Edgeworth Blair "Elliott" Reid (January 16, 1920 – June 21, 2013) was an American actor.

Early life

Reid was born in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, the son of artist Christine Challenger Reid and banker Blair Reid. He attended the Professional Children's School.

Radio

In 1935, Reid debuted on the radio program ''

The March of Time ''The March of Time'' is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945. The "voice" of both series was Westbrook Van Voorhis. ...

'', which led to regular work on radio dramas during the golden age of radio. He portrayed Melvin Castleberry on the children's program '' Billy and Betty'', and Philip Cameron on the serial '' Against the Storm'' and was a host on radio's version of ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S ...

''. Early on he took "Elliott" as his stage name. His credits include many

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

-directed stage and radio productions, such as ''

The Mercury Theatre on the Air ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' is a radio series of live radio dramas created and hosted by Orson Welles. The weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by Welles's celebrated Mercury Theatre repertory company, with mus ...

.'' He also acted on ''

Theatre Guild on the Air ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the U.S. Steel, United States Steel Corpor ...

'',''

The Adventures of Philip Marlowe ''The Adventures of Philip Marlowe'' was a radio series featuring Raymond Chandler's private eye, Philip Marlowe. Robert C. Reinehr and Jon D. Swartz, in their book, ''The A to Z of Old Time Radio'', noted that the program differed from most other ...

'', '' Suspense'', and the ''

CBS Radio Mystery Theater ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' (a.k.a. ''Radio Mystery Theater'' and ''Mystery Theater'', sometimes abbreviated as ''CBSRMT'') is a radio drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, a ...

''. In some early performances he was credited as "Ted Reid".

Film

Reid's best-known film role was as Ernie Malone, private detective hired to spy on

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

's character, only to become

Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, singer, and model. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s. She starred in more than 20 films. Russell moved from th ...

's love interest, in the

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

classic '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1953). ''Variety'' praised his and

Tommy Noonan Tommy Noonan (born Thomas Noone; April 29, 1921 – April 24, 1968) was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. He acted in a number of high-profile films as well as B movies from the 1940s through the 1960s, and he is best ...

's performances, saying that "Reid and Noonan carry off the romantic male spots nicely". Reid played the snide Professor Shelby Ashton of Rutland University (the rival of perennial underdog Medfield College) in two

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

movies starring Fred MacMurray: ''

The Absent-Minded Professor ''The Absent-Minded Professor'' is a 1961 American science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the short story "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor, originally published in the May 22, 1943 issue of ''Li ...

'' in 1961, and its sequel '' Son of Flubber'' in 1963. Also in 1963, Reid appeared in the comedy ''

The Wheeler Dealers ''The Wheeler Dealers'' (a.k.a. ''Separate Beds'' in the UK) is a 1963 American romantic comedy film produced by Martin Ransohoff, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring James Garner and Lee Remick. The script was written by George Goodman and ...

'' starring

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy ...

and

Lee Remick Lee Ann Remick (December 14, 1935 – July 2, 1991) was an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962), and for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Actress in ...

, with

Pat Crowley Patricia Crowley (born September 17, 1933) is an American actress. She was also frequently billed as Pat Crowley. Early life Crowley was born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Helen (''née'' Swartz) and coal mining foreman Vincent Cr ...

in a supporting role. Reid portrayed Ralph Hastings in Disney's 1966 movie ''

Follow Me, Boys! ''Follow Me, Boys!'' is a 1966 American drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is an adaptation of the 1954 novel ''God and My Country'' by MacKinlay Kantor and was the final live action film produced by Walt Disney, who died two week ...

'' and a television commentator in Disney's ''Blackbeard's Ghos''t'' in 1968.

Television

A member of

The Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

from its inception, Reid was a regular in NBC television's ''

That Was the Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...

'' (1964–1965). Although he was signed to be the series's anchor-host, his role was reduced. He portrayed Warren Winslow on the CBS comedy ''Miss Winslow and Son'' (1979). He also made guest appearances on ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', ''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...

'', ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'', ''

It's Always Jan ''It's Always Jan'' is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS during the 1955-1956 television season. The series stars Janis Paige as a widowed nightclub singer struggling to make ends meet. Synopsis Janis Stewart is a war widow and str ...

'', ''

Barney Miller ''Barney Miller'' is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th St in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC Network from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created ...

'', ''

Small Wonder Small Wonder or variants may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Small Wonder'' (TV series), a 1985–1989 American sitcom * '' A Small Wonder'', a 1966 Australian television film * '' Small Wonders'', a 1995 documentary film * ''Small Wond ...

