# Rex Reason > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rex_Reason > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rex_Reason.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Reason > Source revision: 1354682702 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American actor (1928–2015)}} {{redirect|Bart Roberts|a Welsh pirate|Bartholomew Roberts}} {{Infobox person | name = Rex Reason | image = Roaring 20's cast.JPG | image_size = 260px | caption = Rex Reason (right) with ''[The Roaring 20's](/source/The_Roaring_20's_(TV_series))'' co-stars [Donald May](/source/Donald_May) and [Dorothy Provine](/source/Dorothy_Provine) | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|11|30}} | birth_place = [Berlin](/source/Berlin), Germany | death_date = {{death date and age|2015|11|19|1928|11|30}} | death_place = [Walnut, California](/source/Walnut%2C_California), U.S. | occupation = Actor | spouse = Joan Johannes (1952-1960) (divorced) 2 children
Sanita Pelkey (1962-1963) (divorced)
Shirley Hake (1965-2015; his death) 3 children | years_active = 1952-1963 | relatives = [Rhodes Reason](/source/Rhodes_Reason), brother }} '''Rex George Reason Jr.''' (November 30, 1928 – November 19, 2015) was an American actor best known for his role in ''[This Island Earth](/source/This_Island_Earth)'' (1955). He was the elder brother of actor [Rhodes Reason](/source/Rhodes_Reason).{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19630207&id=XqAvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9FYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4025,1201669&hl=en| title=TV NEWS BEAT: Reason Boys May Co-Star| newspaper=[Evening Independent](/source/Evening_Independent)| location=St. Petersburg| date=February 8, 1963| page=4B}} ==Life and career== Reason was born in Berlin, Germany to an American family that returned to [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California) shortly thereafter, where Rex was raised. He attended [Herbert Hoover High School](/source/Glendale_Unified_School_District) in [Glendale](/source/Glendale%2C_California), [California](/source/California) and enlisted in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) at the age of seventeen, serving from 1946 to 1948.{{cite news| title=Rex Reason, Star of Sci-Fi Classic 'This Island Earth,' Dies at 86| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rex-reason-dead-island-earth-843188| last=Barnes| first=Mike| date=November 23, 2015| newspaper=[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)| access-date=April 30, 2020}} He began his stage career in 1948 at the [Pasadena Playhouse](/source/Pasadena_Playhouse), performing there for three years before coming to the notice of [Hollywood](/source/Cinema_of_the_United_States). In 1951 he was given a screen test at [Columbia Pictures](/source/Columbia_Pictures) and was cast as the lead in a starring role in his first picture, a low-budget adventure drama ''[Storm Over Tibet](/source/Storm_Over_Tibet)'' (1952) initially produced for MGM but acquired by [Columbia Pictures](/source/Columbia_Pictures). Reason was under contract for two more years at Columbia until moving to [Universal-International](/source/Universal-International) in mid-1953, after making a promising appearance in the sword-and-sandal epic ''[Salome](/source/Salome_(1953_film))'' (1953) with [Rita Hayworth](/source/Rita_Hayworth). A tall (6'3"), handsome, leading man with a distinctive baritone speaking voice, Reason appeared in several films and television shows throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He made two pictures at [Universal Studios](/source/Universal_Pictures) under the name "Bart Roberts" before demanding to be able to use his own name.{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19550610&id=epdRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=52sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4239,5062215&hl=en| last=Fanning| first=Win| title=Rex Reason Was Bart Roberts Until Reason Prevailed| newspaper=[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](/source/Pittsburgh_Post-Gazette)| date=June 1, 1955| page=13}} Reason is perhaps best known for his role as stalwart, heroic scientist Dr. Cal Meacham in the [science fiction](/source/science_fiction) movie ''[This Island Earth](/source/This_Island_Earth)'' (1955). Reason co-starred as sympathetic scientist Dr. Tom Morgan in the third—and final—installment of [Universal International Pictures](/source/Universal_International_Pictures)' ''[Creature from the Black Lagoon](/source/Creature_from_the_Black_Lagoon)'' horror film series in ''[The Creature Walks Among Us](/source/The_Creature_Walks_Among_Us)'' (1956).