Michael Rennie

Actor
Michael Rennie

About

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Birth Place
Yorkshire, England, GB
Born
August 25, 1909
Died
June 10, 1971

Biography

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Best known for his role as Klaatu in the sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still," actor Michael Rennie's path to Hollywood stardom was a slow, unique one. Beginning as a car salesman and factory manager, Rennie first worked as a stand-in before putting his career on hold to gain acting experience, studying at repertory theaters throughout Britain. Rennie appeared in numerous minor...

Filmography

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The Devil's Brigade (1968)
Lt. Gen. Mark Clark
The Power (1968)
Arthur Nordlund
Subterfuge (1968)
Goldsmith
The Young, the Evil and the Savage (1968)
Inspector Duran
Hotel (1967)
Duke of Lanbourne
Hondo And The Apaches (1967)

Photos & Videos

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The Day the Earth Stood Still - Lobby Cards
5 Photos
Les Miserables (1952) -- (Movie Clip) On The Rocks
0 Photos
0 Photos
Desert Fox, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Already A Legend

Biography

Best known for his role as Klaatu in the sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still," actor Michael Rennie's path to Hollywood stardom was a slow, unique one. Beginning as a car salesman and factory manager, Rennie first worked as a stand-in before putting his career on hold to gain acting experience, studying at repertory theaters throughout Britain. Rennie appeared in numerous minor and uncredited roles throughout the early '40s before proving his acting talent working with one of England's favorite actresses, Margaret Lockwood, on two films: the musical "I'll Be Your Sweetheart" and the period drama "The Wicked Lady." Both films were successful in Britain and led Rennie to Hollywood a few years later. Rennie appeared in numerous films, but none of them nearly achieved the impact of his 1951 film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," which is considered to be a science-fiction classic. Following his role as the peaceful alien ambassador Klaatu, Rennie appeared in an adaptation of the musical "Les Miserables," although it was not as well-received by critics. With offers for starring roles beginning to dwindle, Rennie seamlessly began to work as a supporting actor throughout the 1950s, appearing in the war film "Sailor of the King" and the drama "The Robe." In the late stages of his career Rennie did extensive work on television, most notably appearing on the popular mystery series "The Third Man." Rennie died from emphysema at age 61.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

The Devil's Brigade (1968)
Lt. Gen. Mark Clark
The Power (1968)
Arthur Nordlund
Subterfuge (1968)
Goldsmith
The Young, the Evil and the Savage (1968)
Inspector Duran
Hotel (1967)
Duke of Lanbourne
Hondo And The Apaches (1967)
Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966)
Brooks Durham
Cyborg 2087 (1966)
Garth
Mary Mary (1963)
Dirk Winston
The Lost World (1960)
Sir John Roxton
Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
Capt. John Winter
Omar Khayyam (1957)
Hasani Sabah
Island in the Sun (1957)
Hilary Carson
Teenage Rebel (1956)
Jay Fallon
Seven Cities of Gold (1955)
Father Junípero Serra
Soldier of Fortune (1955)
Inspector Merryweather
Mambo (1955)
Count Enrico Marisoni
The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)
Lord Alan Esketh
King of the Khyber Rifles (1954)
Brig. Gen. Jonathan Maitland
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
Peter, The Big Fisherman
Princess of the Nile (1954)
Rama Khan
Prince Valiant (1954)
Narrator
Désirée (1954)
Jean Baptiste Bernadotte
Dangerous Crossing (1953)
Dr. Paul Manning
Sailor of the King (1953)
Capt. Richard Saville
The Robe (1953)
Peter, The Big Fisherman
Titanic (1953)
Ending narrator
The Desert Rats (1953)
Narrator
Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
Dr. Bob Fortness
5 Fingers (1952)
Colin Travers
Les Miserables (1952)
Jean Valjean, also known as Monsieur Madeleine/Champmathieu
Pony Soldier (1952)
Ending narrator
I'll Never Forget You (1951)
Roger Forsyth
The 13th Letter (1951)
Dr. Pearson
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Klaatu
The Desert Fox (1951)
Narrator
Trio (1950)
George Templeton
The Black Rose (1950)
King Edward
The Wicked Lady (1945)
Kit Locksby
Caesar And Cleopatra (1945)
Centurion
Suicide Squadron (1942)
The Tower Of Terror (1941)
Murder on Diamond Row (1937)
Policeman

Cast (Special)

The Search (1968)
Martin Purcell

Life Events

Photo Collections

 
5 Photos
The Day the Earth Stood Still - Lobby Cards
Here are some Lobby Cards from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Movie Clip

