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George Brent

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
109

Gender
Male

Birthday
March 15, 1904 (122 years old)

Place of Birth
Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland

George Brent

Biography

George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor.

Brent was born in Ballinasloe, County Galway in 1904 to John J. and Mary (née McGuinness) Nolan. His mother was a native of Clonfad, Moore, County Roscommon.

Brent made his first film, Under Suspicion, in 1930. Over the next two years, he appeared in a number of minor films produced by Universal Studios and Fox, before being signed to contract by Warner Bros. in 1932. He remained at Warner Bros. for the next 20 years, carving out a successful career as a top-flight leading man during the late 1930s and 1940s.

Highly regarded by Bette Davis, he became her most frequent male co-star, appearing with her in 13 films, including Front Page Woman (1935), Special Agent (1935), The Golden Arrow (1936), Jezebel (1938), The Old Maid (1939), Dark Victory (1939), and The Great Lie (1941). Brent also played opposite Ruby Keeler in 42nd Street (1933), Greta Garbo in The Painted Veil (1934), Ginger Rogers in In Person (1935), Madeleine Carroll in The Case Against Mrs. Ames (1936), Jean Arthur in More Than a Secretary (1936), Myrna Loy in Stamboul Quest (1934) and The Rains Came (1939), Merle Oberon in 'Til We Meet Again (1940), Ann Sheridan in Honeymoon for Three (1941), Joan Fontaine in The Affairs of Susan (1945), Barbara Stanwyck in So Big! (1932), The Purchase Price (1932), Baby Face (1933), The Gay Sisters (1942), and My Reputation (1946), Claudette Colbert in Tomorrow Is Forever (1946), Dorothy McGuire in The Spiral Staircase (1946), Lucille Ball in Lover Come Back (1946), and Yvonne De Carlo in Slave Girl (1947).

Brent drifted into "B" pictures from the late 1940s and retired from film in 1953. He continued to appear on television until 1960, having appeared on the religion anthology series Crossroads. He was cast in the lead in the 1956 television series Wire Service. In 1978, he made one last film, the made-for-television production Born Again.

In 1960, Brent was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars. He received a motion-pictures star located at 1709 Vine Street, and a second star located at 1612 Vine Street for his work in television.

Brent was married five times: Helen Louise Campbell (1925–1927), Ruth Chatterton (1932–1934), Constance Worth (1937), Ann Sheridan (1942–1943), and Janet Michaels (1947–1974). His final marriage to Janet Michaels, a former model and dress designer, lasted 27 years until her death in 1974. They had a son and a daughter.

Brent also carried on a lengthy relationship with his frequent Warner Bros. co-star, actress Bette Davis, who described her last meeting with Brent after many years of estrangement. He was suffering from advanced emphysema, and she expressed great sadness at his ill health and deterioration. George Brent died in 1979 in Solana Beach, California.

