James Rennie (actor)
| James Rennie | |
|---|---|
Publicity photo of Rennie from Stars of the Photoplay (1924)
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| Born |
April 18, 1890 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | July 31, 1965 (aged 75) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Film Actor |
| Years active | 1917-1933, 1941-1945 |
| Spouse(s) |
Dorothy Gish (1920-1935) Divorced Sara Eldon McConnell (1939-1965) (his death) |
Dorothy Gish (1920-1935) Divorced
James Rennie (April 18, 1890 – July 31, 1965) was a Canadian film actor who appeared in several Hollywood films during the 1920s and 1930s.
He was born James Malachi Rennie on April 18, 1890 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada the son of a Mormon minister. As a youth he starred in a number of stage productions including roles in such Shakespearean plays as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. It wasn't before long until he was bit by the acting bug. In June 1917, during World War I, Rennie enrolled in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and became a part of the University of Toronto's Officers Training Company; while involved in this he and other officers would put on their own productions to show to the general public. After the war ended in November 1918 Rennie decided to leave Canada for California to begin a career in American films. In the 1920s Rennie divided his time between the Broadway stage and making silent films.
His first film role came in Remodeling Her Husband which was the only film that Lillian Gish would ever direct. It was while doing this film that Rennie met Lillian's younger sister Dorothy and they began a romantic relationship. On December 26, 1920 Rennie and Gish were married in a double wedding ceremony alongside actress Constance Talmadge who was a good friend of Gish's. Now that Rennie was married and had Lillian Gish as a sister-in-law many doors began to open for him. His next film role was as Robert Van Nuys in Flying Pat opposite his sister-in-law in the role of her husband.
During the 1920s he made ten other appearances in silent films between 1922 and 1926; his other silent film credits included roles in Dust Flower (1922), The Bad Man (1923), The Moral Sinner (1924), Restless Wives (1924), Clothes Make the Pirate (1925), and the 1926 version of Camille with Anita Loos in the title role. After the release of Camille Rennie took four years away from film making to take more time in his marriage to Dorothy. During his hiatus talking films revolutionized the film industry.
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