--- name: "Reginald Owen" canonical: "https://film.one/person/reginald-owen" roles: ["Actor"] born: "4 August 1887" died: "5 November 1972" reviewed_on_fi1m: 6 average_fi1m_score: 72 average_as: "actor" average_over: 6 updated: "2026-09-20T00:57:42.730287+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Reginald Owen Actor. Born 4 August 1887 in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK. Died 5 November 1972. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 4 August 1887, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK - **Died:** 5 November 1972 - **Active:** 1934–1943 - **Also known as:** John Reginald Owen, Джон Реджинальд Оуэн, Реджинальд Оуэн - **Frequently works with:** [Greer Garson](https://film.one/person/greer-garson.md), [Sidney Franklin](https://film.one/person/sidney-franklin.md), [Arthur Wimperis](https://film.one/person/arthur-wimperis.md), [Claudine West](https://film.one/person/claudine-west.md), [George Froeschel](https://film.one/person/george-froeschel.md), [Henry Travers](https://film.one/person/henry-travers.md), [Mervyn LeRoy](https://film.one/person/mervyn-leroy.md), [Ronald Colman](https://film.one/person/ronald-colman.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 6 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 70 (3), 1940s 74 (3) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 71 to 74 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 6 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 6, Romance 6, History 3, Adventure 1, Music 1, War 1 - **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $26m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Owen, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q577687, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0654239/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5832 ## Fi1m on Reginald Owen > A dry, starchy Englishman for hire, Reginald Owen spent two decades at MGM playing the man who has just been asked for money and would rather not. He was rarely the point of a film and reliably worth watching in it. Reginald Owen's face on screen is that of a man who has just been asked for something and is working out how little of it he can give. In *The House of Rothschild* (1934) he is Herries, one of the Englishmen who need Rothschild credit and resent needing it, and he plays the resentment as manners: the request comes out clipped, the thanks come out clipped, and the loan is agreed as though it were the other man's idea. It is a small part. It is also the clearest picture of what he did for a living. What he did was play the starchy Englishman, in comedy and in costume, for anyone who needed one, and Hollywood in the 1930s needed a great many. He had come out of the London theatre, where he made his stage debut in 1905 and co-wrote the play *Where the Rainbow Ends* around 1911, moved to the United States in 1920, and from the late 1920s was in Hollywood, where MGM kept him busy through the thirties and forties. The early parts put him in literary adaptations: Dr Watson in *Sherlock Holmes* (1932), then Holmes himself in *A Study in Scarlet* (1933), a film he also co-wrote. Few actors have done both, and it says something about the face. It could be the clever man or the man standing next to him, depending on the lines. The role he is remembered for is Ebenezer Scrooge in *A Christmas Carol* (1938), which he took over from Lionel Barrymore, and it has outlasted almost everything else he did. We have not reviewed it and will not pretend to. What we can say is that Scrooge is a part built out of his materials, a man saying no in a well-turned sentence, and the casting made sense. After it he was an ensemble Englishman for hire: Foley in *Mrs. Miniver* (1942), one of the many in *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), a film we scored 64 without finding him worth singling out, which is a description of the job rather than a complaint about him. The criticism, such as it is, is that he stopped being a lead after the early 1930s and never went back. We are not sure he minded. In the year he died he told an interviewer that the stage was the only thing he could do easily and make money at, which is not a manifesto, and the work agrees with him. We found, in *The House of Rothschild*, that we were glad each time the film cut back to him and Arthur Byron: they are funnier and truer than the romance, and they manage it without raising their voices, while Karloff's Ledrantz is asked to sneer through the same scenes with nothing else to play. He kept going into his eighties, into television and Disney, and *Mary Poppins* (1964) put him, as Admiral Boom, in front of an audience that had never heard his name. It is the starchy Englishman one last time. Start with *The House of Rothschild*, and watch what he does while Arliss is talking. ## Biography John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was an English character actor. