Romney Brent, born Romulo Larralde, was a multifaceted Mexican-born actor, playwright, producer, stage manager, director, and drama teacher. As the son of a diplomat, he began his career on stage in 1922 with a Theatre Guild production of "He Who Gets Slapped".
He made his Broadway debut in 1922 with the comedy "The Lucky One", establishing himself as a solid character player for the next thirteen years. Brent took on roles of exotic ethnicity, ranging from Ibsen and Gogol to Shakespeare, and even sang and danced with the "Garrick Gaieties".
In 1932, he authored a comedy play, "The Mad Hopes", which explored high society manners. Two years later, Brent adapted James Laver's novel "Nymph Errant" into a play, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The production had a successful run of 154 performances at the Adelphi Theatre in London, although it did not premiere on Broadway until 1982.
Brent also acted at the same London venue in Noël Coward's popular revue "Words and Music", co-starring alongside a young John Mills. By 1936, he had transitioned to film work, appearing in prestigious British productions such as "Dinner at the Ritz" (1937) and "The Middle Watch" (1940),where he played a Chinese character named Ah Fong.
During World War II, Brent enlisted in the Canadian Army and was demobbed in 1945 with the rank of captain. He returned to Hollywood in 1948, cast as King Phillip III in the lavishly-produced Warner Brothers Technicolor production of "Adventures of Don Juan", starring Errol Flynn.
The remainder of his screen career, which took a backseat to his theatrical work on Broadway, consisted mainly of guest appearances in early TV anthology series. An exception was his recurring role as the benevolent Padre Felipe in "Zorro" (1957).
In 1961, Brent returned to his theatrical roots, touring Europe and South America at the head of a repertory company under the aegis of the State Department. Four years later, fully retired from screen acting, he toured the Far East alongside Helen Hayes, holding seminars and workshops on stage direction.
Brent spent the last seven years of his life back in his birth country, teaching drama, concluding a remarkable career that spanned decades and multiple mediums.
