biographyBorn Louis Denninger in Poughkeepsie, New York, on March 27, 1914, actor Richard Denning was encouraged by his father to take over the family's clothing business. However, after graduating from college, Denning decided against working for the family business and went to Hollywood. His good looks and deep, authoritative voice landed him a contract with Paramount. His first film for the studio was Hold 'Em Navy (1937; with John Howard), in which he had a small role. Denning toiled in bit parts and small roles until the early 1940s, when his career began gaining steam. During this period, his best roles came in The Glass Key (1942; with Alan Ladd, Brian Donlevy, and Veronica Lake), Ice-Capades Revue (1942; with Ellen Drew), and Beyond the Blue Horizon (1942; with Dorothy Lamour and Frances Gifford). Military service interrupted his career, but before enlisting in the in the Navy, Denning married beautiful Universal Studios scream queen Evelyn Ankers in 1942. Throughout their long marriage, Denning and Ankers costarred only twice, in Black Beauty (1946; with Mona Freeman), which was Denning's first film after returning from the war, and No Greater Love (1960), which was Ankers' final film. Upon his return from military service, Denning left Paramount and freelanced for the remainder of his career. In 1948, he took the role of George, the banker husband of Lucille Ball, on the CBS radio comedy series My Favorite Husband (1948-1951); this radio show was the precursor to I Love Lucy. Ball's husband Desi Arnaz replaced Denning in the television series, but Denning landed a series of his own, Mr. and Mrs. North, a 1952-1954 comedy costarring Barbara Britton. And in the 1950s, Denning was cast in numerous horror and science fiction films for which he's now known best, including the Universal 3-D horror film Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954; with Richard Carlson and Julie Adams), Columbia's Creature with the Atom Brain (1955; with Angela Stevens), and The Black Scorpion (1957; with Mara Corday). |
the films of richard denningQuiet Please: Murder (1942)With George Sanders in the 20th Century Fox film noir thriller Quiet Please: MurderBeyond the Blue Horizon (1942)Caged Fury (1948)Denning wrestles with murderous Buster Crabbe in Paramount's film noir thriller Caged FuryHarbor of Missing Men (1950)Week-End With Father (1951)From the Universal-International comedy Week-End With Father with Virginia Field, Patricia Neal, and Van Helfin. This picture was directed by Douglas SirkScarlet Angel (1952)From the Universal-International period drama Scarlet Angel with Yvonne De CarloCreature from the Black Lagoon (1954)LEFT: Denning attempts to defeat the creature in Creature from the Black Lagoon. Also pictured are Richard Carlson and Julie Adams. CENTER: With Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, and Nestor Paiva. RIGHT: With Whit Bissell, Nestor Paiva, and Richard CarlsonAir Strike (1955)Creature with the Atom Brain (1955)The Crooked Web (1955)The Day the World Ended (1956)From Roger Corman's effective science fiction thriller The Day the World Ended. LEFT: With Lori Nelson. CENTER A: With Paul Birch. Right: Denning wrestles with bad guy Mike ConnorsGirls in Prison (1956)Wrestling with Lance Fuller in the American International crime drama Girls in PrisonThe Oklahoma Woman (1956)With Peggie Castle in the Roger Corman western The Oklahoma WomanThe Black Scorpion (1957)From the Warner Bros. science fiction flick The Black Scorpion. LEFT: Richard Denning tries to figure out how to defeat the giant scorpions. CENTER and RIGHT: Mara Corday is Denning's love interest in the filmNaked Paradise (1957)With Beverly Garland in a scene from American International's drama Naked ParadiseThe Lady Takes a Flyer (1958)Michael Shayne (1960-1961 NBC TV Series)With Lola Albright in an episode of Denning's TV series Michael Shayne titled Framed in Blood, which originally aired on October 28, 1960later yearsDenning's film career began to ebb in the early 1960s. He and his family moved to Hawaii in 1965 to enjoy retirement, but in 1968 he was asked to take the role of Governor Paul Jameson on the television series Hawaii Five-O. Denning remained with the series throughout its entire run and officially retired from acting upon its cancellation in 1980. Sadly, his wife Evelyn Ankers passed away in 1985. Denning married a family friend the following year and relocated to California. His health declined in the 1990s, and he passed away on October 11, 1998 at the age of 84. He was survived by his second wife, a daughter, and two grandchildren. |
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