Frank Reicher (December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American stage and film actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film King Kong.
Reicher made his Broadway debut the year he came to America playing Lord Tarquin in Harrison Fiske's production of Becky Sharp, a comedy by Langdon Mitchell based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. His early career was spent in legitimate theater on and off Broadway. He was head of the Brooklyn Stock Company when Jacob P. Adler performed The Merchant of Venice in Yiddish while the rest of the cast remained in English. Reicher was for a number of years affiliated with the Little Theatre on West Forty-Fourth Street as an actor and manager and would remain active on Broadway as actor, director or producer well into the 1920s. On stage, Reicher starred in such plays as the first Broadway production of Georg Kaiser's From Morning to Midnight (as the cashier), and the original production of Percy MacKaye's The Scarecrow (in the title role).
Frank Reicher is probably more familiar to modern audiences as a supporting character actor in films. He began his cinema career with an uncredited role in the 1915 film The Case for Becky and would go on to work in over two hundred motion pictures. He is probably best remembered for playing the character of Captain Englehorn in King Kong and The Son of Kong, and for his work in such films as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950). His last Hollywood role was in the very first theatrical Superman movie, Superman and the Mole Men, in 1951.
Frank Reicher died at a hospital in Inglewood, California, aged 89. He was survived by his sister and a brother. His interment was at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
Known For
King Kong
(1933)
Captain Englehorn
Samson and Delilah
(1949)
Village Barber
To Be or Not to Be
(1942)
Polish Official (uncredited)
Camille
(1936)
Creditor Agent (uncredited)
Monsieur Verdoux
(1947)
Doctor (uncredited)
Ninotchka
(1939)
Soviet Lawyer (uncredited)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Maasdam
The Son of Kong
(1933)
Captain Englehorn
House of Frankenstein
(1944)
Frederick Ullman (uncredited)
Stage Door
(1937)
Stage Director
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
(1938)
Professor O.J. Ludwig (uncredited)
Mata Hari
(1931)
The Cook - Spy
The Mummy's Tomb
(1942)
Professor Matthew Norman
Above Suspicion
(1943)
Colonel Gerold (Uncredited)
Superman and the Mole-Men
(1951)
Hospital Superintendent
Full Filmography
Acting
Her Man o' War
(1926)
Professor Krantz
Four Sons
(1928)
The Schoolmaster
Beau Sabreur
(1928)
Gen. de Beaujolais
Napoleon's Barber
(1928)
Napoleon's Barber
The Blue Danube
(1928)
Baron
The Masks of the Devil
(1928)
Count Zellner
Sins of the Fathers
(1928)
The Eye Specialist
Black Waters
(1929)
Randall
Paris Bound
(1929)
Her Private Affair
(1929)
State's Attorney
Strange Cargo
(1929)
Dr. Stecker
His Captive Woman
(1929)
Mister Antonio
(1929)
Milton Jorny
Billy the Kid
(1930)
General Lew Wallace (uncredited)
Strictly Unconventional
(1930)
Duke of Brocklehurst
Every woman's longing
(1930)
The Grand Parade
(1930)
Girl of the Port
(1930)
Gentleman's Fate
(1931)
Francesco Tomasulo
Suicide Fleet
(1931)
Holtzmann
The Sin of Madelon Claudet
(1931)
Arresting Detective (uncredited)
Mata Hari
(1931)
The Cook - Spy
Beyond Victory
(1931)
German Hospital Chief
A Woman Commands
(1932)
The General
Flesh
(1932)
Warden in Germany (uncredited)
The Crooked Circle
(1932)
Rankin
Scarlet Dawn
(1932)
Plotsky (Uncredited)
Employees' Entrance
(1933)
Garfinkle
The Son of Kong
(1933)
Captain Englehorn
Captured!
(1933)
Herr Hauptman
A Bedtime Story
(1933)
Aristide
King Kong
(1933)
Captain Englehorn
Topaze
(1933)
Dr. Stegg
Jennie Gerhardt
(1933)
Old Weaver (uncredited)
Before Dawn
(1933)
Joe Valerie
Secret of the Chateau
(1934)
Auctioneer
No Greater Glory
(1934)
Doctor
Return of the Terror
(1934)
Franz Reinhardt
The Countess of Monte Cristo
(1934)
Police Commissioner
Men in White
(1934)
Doctor (uncredited)
Journal of a Crime
(1934)
Herr Winterstein
The Case of the Howling Dog
(1934)
Dr. Carl Cooper
Let's Talk It Over
(1934)
Richards
British Agent
(1934)
Mr. X
I Am a Thief
(1934)
Max Bolen
Hi, Nellie!