Known For

Acting

2006Jezebel: Legend of the Southas Self (archive footage)
1994Biography: Bette Davis — If Looks Could Killas Self (archive footage)
1994The World of Hammeras Self (archive footage)
1983Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footageas Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1978Born Againas Judge Gerhard Gesell
1960The Chevy Mystery Showas Fred Girard
1959Rawhideas Jefferson Devereaux
1956Death of a Scoundrelas Man with Balloon at Party
1956Wire Serviceas Dean Evans
1954Climax!as
1953Mexican Manhuntas David L. 'Dave' Brady
1953Tangier Incidentas Steve Gordon
1952Montana Belleas Tom Bradfield
1952The Last Pageas John Harman
1951FBI Girlas Jeff Donley
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Sam Bentley
1949Bride for Saleas Paul Martin
1949The Kid from Clevelandas Mike Jackson
1949Illegal Entryas Chief Agent Dan Collins
1949Red Canyonas Matthew Bostel
1948Luxury Lineras Captain Jeremy Bradford
1948Angel on the Amazonas Jim Warburton
1947Christmas Eveas Michael Brooks
1947Slave Girlas Matt Claibourne
1947The Corpse Came C.O.D.as Joe Medford
1947Out of the Blueas Arthur Earthleigh
1946Temptationas Nigel Armine
1946Lover Come Backas Bill Williams
1946Tomorrow Is Foreveras Lawrence Hamilton
1946The Spiral Staircaseas Professor Warren
1946My Reputationas Major Scott Landis
1945The Affairs of Susanas Roger Berton
1944Breakdowns of 1944as Self
1944Experiment Perilousas Dr. Huntington Bailey
1942Breakdowns of 1942as Self
1942Silver Queenas James Kincaid
1942You Can't Escape Foreveras Steve Mitchell
1942The Gay Sistersas Charles Barclay
1942In This Our Lifeas Craig Fleming
1942Twin Bedsas Mike Abbott
1941International Ladyas Tim Hanley
1941They Dare Not Loveas Prince Kurt von Rotenberg
1941The Great Lieas Peter 'Pete' Van Allen
1941Honeymoon for Threeas Kenneth Bixby
1940Breakdowns of 1940as Self
1940South of Suezas John Gamble
1940The Man Who Talked Too Muchas Stephen Forbes
1940'Til We Meet Againas Dan Hardesty
1940Adventure in Diamondsas Capt. Stephen Dennett
1940The Fighting 69thas Wild Bill Donovan
1939The Rains Cameas Tom Ransome
1939The Old Maidas Clem Spender
1939Land of Libertyas Buck Cantrell (edited from 'Jezebel')
1939Dark Victoryas Dr. Frederick Steele
1939Wings of the Navyas Cass Harrington
1938Breakdowns of 1938as Buck Cantrell (archive footage) (uncredited)
1938Swingtime in the Moviesas Himself (uncredited)
1938Secrets of an Actressas Richard 'Dick' Orr
1938Racket Bustersas Denny Jordan
1938Out Where the Stars Beginas Jared Whitney (archive footage)
1938Jezebelas Buck Cantrell
1938Gold Is Where You Find Itas Jared Whitney
1937Breakdowns of 1937as Self
1937Submarine D-1as Lt. Commander Dan Matthews
1937The Go-Getteras Bill Austin
1937Mountain Justiceas Paul Cameron
1937God's Country and the Womanas Steve Russett
1936Breakdowns of 1936as Self
1936More Than a Secretaryas Fred Gilbert
1936Give Me Your Heartas James 'Jim' Baker
1936The Golden Arrowas Johnny Jones
1936The Case Against Mrs. Amesas Matt Logan
1936Snowed Underas Alan Tanner
1935A Dream Comes Trueas Himself (uncredited)
1935Things You Never See on the Screenas Self
1935In Personas Emory Muir
1935The Goose and the Ganderas Bob McNear
1935Special Agentas Bill Bradford
1935Front Page Womanas Curt Devlin
1935Strandedas Mack Hale
1935Living on Velvetas Terry Parker
1935The Right to Liveas Colin Trent
1934The Painted Veilas Jack Townsend
1934Desirableas McAllister
1934Housewifeas William H. Reynolds
1934Stamboul Questas Douglas Beall
1933From Headquartersas Lt. Jim Stevens
1933Femaleas Jim Thorne
1933Baby Faceas Courtland Trenholm
1933Lilly Turneras Bob Chandler
1933The Keyholeas Neil Davis
193342nd Streetas Pat Denning
1933Luxury Lineras Dr. Karl Bernhard
1932They Call It Sinas Dr. Tony Travers
1932The Crashas Geoffrey Gault
1932The Purchase Priceas Jim Gilson
1932Week-End Marriageas Peter Acton
1932Miss Pinkertonas Police Inspector Patten
1932The Rich Are Always with Usas Julian Tierney
1932So Big!as Adult Roelf Pool
1931The Lightning Warrioras Alan Scott
1931Homicide Squadas Jimmy
1931Ex-Bad Boyas Donald Swift
1931Charlie Chan Carries Onas Capt. Ronald Keane
1931Fair Warningas Les Haines
1931Once a Sinneras James Brent
1930Under Suspicionas Inspector Turner
1925The Iron Horseas Worker (uncredited)

Production