Maxwell Reed was a Northern Irish actor who became a matinee idol in several British films during the 1940s and 1950s.
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Maxwell Reed was born in Larne and at age 15, he left school to work on ships, including as a blockade runner.
Maxwell Reed wanted to act and ended up studying at RADA for a year. During World War II, Maxwell Reed served in the RAF and then the Merchant Navy.
After demobilization, Maxwell Reed worked as an extra and in repertory and did a screen test for Riverside Studios at Rank and joined The Company of Youth at the age of 27.
Maxwell Reed Films
Maxwell Reed made his film debut in The Years Between (1946) and then appeared in Gaiety George (1946).
After his debut, producer Sydney Box thought Maxwell 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. In Daybreak, Maxwell Reed played an employee of Eric Portman who lusts after Portman’s wife, played by Ann Todd.
Sydney Box cast Maxwell Reed in the lead role in a film made immediately after but released before Daybreak: The Brothers (1947).
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Maxwell Reed followed it with Dear Murderer (1947), from a script by Sydney Box, starring Portman, and then he made two films opposite Anne Crawford, Night Beat(1947), and Daughter of Darkness (1948).
Maxwell Reed had more of a support role in The Lost People (1949), co-directed by Muriel Box, and Madness of the Heart (1949), with Margaret Lockwood.
Maxwell Reed also had the lead in Blackout (1950), opposite Dinah Sheridan.
Maxwell Reed moved to the U.S. to make Flame of Araby (1952) and returned to Britain for support parts in Sea Devils (1953) and The Square Ring (1953).
After making Captain Phantom (1953) in Italy, Maxwell Reed starred in some British B movies, Marilyn (1953), Before I Wake (1955) and The Brain Machine (1956).
Maxwell Reed Height
Maxwell Reed’s height was 1.93m.
Maxwell Reed Eyebrows
Maxwell Reed Find A Grave
According to findagrave.com, Maxwell Reed died in England. However, his cemetery is not available at this time.
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