Dennis King

Dennis King (; 2 November 1897 – 21 May 1971) was an English actor and singer.

Early years Born on 2 November 1897 in Coventry,

Career King had a stage career in both drama (including Shakespeare) and musicals. He immigrated to the US in 1921 and went on to a successful career on the Broadway stage. Among his most notable performances was his role in the original production of Rudolf Friml, Otto Harbach, and Oscar Hammerstein II's Rose-Marie, in which he introduced the songs "Rose-Marie" and "Indian Love Call", and the role of Captain Fairfax in the Donaldson Award and Outer Critics Circle Award winning play Billy Budd (1951) by Louis O. Coxe and Robert H. Chapman.

King debuted in London in 1919 and on Broadway in 1921. His career turned from drama to music after Oscar Hammerstein heard him singing in his dressing room. Persuaded by Hammerstein, King tried out for the male lead in Rose Marie. His success in that production led to his performing in other musical comedy shows.

He appeared in two musical films, including The Vagabond King, and played non-singing roles in two other films.

King was "one of the first actors of major status to devote himself almost exclusively to television". He appeared in six full-length dramas on TV from the fall of 1948 to February 1949.

King was married to actress Edith Wright. They had two sons, Dennis King Jr. and musical theatre actor John Michael King, who originated the role of Freddy Eynsford Hill in My Fair Lady.

Musical theatre credits 1919: Monsieur Beaucaire (London production) 1923: Hamlet researching (Chicago production with John Barrymore) 1925: Rose-Marie as Jim Kenyon (Broadway production) 1925: The Vagabond King as François Villon (Broadway production) 1928: The Three Musketeers as d'Artagnan (Broadway production) 1930: The Three Musketeers as d'Artagnan (London production) 1932: Show Boat as Gaylord Ravenal (Broadway revival) 1933: Command Performance (musical) as Peter Mali (London production) 1937: Frederika as Goethe (Broadway production) 1938: I Married an Angel as Count Willi Palaffi (Broadway production) 1951: Music in the Air as Bruno Mahler (Broadway revival) 1956: Shangri-La as Hugh Conway (Broadway production)

Musical film credits 1930: The Vagabond King as François Villon 1930: Paramount on Parade as Man to be Hanged - Episode 'The Gallows Song' 1933: Fra Diavolo (also known as The Devil's Brother and Bogus Bandits), a version of Daniel Auber's Fra Diavolo – although Laurel and Hardy were the stars, King played the title role) as Fra Diavolo / Marquis de San Marco

Other film credits 1944: Between Two Worlds (a remake of the 1930 film Outward Bound), as a minister William Duke 1959: The Miracle as a nobleman who is one of Carroll Baker's admirers 1969: Some Kind of a Nut as Otis Havemeyer (final film role)

Television credits 1957: Twelfth Night (as Sir Toby Belch, on the Hallmark Hall of Fame) as Sir Toby Belch 1958: Aladdin (CBS color television special with songs by Cole Porter) (presented on the DuPont Show of the Month) 1960: The Mikado (NBC colour television special with Groucho Marx, Stanley Holloway and Helen Traubel) (presented by the Bell Telephone Hour) 1961: Give Us Barabbas! (as Pontius Pilate) (presented on the Hallmark Hall of Fame) 1962: Act of Faith (Season 7 Episode 27 of Alfred Hitchcock Presents) as Ralston Temple