All The Babes
Marjorie Reynolds
Also known as Marjorie Goodspeed
Career
Active 1923 – 1978
Biography
About Marjorie Reynolds
Actress Marjorie Reynolds made her film debut at age 6, then "retired" after a few years to get a normal education. She returned in the mid-1930s as a teenager, taking extra and bit roles under the name Marjorie Moore. Her first speaking role came in Columbia's Murder in Greenwich Village (1937), billed as Marjorie Reynolds, her first husband's last name, which she kept for her entire career.
The brunette actress went through a prairie flower phase opposite top western stars like Tex Ritter, Buck Jones, Roy Rogers, and Tim Holt. That changed when she won the top female role opposite Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in Holiday Inn (1942), a role originally intended for Mary Martin. It remains her most cherished film, but it didn't lead to a permanent move into 'A' pictures. She continued as a dependable "B" co-lead in Up in Mabel's Room (1944), Meet Me on Broadway (1946), and Heaven Only Knows (1947), with the occasional standout like Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear (1944).
In the 1950s, television brought her back to her natural hair color, and she became a semi-household name as William Bendix's patient wife on The Life of Riley (1953). After the show ended, her career declined, and she appeared only sporadically in films, commercials, and TV guest spots. She was married twice: first to Jack Reynolds, an assistant casting director, with whom she had a daughter, Linda, and divorced in 1952 after 16 years; then to film editor John Whitney, who had acted in the 1940s. They stayed married for 32 years, until his death in 1985.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Saturday 1st of February 1997 (age 79)
- Years Active
- 1923-1978 (55 years active)
- Birthplace
- Buhl, Idaho, United States
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Straight
Body
- Hair Color
- Brown
- Eye Color
- Blue
- Weight
- 119 lbs (or 54 kg)
- Measurements
- 33–24–33 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.73
- Bra/Cup Size
- B
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
Frequently asked
Why was she billed as Marjorie Moore early in her career?
Before using the name Marjorie Reynolds, she worked under the stage name Marjorie Moore during her teenage years in the mid-1930s.
How did she get the role in Holiday Inn?
The role was originally written for Mary Martin, but Marjorie Reynolds won it, landing the top female role opposite Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
Was she always a brunette?
No, she was originally brunette, then became blonde for a period on screen, and returned to her natural brunette hair in the 1950s.
What was her most famous television role?
She played the wife of William Bendix's character on the comedy series The Life of Riley, which started in 1953 and made her a familiar face.
Did you know
- She started acting at age 6 but paused her career for a normal education before returning as a teenager.
- Her first husband, Jack Reynolds, was an assistant casting director for Samuel Goldwyn, and she kept his last name professionally.
- Her second husband, John Whitney, had also worked as an actor in the 1940s before becoming a film editor.
- She appeared in Fritz Lang's Ministry of Fear (1944), one of her rare 'A' film offers.
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