(1934)
Danny
Mills of the Gods
(1934)
Barrett
The Fountain
(1934)
Doctor
Life Returns
(1935)
Dr. James
Magnificent Obsession
(1935)
Dr. Rochard
Star of Midnight
(1935)
Abe Ohlman (uncredited)
Rendezvous
(1935)
Dr. R.A. Jackson
Kind Lady
(1935)
Gustave Roubet (as Frank Reigher)
The Florentine Dagger
(1935)
Von Stein
Charlie Chan in Egypt
(1935)
Dr. Jaipur
The Great Impersonation
(1935)
Dr. Trenk
A Dog of Flanders
(1935)
Herr Vanderkloot
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
(1935)
2nd Assistant Director
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
(1936)
Henry Strand (uncredited)
Till We Meet Again
(1936)
Colonel Von Diegel
Camille
(1936)
Creditor Agent (uncredited)
The Country Doctor
(1936)
Dr. Paul Luke
Sinner Take All
(1936)
Theo Drukker (uncredited)
Along Came Love
(1936)
Planetarium Lecturer
Second Wife
(1936)
Headmaster
Under Two Flags
(1936)
French General
The Gorgeous Hussy
(1936)
Commander of U.S.S. Constitution (uncredited)
Sutter's Gold
(1936)
Governor Felipe Vega
The Story of Louis Pasteur
(1936)
Dr. Pfeiffer
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
(1936)
Dr. Coate
The Devil-Doll
(1936)
Doctor (uncredited)
Girls Dormitory
(1936)
Dr. Hoffenreich
Laughing at Trouble
(1936)
Dr. Larson
Star for a Night
(1936)
Doctor Heimkin
Anthony Adverse
(1936)
Coachman to Paris
The Invisible Ray
(1936)
Professor Meiklejohn
Prescription for Romance
(1937)
Jozsef
Fit for a King
(1937)
Kurtz
West Bound Limited
(1937)
Pop Martin
Stolen Holiday
(1937)
Rainer
Espionage
(1937)
Von Cram
On Such a Night
(1937)
Horace Darwin
Under Cover of Night
(1937)
Rudolph Brehmer
The Great O'Malley
(1937)
Dr. Larson
The Emperor's Candlesticks
(1937)
Pavloff
Midnight Madonna
(1937)
Vincent Long II
Stage Door
(1937)
Stage Director
The Mighty Treve
(1937)
Eben McClelland
Night Key
(1937)
Carl - gang engineer
The Road Back
(1937)
Ernst's Father
Man Of The People
(1937)
Robinson
Beg, Borrow or Steal
(1937)
Monsieur Debillon (uncredited)
Prison Nurse
(1938)
Doctor Hartman
City Streets
(1938)
Dr. Ferenc Waller
The Girl Downstairs
(1938)
Police Official (uncredited)
Torchy Gets Her Man
(1938)
The Professor - Henchman
Letter of Introduction
(1938)
Second Doctor (uncredited)
Suez
(1938)
General Changarnier
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
(1938)
Professor O.J. Ludwig (uncredited)
Rascals
(1938)
Dr. C.M. Garvey
I'll Give a Million
(1938)
Prefect of Police
Juarez
(1939)
Duc de Morny (uncredited)
Never Say Die
(1939)
Man in Charge of Duel
Devil's Island
(1939)
President of Assize Court
Nurse Edith Cavell
(1939)
Baron von Bissing
Everything Happens at Night
(1939)
Pharmacist
Ninotchka
(1939)
Soviet Lawyer (uncredited)
The Escape
(1939)
Dr. Shumaker
Society Smugglers
(1939)
Jones
Sons of Liberty
(1939)
Lyons the Storekeeper (uncredited)
Sabotage
(1939)
(uncredited)
The Magnificent Fraud
(1939)
Mendietta Garcia
South of the Border
(1939)
Don Diego Mendoza
Mystery of the White Room
(1939)
Dr. Amos Thornton
Woman Doctor
(1939)
Dr. Mathews
All This, and Heaven Too
(1940)
Police Official (uncredited)
The Man I Married
(1940)
Friehof
Typhoon
(1940)
Doctor
The Lady in Question
(1940)
President
Sky Murder
(1940)
Dr. Crattan
Dr. Cyclops
(1940)
Prof. Kendall
