Reginald Purdell

Also Known As: Reginald William Henry Grasdorff

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.

Department: Acting

Place of Birth: Clapham, London, England, UK

Adult: No

Birthday: November 03, 1895

Age: 129 years old

Gender: Male

Deathday: April 22, 1953

Popularity:

1.03%

Known For:

The Queen's Affair
Two Thousand Women
Stage Fright
Up to the Neck
The Root of All Evil
Captain Boycott
Love Story
Holiday Camp
The Old Curiosity Shop
A Man About the House
The Missing People
Q Planes
Get Off My Foot
Crime on the Hill
Crown v. Stevens
My Lucky Star
The Middle Watch
Congress Dances
Candles at Nine
Busman's Honeymoon
The Luck of a Sailor
The Viper
The Dark Stairway
What’s in a Name?
His Brother’s Keeper
Simply Terrific
Quiet, Please
Side Street Angel
Hail and Farewell
A Night in Montmartre
The Middle Watch
It's in the Bag
Bell-Bottom George
A Night Like This
Debt of Honour
Brighton Rock
Variety Jubilee
We Dive at Dawn
Where's Sally?