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