Frank Reicher: Movies & Box Office

Frank Reicher, born Franz Reichert on December 2, 1875 in Munich, Germany, began his artistic journey in the shadow of a theatrical family; his father Emanuel Reichert was an actor and his half‑siblings Hedwiga and Ernst would later find fame on stage and screen. After a turbulent childhood marked by his parents' divorce and the early loss of his mother, the young Franz emigrated to the United States in 1899, quickly naturalizing as an American citizen twelve years later. His Broadway debut came that same year when he portrayed Lord Tarquin in Harrison Fiske's production of Becky Sharp, launching a prolific stage career that spanned both on‑ and off‑Broadway productions, management of the Brooklyn Stock Company, and a long affiliation with the Little Theatre on West Forty‑Fourth Street. Notable stage credits include the first Broadway performance of Georg Kaiser’s From Morning to Midnight, the titular role in Percy MacKaye’s The Scarecrow, and the U.S. premiere of Leonid Andreyev’s He Who Gets Slapped, establishing him as a versatile actor and respected director.\n\nTransitioning to film in the silent era, Reicher appeared uncredited in the 1915 picture The Case for Becky and went on to amass over two hundred screen credits. He is perhaps best remembered for his dignified turn as Captain Englehorn in the classic King Kong (1933) and its sequel The Son of Kong. His filmography also boasts memorable roles in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950), and his final screen appearance as a hospital superintendent in Superman and the Mole Men (1951). Throughout his career he balanced acting with directing and producing, overseeing eight films for the Feature Play Company. Married to Ella Reicher from around 1899 until her death in 1948, he spent his later years in California, passing away at age 89 in Inglewood on January 19, 1965, and was laid to rest at Inglewood Park Cemetery.