Reginald Denny - Silent Clown??!!
Posted: October 31st, 2007, 9:07 pm
Who knew? Not me, until my local retro theatre scheduled a few of his silent movies the past couple of months. I first recall seeing Reginald Denney in Rebecca as Frank Crawley and his memorable line "she was the most beautiful creature I ever saw.." He can be found in numerous films of the 30's and 40's as the archtype stiff Brit, but I always found him a little endearing, with that lopsided grin of his. The earliest role I had seen him in to date was Victor in Private Lives. Turns out he had quite a career in silents, mostly light comedies bordering on slapstick. I've recently seen That's My Daddy, I'll Show You the Town, and Skinner's Dress Suit. SDS was shown last week and also had my new favorite Laura LaPlante. Sort of a social climbing comedy, which featured extended dance sequences that I really loved. RD is in his office and a flapper secretary shows him some new dance step, the Savanah Shuffle, where upon he phones his wife, LLP at home, and proceeds to teach her the step over the phone! All the gyrating and hip swiveling done to comic effect by the two. They end up being the hit of a swank dinner party after he aquires his title suit and they teach all the party guests the dance. ISYTT was even more hilarious - I laughed my head off watching RD juggle three ladies on an evening out at a chic restaurant. I would even go so far to say I thought he was funnier in these films than some of what I've seen Harold Lloyd do in his films.