'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', and ''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

''. In 1992 Reid appeared in the season three ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

'' episode "The Letter", as one of the collectors considering buying a painting of Kramer. Reid's final television role was as Henry on the episode "Please Re-Lease Me" of the television sitcom '' Maybe This Time''. He retired in 1995, but returned for an uncredited role as Miguel in the 2000 short film ''Scattering Mother'' and the role of Buddy in the feature film adaptation of the same name in 2005.

Impressions

Among his special skills, Elliot Reid was also an accomplished impressionist. He was so famous with his

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

impersonation that, in 1962, he was invited to perform it in front of Kennedy in person; Kennedy was happy with the performance. One reference book said, "His mimicking of John F. Kennedy opened up a mini-career in clubs in the early 1960s."

Stage

Reid's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

credits include ''Julius Caesar'' (1937–1938), ''The Shoemaker's Holiday'' (1938), ''Macbeth'' (1948), ''Two Blind Mice'' (1949), ''The Live Wire'' (1950), ''Two on the Aisle'' (1951–1952), and ''From A to Z'' (1960). He co-starred as Felix Unger in a road production of ''

'' with

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American dancer and actor. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

as Oscar Madison during the late 1960s.

Death

Reid died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

on June 21, 2013, at age 93. His nephew stated that Reid had been residing in an assisted living facility in

Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 192 ...

, for several years prior to his death. His remains were

cremated Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre i ...

and his ashes were scattered in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

Selected filmography

* '' The Ramparts We Watch'' (1940) – Ralph Gilchrist * ''

Young Ideas ''Young Ideas'' is a 1943 American romantic comedy film directed by Jules Dassin and starring Susan Peters, Herbert Marshall and Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American ...

'' (1943) – Jeff Evans * '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944) – William 'Andy' Anderson * '' A Double Life'' (1947) – Actor in 'A Gentleman's Gentleman' * '' Sierra'' (1950) – Duke Lafferty * ''

The Whip Hand ''The Whip Hand'' is a 1951 American film directed by William Cameron Menzies and starring Carla Balenda and Elliott Reid. Plot Journalist Matt Corbin (Elliott Reid) is traveling through Wisconsin on a fishing trip and comes across a nearly d ...

'' (1951) – Matt Corbin * '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1953) – Ernie Malone * ''

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901), wife of German ...

'' (1953) – Steve Christopher * ''

Woman's World ''Woman's World'' is an American supermarket weekly magazine with a circulation of 1.6 million readers. Printed on paper generally associated with tabloid publications and priced accordingly, it concentrates on short articles about subjects such a ...

'' (1954) – Tony Andrews * '' Inherit the Wind'' (1960) – Prosecutor Tom Davenport * ''

'' (1961) – Professor Shelby Ashton * '' Son of Flubber'' (1963) – Prof. Shelby Ashton * '' The Thrill of It All'' (1963) – Mike Palmer * ''

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...

'' (1963) – Dr. Chadwick (voice, uncredited) * ''

'' (1963) – Leonard * ''

Move Over, Darling ''Move Over, Darling'' is a 1963 American comedy film starring Doris Day, James Garner, and Polly Bergen and directed by Michael Gordon filmed in DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope released by 20th Century Fox. The film is a remake of a 1940 screw ...

'' (1963) – Dr. Herman Schlick * ''

Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? ''Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?'' is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Daniel Mann and starring Dean Martin, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Carol Burnett. Plot Jason Steel is an actor who plays a compassionate doctor on a popular TV drama. He ...

'' (1963) – Tom Edwards * ''

'' (1966) – Ralph Hastings * ''

Blackbeard's Ghost ''Blackbeard's Ghost'' is a 1968 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Bill Walsh. It is based upon the 1965 nove ...

'' (1968) – TV Commentator * ''

Some Kind of a Nut ''Some Kind of a Nut'' is a 1969 American comedy film written and directed by Garson Kanin and starring Dick Van Dyke, Angie Dickinson and Rosemary Forsyth. This was the final film of Dennis King. Plot Fred Amidon is a New York City bank tell ...

'' (1969) – Gardner Anderson * '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) – Waiter (uncredited) * ''

Young Einstein ''Young Einstein'' is a 1988 Australian comedy film written, produced, directed by and starring Yahoo Serious. It is a fantasized account of the life of Albert Einstein which alters all people, places and circumstances of his life, including r ...

'' (1988) – Asylum Guard

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Elliott 1920 births 2013 deaths Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male radio actors 20th-century American male actors People from Studio City, Los Angeles