George Brent
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George Brent (March 15, 1899 - May 26, 1979) was an actor in American cinema.
Born George Brendan Nolan in Shannonbridge, County Offaly, Ireland, Brent moved to Hollywood where he made his first film in 1930. Signed to a contract with Warner Brothers he acted for more than twenty years, establishing himself as a dependable actor, but often dismissed by critics as wooden. As a leading man for many of the studios leading stars, most notably Bette Davis, Brent was usually overshadowed by them, however this was a deliberate choice of the studio who wanted to ensure that the actress was shown as the key player.
Highly regarded by Davis, he became her most frequent male co-star, appearing with her in twelve films, including Jezebel (1938), The Old Maid (1939), Dark Victory (1939) and The Great Lie (1941). He also played opposite Greta Garbo in The Painted Veil (1934), Madeleine Carroll in The Case Against Mrs. Ames (1936), Jean Arthur in More Than a Secretary (1936), Myrna Loy in The Rains Came (1939), Merle Oberon in 'Til We Meet Again (1940), Ann Sheridan in Honeymoon For Three (1941), Joan Fontaine in The Affairs of Susan (1945), Barbara Stanwyck in My Reputation (1946), Claudette Colbert in Tomorrow is Forever (1946), Dorothy McGuire in The Spiral Staircase (1946), Lucille Ball in Lover Come Back (1946) and Yvonne De Carlo in Slave Girl (1947). When not playing against a popular female lead, Brent's few starring roles failed to achieve success, and he drifted into "B" pictures from the late 1940s. He retired from acting in 1956 but made a return in 1978 in the made-for-television production Born Again.
Brent was known as a womaniser in Hollywood, and had a lengthy relationship with his co-star Bette Davis. He was married six times including three marriages to actresses - Ruth Chatterton (1932-1934), Constance Worth (1937) and Ann Sheridan (1942-1943). Davis recounted in her final years, what would be her last meeting with Brent after many years of estrangement. She expressed great remorse at his ill health, and sadness that such a virile and attractive man could have deteriorated so dramatically. He died shortly after in Solana Beach, California, from emphysema.
George Brent has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contributions to Motion Pictures at 1707 Vine St, and for his contributions to Television at 1614 Vine St.