Georges Renavent


Georges Renavent was a French-American actor in film, Broadway plays and operator of an American Grand Guignol. He was born in Paris, France. In 1914, he immigrated to the United States, crossing the frontier between Canada and Vermont.
He was married to Selena Royle, an actress and daughter of Edwin Milton Royle, author of The Squaw Man, which was adapted for film and starred Cecil B. DeMille.
They left the United States to live in Mexico after Selena was entangled in the McCarthy era Communism investigations and Hollywood blacklist. While in Mexico, both Selena and Georges continued to be active in the arts and put out various cookbooks, including Pheasants for Peasants, A Gringa's Guide to Mexican Cooking, and Guadalajara As I Know, Live It, Love It.

Acting career

His first American film appearance was in The Seven Sisters. Fourteen years later, Renavent played an impressive starring role as the Kinkajou in the musical spectacular, Rio Rita.
Rio Rita was based on a 1927 stage musical by Florenz Ziegfeld, which originally united Wheeler and Woolsey as a team and made them famous. In 1929, Radio Pictures, later known as RKO Radio Pictures, purchased the film rights to this musical. The last portion of the film was photographed in Technicolor.
Renavent also starred in East of Borneo, which was one of the most frequently telecast films of the 1950s and 1960s. East of Borneo starred Rose Hobart as Linda, the wife of African missionary Dr. Clark. whom she finds he's been living in luxury as court physician of the Prince of Marudu. East of Borneo went on to achieve latter-day fame when avant-garde filmmaker Joseph Cornell spliced together all of the leading lady's close-ups, and came up with a surrealistic exercise titled Rose Hobart.
In 1936, Renavent played opposite Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in The Invisible Ray. He appeared in Hal Roach's Turnabout. His final film was made in 1952, when he played Ortega in Mara Maru, with Errol Flynn.

Broadway career

Renavent also ran his own American Grand Guignol and was involved in many Broadway plays in New York and LA, where he was involved in the Renavent Theater in 1936.

Death

Renavent died in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1969.

