Ronald Wilson Reagan

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Ronald Wilson Reagan : biography

06 February 1911 – 05 June 2004

Reagan himself said, that “Kings Row” made him a star. But he didn’t manage to develop his success, as two years months after output of this film Reagan was called up to serve in the army and never reached such a great film success.

After returning from service, Reagan played in these films: Tennessee’s Partner, Hellcats of the Navy, This is the Army, Bedtime for Bonzo, Cattle Queen of Montana and in remake of The Killers.

During his cinema career Reagan played in 54 feature films. Mostly they were low-budget films of “B” category, which were reckoned on little audience. They didn’t have many good reviews and broad fame.

Military service

On the 29th of April in 1937 after passing 14 correspondence courses Reagan was included in the army reserve as a private soldier of the 322 cavalry private soldier of the 322 cavalry regiment in De-Mont (Iowa). On the 25th of May in 1937 he became the second lieutenant of the Cavalry Officer Reserve Corps. On the 18th of June he was attached to 323 cavalry regiment. His service number was 0 357 403.

On the 18th of April in 1942 he got an order to go to the front, but medical commission classified him only as a restrictedly fit because of shortsightedness, which ruled out his service abroad. His first assignment was a post of an officer of communications in a loading port of San-Francisco. After receiving approval of BBC, he was transferred there on the 15th of May in 1942 and got an assignment to the service of public relations, afterwards he was transferred in the First film production department in California.

On the 14th of January in 1943 Reagan became the first lieutenant and was sent to serve in Provisal Task Force Show Unit. When he finished service there, he returned to the First film production department. On the 22th of 1943 Reagan was improved in rank as a captain.

In January of 1944 Reagan was sent to pass a temporary service in New-York city, where he had to take part in the opening of the Sixth War Loan Drive. On the 14th of November in 1944 he was sent to 18th air force base, where he served till the end of war. On the 2th of February in 1945 he was recommended to have a major rank, but this recommendation was declined on the 17th of July. He returned in the fort Mc-Arthur in California, where he finished service on the 9th of December in 1945.

Trade union

In 1941 Reagan was elected in the board of directors of film actors’ guild as a reserve member. He didn’t have influence on the guild’s activity during first years of his membership in the trade union. He only attended meetings of the board and listened to what more experienced and influential members, among which very famous and popular actors were, told. After his demobilization he became the third vice-president of the film actors’ guild in 1946. In 1947 a conflict of interests and rules happened in the guild, and six members of the board of directors and the president of the guild resigned. Reagan was nominated as a candidate to the president on preterm elections, and he won. Later he was elected as the president five years in row, since 1947 till 1952, and on the sixth time he was elected after a gap in 1959. during this time Reagan led the guild through difficult years, which were marked with arguments.

At the beginning of 1940-s Regan cooperated in FBI and told it names of those workers of cinema production, who he suspected to have sympathy for communism.

In 1947 as the president of the guild Reagan gave evidence according the influence of communists on cinema industry. He was sure, that communists tried to take possession of cinema industry.

At the end of 1950-s Regan played several small roles and decided to join mass media. He was invited to be an anchorman of the weekly dramatic series General Elctric Theter. According to the contract, he was to travel all over “General Electric” ten weeks a year, he had to make 14 speeches a day. He earned nearly 125 thousand dollars a year (in 2008 it would be meant one million dollars).