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his professional stage debut in 1905. He moved to the United States in 1920, appearing first on Broadway before settling in Hollywood, where he became a familiar presence in many Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions. Owen is known for his performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1938 film *A Christmas Carol*. He also played Dr Watson in *Sherlock Holmes* (1932) and the title role in *A Study in Scarlet* (1933). Later screen roles included Admiral Boom in *Mary Poppins* (1964) and General Teagler in *Bedknobs and Broomsticks* (1971). Other notable films include *The House of Rothschild* (1934), *Mrs. Miniver* (1942) and *The Three Musketeers* (1948). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (6) - *Madame Curie* (1943), Fi1m 72, as Dr. Becquerel — [page](https://film.one/film/madame-curie.md) - *Mrs. Miniver* (1942), Fi1m 73, as Foley — [page](https://film.one/film/mrs-miniver.md) - *Random Harvest* (1942), Fi1m 76, as "Biffer" — [page](https://film.one/film/random-harvest.md) - *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), Fi1m 64, as Sampston — [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-ziegfeld.md) - *A Tale of Two Cities* (1935), Fi1m 76, as Stryver — [page](https://film.one/film/a-tale-of-two-cities.md) - *The House of Rothschild* (1934), Fi1m 70, as Herries — [page](https://film.one/film/the-house-of-rothschild.md) ## Complete filmography (137) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes* (1985), as Sherlock Holmes (archive footage) - *That's Entertainment!* (1974), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Bedknobs and Broomsticks* (1971), as Gen. Teagler - *McCloud* (1970), series, Actor - *Rosie!* (1967), as Patrick - *Run for Your Life* (1965), series, as Sir Hillary Cooper - *Mary Poppins* (1964), as Admiral Boom - *Bewitched* (1964), series, Actor - *Voice of the Hurricane* (1964), Actor - *The Thrill of It All* (1963), as Tom Fraleigh - *Tammy and the Doctor* (1963), as Jason Tripp - *Five Weeks in a Balloon* (1962), as Consul - *Moochie of Pop Warner Football* (1960), as Mr. Bennett - *Thriller* (1960), series, as The Hussar ('A Terribly Strange Bed') - *Adventures in Paradise* (1959), series, as Ambrose Feather - *Moochie of the Little League* (1959), as J. Cecil Bennett - *One Step Beyond* (1959), series, as Herbert Blakely - *Maverick* (1957), series, as Marquis Norbert Belcastle, Freddie Hawkins - *Climax!* (1954), series, as Doctor - *Red Garters* (1954), as Judge Wallace Winthrop - *The Great Diamond Robbery* (1954), as Bainbridge Gibbons - *Grounds for Marriage* (1951), as Dely Delacorte - *Kim* (1950), as Father Victor - *The Miniver Story* (1950), as Mr. Foley - *Challenge to Lassie* (1949), as Sergeant Davie - *The Secret Garden* (1949), as Ben Weatherstaff - *Hills of Home* (1948), as Hopps - *The Three Musketeers* (1948), as Treville - *Julia Misbehaves* (1948), as Benjy Hawkins - *The Pirate* (1948), as The Advocate - *If Winter Comes* (1947), as Mr. Fortune - *Thunder in the Valley* (1947), as James Moore - *Green Dolphin Street* (1947), as Captain O'Hara - *The Imperfect Lady* (1946), as Mr. Hopkins - *Monsieur Beaucaire* (1946), as King Louis XV - *Piccadilly Incident* (1946), as Judge - *Cluny Brown* (1946), as Henry Carmel - *The Diary of a Chambermaid* (1946), as Captain Lanlaire - *The Sailor Takes a Wife* (1945), as Mr. Amboy - *Captain Kidd* (1945), as Cary Shadwell - *She Went to the Races* (1945), as Dr. Pembroke - *Kitty* (1945), as Duke of Malmunster - *The Valley of Decision* (1945), as McCready - *National Velvet* (1945), as Farmer Ede - *The Canterville Ghost* (1944), as Lord Canterville - *Madame Curie* (1943), as Dr. Becquerel — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/madame-curie.md) - *Salute to the Marines* (1943), as Mr. Henry Casper - *Above Suspicion* (1943), as Dr. Mespelbrunn - *Three Hearts for Julia* (1943), as John Girard - *Assignment in Brittany* (1943), as Col. Trane - *Forever and a Day* (1943), as Simpson - *Reunion in France* (1942), as Schultz, Gestapo agent - *Random Harvest* (1942), as "Biffer" — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/random-harvest.md) - *White Cargo* (1942), as Skipper of the Congo Queen - *Somewhere I'll Find You* (1942), as Willie Manning - *Cairo* (1942), as Philo Cobson - *Pierre of the Plains* (1942), as Noah Glenkins - *I Married an Angel* (1942), as 'Whiskers' - *Mrs. Miniver* (1942), as Foley — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/mrs-miniver.md) - *We Were Dancing* (1942), as Maj. Tyler-Blane - *Woman of the Year* (1942), as Clayton - *Tarzan's Secret Treasure* (1941), as Professor Elliott - *Lady Be Good* (1941), as Max Milton - *Charley's Aunt* (1941), as Mr. Redcliffe - *They Met in Bombay* (1941), as General Allen - *A Woman's Face* (1941), as Bernard Dalvik - *Free and Easy* (1941), as Sir George Kelvin - *Blonde Inspiration* (1941), as Reginald Mason - *Hullabaloo* (1940), as 'Buzz' Foster - *Florian* (1940), as Emperor Franz Josef - *The Ghost Comes Home* (1940), as Hemingway - *The Earl of Chicago* (1940), as Gervase Gonwell - *Remember?