Maxwell Reed

Maxwell Reed (2 April 1919 – 31 October 1974) was an Irish actor who became a matinée idol in British films during the 1940s and 1950s.

Biography Early years Reed was born in Larne. He left school aged fifteen to work on ships, including as a blockade runner. He wanted to act and ended up studying at RADA for a year. During World War II he served in the RAF and then the Merchant Navy. After demobilisation he worked as an extra and in repertory. He did a screen test for Riverside Studios at Rank and joined The Company of Youth at the age of 27.

Reed made his film debut in The Years Between (1946) and then appeared in Gaiety George (1946), both in uncredited roles.

Leading man Producer Sydney Box thought Reed had star potential and promoted him to leading man status for Daybreak, a film noir which Box produced and co-wrote with his wife Muriel; Reed played an employee of Eric Portman's character Eddie who lusts after Eddie's wife, played by Ann Todd. The film was made in 1946, but not released until 1948 because of censorship issues.

Box then cast Reed opposite Patricia Roc as one of the leads in a film made immediately after but released before Daybreak: The Brothers (1947).

Reed followed it with a rare sympathetic character in Dear Murderer (1947), from a script by Box, which again starred Portman. He then made two films opposite Anne Crawford, Night Beat (1947) and Daughter of Darkness (1948), where he was back to playing his usual scoundrels. He had the lead in a film called Streets Paved with Water but this was abandoned during filming.

Reed had more of a support role in The Lost People (1949), co-directed by Muriel Box, and Madness of the Heart (1949), starring Margaret Lockwood. After his initial late 1940s success he then starred in his first B movie, Blackout (1950). This was followed by a supporting role in The Clouded Yellow (1950) with Jean Simmons and Trevor Howard, then the lead in some more B pictures, The Dark Man (1950) and There Is Another Sun (1951). Reed said in June 1950 that "they tried to make me a star too soon."

Reed moved to the U.S. to make Flame of Araby (1952), starring Maureen O'Hara and Jeff Chandler. He returned to Britain to play the villain opposite Yvonne de Carlo and Rock Hudson in the Anglo-American production Sea Devils (1953); he was also part of the ensemble cast of Ealing Studios' The Square Ring (1953).

After making Captain Phantom (1953) in Italy, Reed starred in more British B movies, Marilyn (1953), Before I Wake (1955) and The Brain Machine (1956). He had a small role in Helen of Troy (1956).

Hollywood Reed moved to Hollywood permanently in the late 1950s and guest starred on TV shows like Celebrity Playhouse and The Betty Hutton Show. He landed the title role in the 1950s television series Captain David Grief, based on short stories by Jack London. It ran for two series in syndication, and was the first television series made on location in Hawaii; the first nine episodes were shot on Maui before production moved to southern California.

Reed had support roles in films like The Notorious Landlady (1962) and appeared as a guest star in television series such as Bonanza, Kraft Mystery Theater, The Beachcomber, The Lloyd Bridges Show, The Great Adventure, Perry Mason and Daniel Boone.

His last feature film was Picture Mommy Dead (1966).

His last acting role was back in Britain, the BBC's Sherlock Holmes episode The Dancing Men in 1968.

Personal life Reed was the first husband of actress Joan Collins, whom he married on 24 May 1952. He is reported to have raped her when dating and she married him out of shame. They were separated in 1954 and the marriage ended in divorce in 1956, after which Reed sued her for alimony, claiming that he had earned only $1,000 over the previous 12 months. He later withdrew this claim.

He died from cancer in 1974, aged 55, in London.

Filmography