Reginald Denny is one of my favorite actors. He was at home in drama and comedy. He made films in the U.K. and in the U.S. I've watched his movies for as long as I can remember. But there was so much more to Denny than met the eye. He was a World War I veteran, and inventor, an aviator, a hobbyist and even more. In other words, he was a busy guy.

Denny began his acting career back in the days of silent pictures. He starred in a lot of them. He was one of the few in the business that made a successful transition to talking pictures in the 1920s. As it turned out, he had the voice for it. So many actors at the time could not continue once the sound was added to films because they didn't have a voice that Hollywood thought would be accepted by movie goers. But Denny had no problem continuing in the industry. I remember him best in the old 1930s series of Bulldog Drummond films. He played a comedic part. He was also great is later movies through the 1950s and '60s.

Denny worked with the military to develop drones...that's right! Drones! This interest would take him into starting his Reginald Denny Hobby Shops throughout Las Angeles, California. Denny loved miniatures and model building. His company even manufactured their own wooden model kits. Denny loved the kids that came into his shop and a real treat was when they entered and Denny happened to be there himself and would wait on them.

Denny was a classy guy. He dressed well and spoke with his original British accent. But people who knew him all said he was a really nice and pleasant man to be around. Once off the stage or set, he left Hollywood behind him and simply was a regular guy. But Denny was a man of the times, and the times were war. And he did his part for sure.