* (1939), as Mr. Bronson - *Bad Little Angel* (1939), as Edwards, Marvin's Valet - *The Real Glory* (1939), as Capt. Hartley - *Bridal Suite* (1939), as Sir Horace Bragdon - *Hotel Imperial* (1939), as General Videnko - *Fast and Loose* (1939), as Vincent Charlton - *The Girl Downstairs* (1938), as Charlie Grump - *A Christmas Carol* (1938), as Ebenezer Scrooge - *A Fireside Chat with Lionel Barrymore* (1938), as Scrooge (atchive footage) - *Stablemates* (1938), Story - *Vacation from Love* (1938), as John Hodge Lawson - *Three Loves Has Nancy* (1938), as William, the Butler - *Paradise for Three* (1938), as Johann Kesselhut - *Kidnapped* (1938), as Capt. Hoseason - *Everybody Sing* (1938), as Hillary Bellaire - *Rosalie* (1937), as Chancellor - *Conquest* (1937), as Tallyrand - *The Bride Wore Red* (1937), as Admiral Monti - *Madame X* (1937), as Maurice Dourel - *Personal Property* (1937), as Claude Dabney - *Dangerous Number* (1937), as William - *Love on the Run* (1936), as Baron Otto Spandermann - *Adventure in Manhattan* (1936), as Blackton Gregory - *The Girl on the Front Page* (1936), as Archie Biddle - *Yours for the Asking* (1936), as Dictionary McKinney - *Trouble for Two* (1936), as President of Club - *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), as Sampston — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-ziegfeld.md) - *Petticoat Fever* (1936), as Sir James Felton - *Rose Marie* (1936), as Myerson - *A Tale of Two Cities* (1935), as Stryver — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/a-tale-of-two-cities.md) - *The Bishop Misbehaves* (1935), as Guy Waller - *Anna Karenina* (1935), as Stiva - *Call of the Wild* (1935), as Mr. Smith - *Escapade* (1935), as Paul - *The Good Fairy* (1935), as The Waiter - *Enchanted April* (1935), as Henry Arbuthnot - *Here Is My Heart* (1934), as Vova - *Music in the Air* (1934), as Ernst Weber - *Madame du Barry* (1934), as King Louis XV - *The Human Side* (1934), as James Dalton - *Of Human Bondage* (1934), as Thorpe Athelny - *Stingaree* (1934), as The Governor-General - *Where Sinners Meet* (1934), as Leonard - *The House of Rothschild* (1934), as Herries — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-house-of-rothschild.md) - *The Countess of Monte Cristo* (1934), as The Baron - *Fashions of 1934* (1934), as Oscar Baroque - *Mandalay* (1934), as Police Commissioner Col. Thomas Dawson - *Queen Christina* (1934), as Charles - *Nana* (1934), as Bordenave - *Voltaire* (1933), as King Louis XV - *The Big Brain* (1933), as Lord Darlington - *Double Harness* (1933), as Freeman - *The Narrow Corner* (1933), as Mr. Frith - *A Study in Scarlet* (1933), as Sherlock Holmes · Dialogue - *Robbers' Roost* (1932), as Cecil Herrick - *Sherlock Holmes* (1932), as Dr. Watson - *Downstairs* (1932), as Baron 'Nicky' von Burgen - *The Man Called Back* (1932), as Dr. Herbert Atkins - *A Woman Commands* (1932), as The Prime Minister - *Lovers Courageous* (1932), as Lord Jimmy - *Platinum Blonde* (1931), as Dexter Grayson - *The Man in Possession* (1931), as Claude Dabney - *The Letter* (1929), as Robert Crosbie - *The Grass Orphan* (1922), as Heathcote St. John - *Phroso* (1922), as Lord Wheatley ## Gallery - ![Reginald Owen](https://film.one/media/person/1227356/gallery-a90c148fcd3c.jpg) Reginald Owen — Trailer screenshot Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Reginald_Owen_in_The_Miniver_Story.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Cropped screenshot of Reginald Owen from the trailer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936)](https://film.one/media/person/1227356/gallery-2a4746a04d3f.jpg) Cropped screenshot of Reginald Owen from the trailer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936) — Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Reginald_Owen_in_The_Great_Ziegfeld_trailer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Reginald Owen](https://film.one/media/person/1227356/gallery-36d2bbeffc81.jpg) Reginald Owen — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/reginald-owen