George Brent (born George Patrick Nolan, 15 March 1904 â€" 26 May
1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is
best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which
included Jezebel and Dark Victory.Brent was born in Main Street,
Ballinasloe, County Galway, on March 15, 1904, to John J. and Mary
(née McGuinness) Nolan. His father was a shopkeeper and his mother
was a native of Clonfad, Moore, County Roscommon. In September 1915,
he moved with his younger sister Kathleen to New York City. There,
they joined their mother, who was living in the US after her
separation from her husband.Brent returned to Ireland in February
1921, during the Irish War of Independence (1919â€"1922), and was
involved in the Irish Republican Army. During this period he also
became involved with the Abbey Theatre.He fled Ireland with a bounty
set on his head by the British government, although he later claimed
only to have been a courier for guerrilla leader and tactician Michael
Collins. According to Ballinasloe Life (volume 2, issue 4, Oct/Nov
2012), the Irish War of Independence careers of three different men
named George Nolan (Brent and two others; one from County Dublin and
the other from County Offaly) were apparently conflated, which may
explain some of the discrepancies regarding Brent's year of birth,
life, and activities during the 1919 to 1922 period.
1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is
best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which
included Jezebel and Dark Victory.Brent was born in Main Street,
Ballinasloe, County Galway, on March 15, 1904, to John J. and Mary
(née McGuinness) Nolan. His father was a shopkeeper and his mother
was a native of Clonfad, Moore, County Roscommon. In September 1915,
he moved with his younger sister Kathleen to New York City. There,
they joined their mother, who was living in the US after her
separation from her husband.Brent returned to Ireland in February
1921, during the Irish War of Independence (1919â€"1922), and was
involved in the Irish Republican Army. During this period he also
became involved with the Abbey Theatre.He fled Ireland with a bounty
set on his head by the British government, although he later claimed
only to have been a courier for guerrilla leader and tactician Michael
Collins. According to Ballinasloe Life (volume 2, issue 4, Oct/Nov
2012), the Irish War of Independence careers of three different men
named George Nolan (Brent and two others; one from County Dublin and
the other from County Offaly) were apparently conflated, which may
explain some of the discrepancies regarding Brent's year of birth,
life, and activities during the 1919 to 1922 period.
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