{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19830722&id=J4gxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cUUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4319,3110230&hl=en| last=Woods| first=Kate| title=Ask Kate: Critique of Reason| newspaper=[Rome News-Tribune](/source/Rome_News-Tribune)| date=July 22, 1983| page=14}} He also appeared opposite [Clark Gable](/source/Clark_Gable) and [Sidney Poitier](/source/Sidney_Poitier) in ''[Band of Angels](/source/Band_of_Angels)'' (1957) for [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Bros.) He appeared in ''[Badlands of Montana](/source/Badlands_of_Montana)'' (1957) as an opponent of a corrupt [Mayor](/source/Mayor) played by [John M. Pickard](/source/John_Pickard_(American_actor)). In the story line, Pickard administers ten lashes with a whip to Reason's back. Reason starred as newspapermen in two television series. The first of those was a [syndicated](/source/Television_syndication) [western](/source/Western_(genre)), ''[Man Without a Gun](/source/Man_Without_a_Gun)'' (1957–1959), in the role of Adam MacLean, editor of the ''Yellowstone Sentinel'' newspaper in [Dakota Territory](/source/Dakota_Territory). The second was the [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company)/[Warner Bros. Television](/source/Warner_Bros._Television) drama, ''[The Roaring Twenties](/source/The_Roaring_Twenties_(TV_series))'' (1960–1962), a [crime drama](/source/crime_drama) in the role of Scott Norris, reporter for the fictitious ''New York Record''. He appeared as a guest on an [NBC](/source/NBC) interview program, ''[Here's Hollywood](/source/Here's_Hollywood)'' in 1961, and guest-starred on a number of other television series. In ''[Perry Mason](/source/Perry_Mason_(1957_TV_series))'' he played the role of defendant Steve Brock in the episode, "The Case of the Ancient Romeo" (1962) opposite [Jeff Morrow](/source/Jeff_Morrow), who had starred with him in ''[This Island Earth](/source/This_Island_Earth)''. His final television appearance was in an episode of ''[Wagon Train](/source/Wagon_Train)'' broadcast in 1963. He was also featured in episodes of ''[Bourbon Street Beat](/source/Bourbon_Street_Beat)'', ''[77 Sunset Strip](/source/77_Sunset_Strip)'', and ''[The Alaskans](/source/The_Alaskans)''. Reason walked out on his film contract with Warner Bros. in the fall of 1961{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19610607&id=NGBSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LHkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7285,3378045&hl=en| last=Finnigan| first=Joseph| title=Rex Reason Doesn't Like Shooting, So Quits Role in 'Roaring 20s'| newspaper=[St. Petersburg Times](/source/Tampa_Bay_Times)| agency=[United Press International](/source/United_Press_International)| date=June 7, 1961| page=7-D}} when he was being considered for a starring role in [John Frankenheimer](/source/John_Frankenheimer)'s ''[The Manchurian Candidate](/source/The_Manchurian_Candidate_(1962_film))'' (1962). The film began as a project at Warners, but was completed as an independent film and released by [United Artists](/source/United_Artists). [Laurence Harvey](/source/Laurence_Harvey) was cast in the role instead. After his film and television acting career ended, he worked as a real estate broker and had a second career as a [voiceover](/source/Voice_acting) actor. During his later years, Reason was in retirement and living in [Walnut](/source/Walnut%2C_California), California, with his third wife, Shirley.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070305205610/http://www.rexreason.com/ www.rexreason.com- Official Website] ==Death== Reason died in Walnut, California, from bladder cancer on November 19, 2015.{{cite news| title=Rex Reason, Star of Sci-Fi Classic 'This Island Earth,' Dies at 86| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/arts/television/rex-reason-star-of-sci-fi-classic-this-island-earth-dies-at-86.html| last=Roberts| first=Sam| date=November 24, 2015| newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)| url-access=subscription}}[http://www.newspaperpost.com/2015/11/21/actor-rex-reason-has-died/ 'Actor Rex Reason has died'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128121846/http://www.newspaperpost.com/2015/11/21/actor-rex-reason-has-died/ |date=2015-11-28}} ''Newspaper Post'', November 21, 2015. {{Portal bar|Biography|Germany|California|Los Angeles|Film|Television}} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * {{IMDb name|0714155|Rex Reason}} * [http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=&retailCheck=&Type=PN&CatID=DATABIN_CAST&ID=129334&AN_ID=&searchedFor=Rex_Reason_ Rex Reason] at the [American Film Institute Catalog](/source/American_Film_Institute_Catalog) * [http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=&retailCheck=&Type=PN&CatID=DATABIN_CAST&ID=18255&AN_ID=&searchedFor=Bart_Roberts_ as Bart Roberts] at the [American Film Institute Catalog](/source/American_Film_Institute_Catalog) * [https://www.allmovie.com/artist/rex-reason-p59123 Rex Reason] at [AllMovie](/source/AllMovie) {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Reason, Rex}} Category:1928 births Category:2015 deaths Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:Male actors from Berlin Category:Male actors from Los Angeles Category:Military personnel from Los Angeles Category:United States Army soldiers Category:Warner Bros. contract players Category:Deaths from bladder cancer in California --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rex Reason](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Reason) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Reason?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.