Les Miserables (1952) -- (Movie Clip) On The Rocks Following a prologue truncating Victor Hugo, we meet Robert Newton as Javert enforcing regulations during panic amidships, and slaves Jean Valjean (Michael Rennie) and Genflou (Joseph Wiseman) performing a rescue, in Lewis Milestone's production of Les Miserables, 1952.
Desert Fox, The (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Already A Legend Michael Rennie is narrating but it's the author of the original book Desmond Young playing himself, in this scene introducing Erwin Rommel (James Mason), the title character, in Henry Hathaway's The Desert Fox, 1951.
Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) -- (Movie Clip) The Glory Of Spain Interesting introduction of three principals (and two historical figures), Anthony Quinn as Spanish Captain Portola and Richard Egan his fictional lieutenant, in a reckless rush to Mexico City, causing an accident and meeting Father Junipero Serra (Michael Rennie), in 20th Century-Fox’s Seven Cities Of Gold, 1955.
Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Burn It Into Your Heart Preparing to depart Mexico City for California, 1769, Father Junipero Serra (Michael Rennie) goes rogue with the Spanish colonial rank-and-file, cueing grumbling from Captain Portola and (fictional) Lt. Mendoza (Anthony Quinn, Richard Egan), with top career-Assistant Director Robert D. Webb directing, in Seven Cities Of Gold, 1955.
Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) -- (Movie Clip) The Holy Family Michael Rennie as the famed Father Junipero Serra and Richard Egan as the imagined Lt. Mendoza have been separated from their expedition in a dust storm, in New Spain (a.k.a. Mexico), 1769, and find phantom solace, in Seven Cities Of Gold, 1955.
Seven Cities Of Gold (1955) -- (Movie Clip) We Will Not Be Evil Another fabricated event in the factual mission of Father Junipero Serra to 1769 California, Jeffrey Hunter as Indian Matuwir mediates a meeting with his grandfather (Guillermo Calles), with a glimpse of Rita Moreno as maiden Ula, in Seven Cities Of Gold, 1955.
Phone Call From A Stranger (1952) -- (Movie Clip) You're All Married Binky (top-billed Shelley Winters), nervous about the weather before her first airplane flight, makes a second approach to Gary Merrill, whom we know is leaving his wife and traveling under an assumed name, when they’re joined by Keenan Wynn and Michael Rennie, with extensive exposition, in Jean Negulesco’s Phone Call From A Stranger, 1952, produced and written by Nunnally Johnson from an I.A.R. Wylie novelette.
Phone Call From A Stranger (1952) -- (Movie Clip) He's Had A Great Deal To Drink In his flashback to events pre-dating the airline flight by about seven years, Michael Rennie as Dr. Fortness (Michael Rennie) shouldn’t be driving, his wife (Beatrice Straight) and colleague Dr. Brooks (Hugh Beaumont) trying to intervene, in Phone Call From A Stranger, 1952.
Hotel (1967) -- (Movie Clip) I Detest You! Quick look at many in the all-star cast, Richard Conte as house detective Dupere looking into a car accident, Rod Taylor as his manager McDermott, Merle Oberon and Michael Rennie as the duke and duchess hiding we're-not-sure-what, Karl Malden the thief, in Hotel, 1967, from an Arthur Hailey novel.
Power, The (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Is The Pain Really That Intense? Opening with the arrival of U.S. Navy supervisor Nordlund (Michael Rennie) at a California lab where they apparently test subjects’ tolerance for pain, George Hamilton as Tanner, scientist in charge, in The Power, 1968, from producer George Pal, from a novel by Frank M. Robinson.
Desert Rats, The (1953) -- (Movie Clip) The Pick Of Hitler's Troops Michael Rennie reads for the bang-up opening of Robert Wise's The Desert Rats, 1953, 20th Century Fox's follow up to The Desert Fox, 1951, which some found overly sympathetic to the German cause.
Wicked Lady, The (1945) -- (Movie Clip) To The Bridal Chamber! Barbara (Margaret Lockwood) gets married to hapless Ralph (Griffith Jones) and is immediately drawn to the mysterious Locksby (Michael Rennie) in the British period-romance-caper The Wicked Lady, 1945.

Trailer

Day The Earth Stood Still, The (1951) -- (Original Trailer) Original theatrical trailer for hit 195 real-world cold-war science fiction thriller The Day The Earth Stood Still, from Twentieth Century-Fox, starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal.

Bibliography

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