Gene Raymond (born Raymond Guion; August , â€" May , ) was an
American film, television, and stage actor of the s and s. In addition
to acting, Raymond was also a composer, screenwriter, director,
producer, and decorated military pilot.Raymond was born August , in
New York City. He attended the Professional Children's School while
appearing in productions like Rip Van Winkle and Mrs. Wiggs of the
Cabbage Patch. His Broadway debut, at age , was in The Cradle
Snatchers which ran two years. (The cast included Mary Boland, Edna
May Oliver, and a young Humphrey Bogart.)His screen debut was in
Personal Maid (). Another early appearance was in the multi-director
If I Had a Million with W. C. Fields and Charles Laughton. With his
blond good looks, classic profile, and youthful exuberance â€" plus a
name change to the more pronounceable "Gene Raymond" â€" he scored in
films like the classic Zoo in Budapest with Loretta Young, and a
series of light RKO musicals, mostly with Ann Sothern. He wrote a
number of songs, including the popular "Will You?" which he sang to
Sothern in Smartest Girl in Town (). His wife, Jeanette MacDonald,
sang several of his more classical pieces in her concerts and recorded
one entitled "Let Me Always Sing".His most notable films, mostly as a
second lead actor, include Red Dust () with Jean Harlow and Clark
Gable, Zoo in Budapest () with Loretta Young, Ex-Lady () with Bette
Davis, Flying Down to Rio () with Dolores del RÃo, Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers, I Am Suzanne () with Lilian Harvey, Sadie McKee () with
Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. and Mrs. Smith () with Carole
Lombard and Robert Montgomery, and The Locket () with Laraine Day,
Brian Aherne, and Robert Mitchum. MacDonald and Raymond made one film
together, Smilin' Through, which came out as the U.S. was on the verge
of entering World War II.
American film, television, and stage actor of the s and s. In addition
to acting, Raymond was also a composer, screenwriter, director,
producer, and decorated military pilot.Raymond was born August , in
New York City. He attended the Professional Children's School while
appearing in productions like Rip Van Winkle and Mrs. Wiggs of the
Cabbage Patch. His Broadway debut, at age , was in The Cradle
Snatchers which ran two years. (The cast included Mary Boland, Edna
May Oliver, and a young Humphrey Bogart.)His screen debut was in
Personal Maid (). Another early appearance was in the multi-director
If I Had a Million with W. C. Fields and Charles Laughton. With his
blond good looks, classic profile, and youthful exuberance â€" plus a
name change to the more pronounceable "Gene Raymond" â€" he scored in
films like the classic Zoo in Budapest with Loretta Young, and a
series of light RKO musicals, mostly with Ann Sothern. He wrote a
number of songs, including the popular "Will You?" which he sang to
Sothern in Smartest Girl in Town (). His wife, Jeanette MacDonald,
sang several of his more classical pieces in her concerts and recorded
one entitled "Let Me Always Sing".His most notable films, mostly as a
second lead actor, include Red Dust () with Jean Harlow and Clark
Gable, Zoo in Budapest () with Loretta Young, Ex-Lady () with Bette
Davis, Flying Down to Rio () with Dolores del RÃo, Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers, I Am Suzanne () with Lilian Harvey, Sadie McKee () with
Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. and Mrs. Smith () with Carole
Lombard and Robert Montgomery, and The Locket () with Laraine Day,
Brian Aherne, and Robert Mitchum. MacDonald and Raymond made one film
together, Smilin' Through, which came out as the U.S. was on the verge
of entering World War II.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.