Richard Denning
- This article is about the American actor; for the British author, see Richard J Denning.
| Richard Denning | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger, Jr. March 27, 1914 Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 11, 1998 (aged 84) Escondido, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1937–1980 |
| Spouse | Patricia Leffingwell (1986–1998) (his death) Evelyn Ankers (1942–1985) (her death) |
Richard Denning (March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998), was an American actor who starred in such movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and An Affair to Remember (1957), and on radio with Lucille Ball as her husband George Cooper in My Favorite Husband (1948–1951), the forerunner of television's I Love Lucy, for which Denning was replaced by Ball's real-life husband, Desi Arnaz.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Denning was born as Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger, Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. He became an actor, best-known for his recurring role as Governor of Hawaii Paul Jameson in the CBS series Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980). He also starred as the title character in the detective series Michael Shayne (1960–61) and shared title billing with Barbara Britton in the detective series Mr. and Mrs. North (1952–1954), later appearing as Dr. Greg Graham in the series "The Flying Doctor" (1959). He appeared three times on the ABC anthology series Crossroads.
According to Denning, after interrupting his career to enlist in the military during World War II, upon his return he experienced a full 18 months before Paramount Pictures put him back to work. During that time period, Denning and his famiy lived in a mobile home that he alternately parked at Malibu and Palm Springs. His period of unemployment ended when he was hired to star on the radio opposite Lucille Ball in My Favorite Husband.[1]
Denning was already retired and living on the island of Maui with his wife, when producer Leonard Freeman telephoned him with an offer to appear as the Governor in the new series Hawaii Five-O. Freeman guaranteed Denning five-hour days and a four-day work week in order to snag him.[2]
[edit] Personal life
Denning was married to 1940s horror movie queen Evelyn Ankers (co-star of The Wolf Man), who retired from films at the age of thirty-two after they were married. After Ankers' death from cancer in 1985, Denning married Patricia Leffingwell.
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Hold 'em Navy | Midshipman Jepson | |
| 1937 | Wells Fargo | uncredited | |
| 1938 | The Buccaneer | Captain Reid | |
| 1938 | The Big Broadcast of 1938 | Officer, S.S. Gigantic | uncredited |
| 1938 | Her Jungle Love | Pilot | |
| 1938 | College Swing | Student | uncredited |
| 1938 | You and Me | ||
| 1938 | The Texans | Cpl. Parker | |
| 1938 | Give Me a Sailor | Sailor | uncredited |
| 1938 | Campus Confessions | Buck Hogan | |
| 1938 | King of Alcatraz | Harry Vay | |
| 1938 | Touchdown Army | Cadet | uncredited |
| 1938 | The Arkansas Traveler | ||
| 1938 | Illegal Traffic | Silk Patterson | |
| 1938 | Say It in French | Elevator Passenger | uncredited |
| 1939 | Ambush | Police Garage Mechanic | |
| 1939 | Persons in Hiding | Powder, Henchman | |
| 1939 | King of Chinatown | First Intern | |
| 1939 | I'm From Missouri | Plane Pilot | |
| 1939 | Sudden Money | Johnny Jordan | |
| 1939 | Union Pacific | Reporter | uncredited |
| 1939 | Hotel Imperial | uncredited | |
| 1939 | Some Like It Hot | Mr. Weems | |
| 1939 | Undercover Doctor | Frank Oliver | |
| 1939 | The Gracie Allen Murder Case | Fred | |
| 1939 | Grand Jury Secrets | Murph | |
| 1939 | Million Dollar Legs | Hunk Jordan | |
| 1939 | The Star Maker | Assistant Dance Director | uncredited |
| 1939 | Television Spy | Dick Randolph | |
| 1939 | Disputed Passage | Student | uncredited |
| 1939 | Our Neighbors – The Carters | Pilot | uncredited |
| 1939 | Geronimo | Lt. Larned | |
| 1939 | The Night of Nights | Call Boy | |
| 1940 | Emergency Squad | Dan Barton | |
| 1940 | Parole Fixer | Bruce Eaton | |
| 1940 | The Farmer's Daughter | Dennis Crane | |
| 1940 | Seventeen | Jack | |
| 1940 | Queen of the Mob | Charlie Webster | |
| 1940 | Those Were the Days! | Briggs | |
| 1940 | Golden Gloves | Bill Crane | |
| 1940 | Northwest Mounted Police | Const. Thornton | |
| 1940 | Love Thy Neighbor | ||
| 1941 | Adam Had Four Sons | Jack Stoddard (older) | |