South to Karanga
(1940)
Dr. Greenleaf
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
(1940)
Old Man
The Nurse's Secret
(1941)
Wiley Henderson
Shining Victory
(1941)
Dr. Esterhazy
One Foot in Heaven
(1941)
Board Member (uncredited)
Dangerously They Live
(1941)
Jarvis, Goodwin's Butler
Flight from Destiny
(1941)
Edvaard Kreindling
Underground
(1941)
Professor Baumer
Four Mothers
(1941)
Festival Committee Member (uncredited)
They Dare Not Love
(1941)
Captain
The Mystery of Marie Roget
(1942)
Magistrate
Night Monster
(1942)
Dr. Timmons
Secret Enemies
(1942)
Henry Bremmer
Beyond the Blue Horizon
(1942)
Sneath
Nazi Agent
(1942)
Fritz
Scattergood Survives a Murder
(1942)
Thaddeus Quentin
The Mummy's Tomb
(1942)
Professor Matthew Norman
The Gay Sisters
(1942)
Dr. Thomas Bigelow
To Be or Not to Be
(1942)
Polish Official (uncredited)
Mission to Moscow
(1943)
General von Koestrich - German ambassador (uncredited)
Tornado
(1943)
Linden, Sr.
Plan for Destruction
(1943)
Karl Ernst Haushofer
Bomber's Moon
(1943)
Dr. Hartman
Above Suspicion
(1943)
Colonel Gerold (Uncredited)
Background to Danger
(1943)
Rudick - the Assasin
House of Frankenstein
(1944)
Frederick Ullman (uncredited)
Gildersleeve's Ghost
(1944)
Dr. Wells
The Big Bonanza
(1944)
Dr. Ballou
The Mummy's Ghost
(1944)
Prof. Matthew Norman
The Conspirators
(1944)
Casino Attendant (uncredited)
Captain America
(1944)
Lyman
Address Unknown
(1944)
Professor Schmidt
The Tiger Woman
(1945)
Coroner
Charlie Chan in The Jade Mask
(1945)
Harper
The Strange Mr. Gregory
(1945)
William Riker, the Butler
Phantoms, Inc.
(1945)
Philip Kenneson, Sr.
Voice of the Whistler
(1945)
Dr. Rose (uncredited)
A Medal for Benny
(1945)
Father Bly (uncredited)
The Shadow Returns
(1946)
Michael Hasdon
Home in Oklahoma
(1946)
Jason Cragmyle
A Guy Could Change
(1946)
Doctor
Sister Kenny
(1946)
Dr. Chuter (uncredited)
Yankee Fakir
(1947)
H.W. Randall
Escape Me Never
(1947)
The Minister
Violence
(1947)
Pop, apartment concierge
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Maasdam
Monsieur Verdoux
(1947)
Doctor (uncredited)
The Gallant Blade
(1948)
Major
Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad
(1948)
Dr. MacKenzie
I, Jane Doe
(1948)
Doctor
Carson City Raiders
(1948)
Razor the Barber
Samson and Delilah
(1949)
Village Barber
Barbary Pirate
(1949)
Cathcart
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
(1950)
Darius 'Doc' Green
The Lady and the Bandit
(1951)
Count Eckhardt
Superman and the Mole-Men
(1951)
Hospital Superintendent
Directing
The Case of Becky
(1915)
Director
The Secret Sin
(1915)
Director
The Clue
(1915)
Director
The Chorus Lady
(1915)
Director
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo
(1915)
Director
For the Defense
(1916)
Director
The Love Mask
(1916)
Director
The Sacrifice
(1917)
Director
The Black Wolf
(1917)
Director
The Eternal Mother
(1917)
Director
Castles for Two
(1917)
Director
Lost and Won
(1917)
Director
The Inner Shrine
(1917)
Director
An American Widow
(1917)
Director
The Only Road
(1918)
Director
The Sea Waif
(1918)
Director
Suspense
(1919)
Director
The Trap
(1919)
Director
Behind Masks
(1921)
Director
Mister Antonio
(1929)
Director
We're switching to Hollywood
(1931)
Director
Writing