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Reginald Purdell

Reginald Purdell

Actor, Writer, Director

Born November 3, 1895 in Clapham, London, England, UK

Died April 22, 1953

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Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reginald Purdell (4 November 1895 – 22 April 1953) was an English actor and screenwriter who appeared in over 40 films between 1930 and 1951. During the same period he also contributed to the screenplays of 15 feature films, and had a brief foray into directing with two films in 1937.

Purdell was born in Clapham, London. As a young man he served in the British Army with the South Wales Borderers regiment for the duration of the First World War. On returning to civilian life after the war, he decided to try his luck as an actor and gained experience on the stage through the 1920s. His move into films in 1930 coincided with the advent of the talkie era in British cinema.

Purdell's first screen appearance was in the 1930 comedy The Middle Watch, in a role he would later reprise in a 1940 remake. He next travelled to Germany to feature in historical drama Congress Dances, an ambitious and lavishly budgeted project by the UFA film company, involving the simultaneous filming of three versions of the same story in German, English and French in an attempt to prove that a European company could challenge the dominance of American studios in the new era of sound by delivering a continent-wide hit.

Purdell soon began to accumulate screen credits in a wide variety of films ranging from cheaply made quota quickies to more sophisticated productions. He showed a knack for playing comedy, and his 1930s films fell mainly into this genre, with occasional ventures into straight drama and thrillers. Purdell's screenwriting career began in 1932 and he was most productive in this field during the late 1930s, with only occasional ventures later in his career. He tried his hand at film directing in 1937 with two comedies Don't Get Me Wrong, a Max Miller vehicle co-directed with Arthur B. Woods, and Patricia Gets Her Man. Both films were reasonably well-received, but Purdell appears to have decided that directing was not for him, as there would be no more ventures in this area.

In the 1940s Purdell's acting career diversified, with fewer throwaway comedies and more appearances in high-quality dramatic vehicles. His credits included war dramas We Dive at Dawn and Two Thousand Women, Gainsborough melodrama Love Story, notorious box-office flop musical London Town and the classic Brighton Rock. Purdell's last screen appearance was in 1951 and he died on 22 April 1953, aged 57.

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Filmography

Actor

56

Type

Year

Files from Scotland Yard Feature Film1951Inspector Gower

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre Poster

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre TV Series1950Cast member 'The Island of Cipango'

Flotsam's Follies TV Movie1950

Stage Fright Poster

Stage Fright Feature Film1950Police car driver

Old Songs for New TV Series1948Self

A Man About the House Poster

A Man About the House Feature Film1947Higgs

Brighton Rock Poster

Brighton Rock Feature Film1947Frank

Captain Boycott Poster

Captain Boycott Feature Film1947American Reporter

Holiday Camp Poster

Holiday Camp Feature Film1947Redcoat

The Root of All Evil Poster

The Root of All Evil Feature Film1947Perkins

Kaleidoscope TV Series1946Actor in Our Neighbours segment

London Town Poster

London Town Feature Film1946Stage Manager

A Lady Surrenders Poster

A Lady Surrenders Feature Film1944Albert

Bell-Bottom George Poster

Bell-Bottom George Feature Film1944Birdie Edwards

Candles at Nine Poster

Candles at Nine Feature Film1944Charles Lacey

It's in the Bag Poster

It's in the Bag Feature Film1944Joe

Two Thousand Women Poster

Two Thousand Women Feature Film1944Alec Harvey

The Butler's Dilemma Poster

The Butler's Dilemma Feature Film1943Drunk at Party

Variety Jubilee Poster

Variety Jubilee Feature Film1943Joe Swan

We Dive at Dawn Poster

We Dive at Dawn Feature Film1943Coxwain - C

Fingers Feature Film1941Creeper

Haunted Honeymoon Poster

Haunted Honeymoon Feature Film1940MacBride

His Brother's Keeper Feature Film1940Bunny Reeves

Pack Up Your Troubles Feature Film1940Tommy Perkins

The Middle Watch Poster

The Middle Watch Feature Film1940Cpl Duckett

Q Planes Poster

Q Planes Feature Film1939Pilot

The Dark Lady of the Sonnets TV Movie1939Beefeater

The Missing People Feature Film1939Harry Morgan

Many Tanks Mr. Atkins Feature Film1938Pvt. Nuts Nutter

Quiet Please Feature Film1938Algy Beresford

Simply Terrific Feature Film1938Sam Todd

The Dark Stairway Feature Film1938Askew

The Viper Feature Film1938Announcer

Ship's Concert Short Film1937Reggie

Side Street Angel Feature Film1937McGill

Crown v. Stevens Poster

Crown v. Stevens Feature Film1936Alf

Debt of Honour Poster

Debt of Honour Feature Film1936Pedro Salvas

Hail and Farewell Feature Film1936Nobby

Where's Sally? Feature Film1936Dick Burgess

Get Off My Foot Feature Film1935Joe

Key to Harmony Feature Film1935Tom Kirkwood

Regal Cavalcade Poster

Regal Cavalcade Feature Film1935Radio Listener

On the Air Poster

On the Air Feature Film1934Reggie

Runaway Queen Poster

Runaway Queen Feature Film1934Soldier

The Luck of a Sailor Poster

The Luck of a Sailor Feature Film1934Jenkins

The Old Curiosity Shop Poster

The Old Curiosity Shop Feature Film1934Dick Swiveller

Up to the Neck Feature Film1934Jimmy Catlin

What's in a Name? Feature Film1934Harry Stubbs

Crime on the Hill Poster

Crime on the Hill Feature Film1933Reporter

Looking In TV Movie1933

My Lucky Star Feature Film1933Artist

Strictly in Confidence Short Film1933Jim

A Night Like This Poster

A Night Like This Feature Film1932Waiter

The Congress Dances Poster

The Congress Dances Feature Film1932Pepi

A Night in Montmartre Poster

A Night in Montmartre Feature Film1931Tino

The Middle Watch Poster

The Middle Watch Feature Film1930Cpl. Duckett

Writer

21

Type

Year

Comedy Tonight TV Movie1980

Before the Fringe TV Series1967

Between Ourselves TV Movie1948

Here Comes the Sun Poster

Here Comes the Sun Feature Film1946

Dreaming Poster

Dreaming Feature Film1944

The Dark Tower Poster

The Dark Tower Feature Film1943

Pack Up Your Troubles Feature Film1940

It's in the Blood Feature Film1938

Many Tanks Mr. Atkins Feature Film1938

Quiet Please Feature Film1938

The Viper Feature Film1938

Don't Get Me Wrong Poster

Don't Get Me Wrong Feature Film1937

Ship's Concert Short Film1937

Take It from Me Feature Film1937

The Compulsory Wife Feature Film1937

The Vulture Feature Film1937

Hail and Farewell Feature Film1936

Radio Parade of 1935 Poster

Radio Parade of 1935 Feature Film1934

My Lucky Star Feature Film1933

Three Men in a Boat Poster

Three Men in a Boat Feature Film1933

Love on the Spot Feature Film1932

Director

2

Don't Get Me Wrong Poster

Don't Get Me Wrong Feature Film1937

Patricia Gets Her Man Feature Film1937

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