| 1941 | West Point Widow | Lt. Rhody Graves | |
| 1942 | Beyond the Blue Horizon | Jackra the Magnificent | |
| 1942 | The Glass Key | Taylor Henry | |
| 1942 | Quiet Please, Murder | Hal McByrne | |
| 1942 | Ice-Capades Revue | Jeff | |
| 1944 | Golden Gloves | ||
| 1946 | Black Beauty | Bill Dixon | |
| 1946 | The Fabulous Suzanne | Rex | |
| 1947 | Seven Were Saved | Captain Allen Danton | |
| 1948 | Caged Fury | Blaney Lewis | |
| 1948 | Lady at Midnight | Peter Wiggins | |
| 1948 | Unknown Island | John Fairbanks | |
| 1948 | Disaster | Bill Wyatt | |
| 1950 | No Man of Her Own | Hugh Harkness | |
| 1950 | Harbor of Missing Men | Jim 'Brooklyn' Gannon | |
| 1950 | Double Deal | Buzz Doyle | |
| 1951 | The Bigelow Theatre | TV series, episode: "The Hot Welcome" | |
| 1951 | Secrets of Beauty | Dr. John Waldron | |
| 1951 | Flame of Stamboul | Larry Wilson | |
| 1951 | Insurance Investigator | Tom Davison | |
| 1951 | Week-End with Father | Don Adams | |
| 1952 | Okinawa | Lt. Phillips | |
| 1952 | Scarlet Angel | Malcolm Bradley | |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | TV series episode: "The Man Who Took a Chance" | |
| 1952 | Hangman's Knot | Lee Kemper | |
| 1953 | Target Hong Kong | Mike Lassiter | |
| 1953 | Ford Television Theatre | Dr. James Baker | TV series, episode: "The Doctor's Downfall" |
| 1953 | The 49th Man | Chief Investigator Paul Reagan | |
| 1953 | The Glass Web | Dave Markson | |
| 1954 | Jivaro | Jerry Russell | |
| 1954 | Ford Television Theatre | George Beagle | TV series, episode: "The Legal Beagles" |
| 1954 | Battle of Rogue River | Stacey Wyatt | |
| 1954 | Creature from the Black Lagoon | Dr. Mark Williams | |
| 1954 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | TV series, episode: "Tapu" | |
| 1954 | Mr. & Mrs. North | Jerry North | TV series, 56 episodes |
| 1954 | Target Earth | Frank Brooks | |
| 1955 | TV Reader's Digest | Don Wilkerson | TV series, episode: "I'll Pick More Daisies" |
| 1955 | Ford Television Theatre | Tim Barker | TV series, episode: "All That Glitters" |
| 1955 | Air Strike | Cmdr. Stanley Blair | |
| 1955 | The Magnificent Matador | Mark Russell | |
| 1955 | Creature with the Atom Brain | Dr. Chet Walker | |
| 1955 | The Gun That Won the West | 'Dakota' Jack Gaines | |
| 1955 | The Crooked Web | Frank Daniel | |
| 1955 | The Day the World Ended | Rick | |
| 1956 | Cheyenne | Capt. Quinlan | TV series, episode: "Decision" |
| 1956 | Celebrity Playhouse | William Broder | TV series, episode: "Bachelor Husband" |
| 1956 | The Oklahoma Woman | Steve Ward | |
| 1956 | Girls in Prison | Rev. Fulton | |
| 1956 | Crossroads | Dr. Ira Langston | TV series, episode: "Chinese Checkers" |
| 1956 | Crossroads | Rev. George Bolton | TV series, episode: "The Bowery Bishop" |
| 1956 | Crossroads | Reverend Lloyd E. Williams | TV series, episode: "The Pure White Orchid" |
| 1956 | Million Dollar Manhunt | Major Gregory Keen | |
| 1956 | Ford Television Theatre | Barney Maddock | TV series, episode: "Double Trouble |
| 1956 | Ford Television Theatre | Davy Jones | TV series, episode: "On the Beach" |
| 1957 | Ford Television Theatre | Charlie Frye | TV series, episode: "The Idea Man" |
| 1957 | An Affair to Remember | Kenneth Bradley | |
| 1957 | The Buckskin Lady | Dr. Bruce Merritt | |
| 1957 | The Black Scorpion | Hank Scott | |
| 1957 | General Electric Theater | Dr. Mark Andrews | TV series, episode: "Eyes of a Stranger" |
| 1958 | General Electric Theater | Jim Kendall | TV series, episode: "Letters from Cairo" |
| 1958 | The Lady Takes a Flyer | Al Reynolds | |
| 1958 | Studio One | Jack Marshall | TV series, episode: "The Laughing Willow" |
| 1958 | Desert Hell | Sgt. Major Pierre Benet | |
| 1959 | The Flying Doctor | Dr. Greg Graham | TV series, 39 episodes |
| 1960 | No Greater Love | ||
| 1960–1961 | Michael Shayne | Michael Shayne | TV series, 32 episodes |
| 1963 | Going My Way | Larry | TV series, episode: "Don't Forget to Say Goodbye" |
| 1963 | Twice-Told Tales | Jonathan Maulle | |
| 1964–1965 | Karen | Steve Scott | TV series, 27 episodes |
| 1966 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Alice's Father | |
| 1968 | I Sailed to Tahiti With an All Girl Crew | Commodore | |
| 1968 | I Spy | Delaney | TV series, episode: "This Guy Smith" |
| 1968–1980 | Hawaii Five-O | Governor Paul Jameson | TV series, 69 episodes |
| 1974 | McCloud | Edgar Hamilton | TV series, episode: "A Cowboy in Paradise" |
| 1980 | The Asphalt Cowboy | Charles Van Heuran |