Selected filmography

The Seven Sisters – ToniAmerican – That's All – Lounge LizardThe Light – AuchatErstwhile Susan – Emanual DrearyRio Rita – General RavinoffSlightly Scarlet – Inspector Le spectre vert – Dr. BallonScotland Yard – Dr. DeanOnce a Sinner – Salon Manager The Magnificent Lie – French Military Doctor East of Borneo – Hashim—Prince of MaruduArsène Lupin – Duval Whistlin' Dan – Capt. Serge KarloffLe bluffeur – Mr. BanksL'amour guide – MarcoPrivate Detective 62 – Captain La Farge Ever in My Heart – Party Guest Queen Christina – Chanut, the French AmbassadorBombay Mail – Dr. Maurice LenoirMoulin Rouge – FrenchmanFashions of 1934 – Paris Couturier The House of Rothschild – Count TalleyrandStingaree – Coutouriere Stamboul Quest – Hotel Manager The Merry Widow – Adamovitch The White Cockatoo – PierreFolies Bergère – Premier of FranceThe Flame Within – Apartment House Manager Front Page Woman – Robert ChinardAnna Karenina – Attaché The Last Outpost – Turkish major Whipsaw – MonettaCaptain Blood – French Captain The Invisible Ray – Chief of the SureteThe Sky Parade – Baron Ankrovith China Clipper – Pan American Union Speaker The Charge of the Light Brigade – Gen. Canrobert Love Letters of a Star – HarringtonLloyd's of London – French LieutenantShe's Dangerous – Eduardo the Headwaiter History Is Made at Night – Insp. Millard Seventh Heaven – Sergeant GendarmeThe King and the Chorus Girl – Yacht Captain Thin Ice – Head Porter Cafe Metropole – CaptainLove Under Fire – Captain ContrerasFit for a King – Paul The Sheik Steps Out – Count MarioWife, Doctor and Nurse – NickFight for Your Lady – JorisCharlie Chan at Monte Carlo – RenaultLove and Hisses – Count Pierre Raoul GuerinJezebel – De LautrucFools for Scandal – Le Petit Harlem Headwaiter Judge Hardy's Children – Mr. Cortot A Trip to Paris – Captain of Intelligence The Adventures of Robin Hood – Saxon peasant Blind Alibi – Art Dealer Gold Diggers in Paris – GendarmeThe Young in Heart – Detective Sergeant I'll Give a Million – GendarmeFour's a Crowd – Enrico Suez – Bank PresidentSharpshooters – Police Chief Artists and Models Abroad – Prefect of PoliceTopper Takes a Trip – MagistrateMr. Moto's Last Warning – Adm. Jacques Delacour The Three Musketeers – Captain FageonThe Adventures of Jane Arden – Frenchman Chasing Danger – French Colonel Indianapolis Speedway – Headwaiter Lady of the Tropics – Hotel Manager Pack Up Your Troubles – Col. GiraudEverything Happens at Night – Gendarme on Dock The House Across the Bay – French OfficialTurnabout – Mr. RamBrother Orchid – Cable Office Clerk A Dispatch from Reuters – French Official Christmas in July – Office Door Sign-Painter The Son of Monte Cristo – Marquis de ChatanteComrade X – LaszloBack Street – Doctor That Hamilton Woman – Hotel Manager The Great Lie – Maitre d'Hotel That Night in Rio – AmbassadorRoad to Zanzibar – Saunders – Hotel Owner They Dare Not Love – Belgian Captain The Night of January 16th – Anton Haraba – Man With Briefcase Paris Calling – ButlerSullivan's Travels – Old TrampSpy Smasher – Gov. LeComte Perils of Nyoka – Maghreb – Vultura's High Priest I Married an Angel – Pierre Durant Now, Voyager – M. Henri Silver Queen – AndresCasablanca – Conspirator The Hard Way – Embassy Club Headwaiter Mission to Moscow – President Paul van Zeeland Background to Danger – Customs Official with Ana Appointment in Berlin – Van der Wyn Secret Service in Darkest Africa – ArmandWintertime – Bodreau Around the World – French Captain The Desert Song – Radek Passage to Marseille – Guard Action in Arabia – Prefect of Police The Tiger Woman – The Commandant of Police The Mask of Dimitrios – Fisherman The Desert Hawk – Emil of TelifTill We Meet Again – Gabriel Our Hearts Were Young and Gay – Monsieur Darnet Storm Over Lisbon – Secret Service Officer Experiment Perilous – Voice Instructor Those Endearing Young Charms – Hotel St. Mark Maitre'd Captain Eddie – French General Rhapsody in Blue – Guest You Came Along – Headwater Scotland Yard Investigator – Anton Miran This Love of Ours – Dr. Lebreton Cornered – Second Prefect Yolanda and the Thief – Train Passenger with Mink Eyebrows Saratoga Trunk – Ship Captain Tarzan and the Leopard Woman – Ivory Merchant The Hoodlum Saint – Jeweler The Catman of Paris – GuillardOur Hearts Were Growing Up – Maitre d' The Searching Wind – Ambassador de Frontigny Of Human Bondage – Artist The Return of Monte Cristo – Immigration Officer Ladies' Man – Mr. Jones, Hotel ManagerThe Perfect Marriage – Waiter Captain Tarzan and the Huntress – Man Weighing King The Trespasser – Waiter The Perils of Pauline – French Doctor #2 The Foxes of Harrow – Priest It's a Great Feeling – Andre Bernet Rope of Sand – Jacques the Headwaiter Fortunes of Captain Blood – Count Harrouch Secrets of Monte Carlo – Inspector Marcel RemyStrangers on a Train – Monsieur Darville The Law and the Lady – French Manager Mara Maru – OrtegaSon of Ali Baba – Shah of Persia Because You're Mine – General Pierre Montal

Partial Theatre credits

Goin' HomeDiplomacyThe Last TortureAntoniaGrounds for DivorceThe Crooked SquareThe Texas NightingaleThe PigeonGenius and the CrowdMis' Nelly of N'OrleansFlo-FloSomebody's Luggage
  • Twentieth Century Players