Frank Reicher, renowned for his iconic role as Captain Englehorn in King Kong (1933) and its sequel, Son of Kong (1933),was a multifaceted artist with a rich history in both stage and film.
Born in Munich, Germany in 1875, Reicher began his artistic journey in Europe before migrating to New York in 1899 to pursue a career in acting on the stage. His impressive performances in New York earned him an invitation to Hollywood in 1915, where he not only acted in films but also directed them.
Reicher took a brief hiatus from his film career in 1921 to return to the New York stage, but he returned to Hollywood in 1926 and remained there for the rest of his life. Throughout his prolific career, he acted and directed for most of the major studios, earning him widespread recognition in Hollywood as both a filmmaker and an acting teacher.
During World War II, Reicher often portrayed Nazi officials or anti-Nazi partisans, and made memorable appearances as a professor in The Mummy's Tomb (1942) and its sequel, The Mummy's Ghost (1944). He also played a series of mad doctors or their assistants in several other Universal horror films.
Reicher's final film appearance was in 1951, and he passed away in 1965, leaving behind a legacy as a talented and versatile artist.
