris Bound (dialogue co-director)
1929
Black Waters (dialogue director)
1920
Empty Arms (supervisor)
1916
Witchcraft (presenter)
Producer
1921
Idle Hands (supervising producer)
1919
Suspense (producer)
1917
Castles for Two (producer)
1917
Betty to the Rescue (producer)
Writer
1930
Anna Christie (German screenplay)
1929
Big News (uncredited)
Assistant Director
1930
Die Sehnsucht jeder Frau (German Assistant)
Self
1914
The Lambs' All-Star Gambol (Documentary short) as
Self
Archive Footage
2023
Compression (TV Series documentary)
- Compression King Kong de Merian C. Cooper et Ernest B. Schoedsack (2023)
2009
Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (TV Series documentary) as
Captain Englehorn
- King Kong (2009) - Captain Englehorn
1999
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' (Video documentary short)
1953
Adventures of Superman (TV Series) as
Hospital Superintendent
- The Unknown People: Part II (1953) - Hospital Superintendent (uncredited)
References
Frank Reicher Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA