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Reginald Bach
Reginald Bach
Reginald Bach
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Reginald Bach (3 September 1886 – 6 January 1941) was a British actor and theatrical producer.[1]

Early life and career

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Born in Shepperton, Middlesex, England, Bach was educated at Dean Close School, in Cheltenham Spa, the family having moved to Leamington Spa. After leaving school lived in Cheltenham Spa, where he established a reputation as an amateur actor, making his professional debut in 1905.[2] In 1926 Bach married Olive Thurston, daughter of writer E. Temple Thurston. She had acted in Bach's 1924 production of the Temple Thurston play Blue Peter.[3] Bach took an active part in the actor's union Equity and served on the executive committee.[4] At the outbreak of the Second World War, Bach moved to the US, where he acted in several plays. He died 6 January 1941 in New York City.

Selected plays

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  • Damaged Goods (1917) [5]
  • Havoc (1923) [6]
  • 'Our Nell (1924)
  • Blue Peter (1924) (producer) [7]
  • Death Sentence (1926) [8]
  • My Lady's Mill (1928) [9]
  • The Stranger Within (1929) [10]
  • Through A Window (1929) {producer/actor} [11]
  • Tunnel Trench (1929) [12]
  • Twelve Hours (1930) (producer) [13]
  • A Song of Sixpence (1930) (producer)[14]
  • The Scorpion (1930) (producer/actor) [15]
  • The Queen's Husband (1931) [16]
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles (1832) [17]
  • High Temperature (1833) [18]
  • The Bride (1934> (producer/actor) [19]
  • Treasure Island (1934) (producer/actor) [20]

Selected filmography

[edit]

References

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Reginald Bach

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Reginald Bach (3 September 1886 – 6 January 1941) was a British actor and stage director known for his prolific career spanning theatre and early film, where he acted in or staged nearly 150 plays across England and the United States. He made significant contributions to Broadway during the 1930s, directing productions including Love on the Dole, And Now Good-bye, Foreigners, and Our Betters, in which he also occasionally performed. His work in British cinema included roles in films such as The Hound of the Baskervilles (1931) and Hobson's Choice (1931). Born in Shepperton, England, Bach began his career in British theatre before traveling to the United States with Sir Barry Jackson's company, where he staged plays and remained to build a transatlantic presence in both acting and directing. He was recognized for his ability to handle diverse material, from literary adaptations to contemporary dramas, and maintained an active presence on stage until his death in New York in 1941. His career bridged British and American theatrical traditions during a pivotal era for both stage and screen.

Early life

Birth and education

Reginald Bach was born on 3 September 1886 in Shepperton, England, UK. An obituary described his birthplace as Shepperton, London, where he was the son of Frederick Watson Bach and Elizabeth Ley Bach. He was educated at Cheltenham.

Amateur beginnings

Reginald Bach developed his early interest in acting as an amateur while being educated in Cheltenham, where he won amateur laurels in local theatrical circles. This period of amateur involvement in Cheltenham Spa helped him build a reputation as a performer before he made the transition to professional work. Detailed accounts of specific amateur productions or roles from this phase are scarce in available records, with surviving sources providing only general confirmation of his pre-professional activity and recognition in the area. His amateur experience culminated in his professional stage debut as Major Rattan in 'Ici on Parle Francais' at the Cheltenham Opera House at the age of 19.

Theatrical career

Professional debut and early roles

Reginald Bach made his professional stage debut in 1905 at age 19, playing Major Rattan in Ici on Parle Francais at the Cheltenham Opera House. He had previously won recognition as an amateur performer in Cheltenham Spa before entering the professional ranks. His progress in London was gradual; it was seven years before he obtained an engagement there, serving as understudy for the Geni of the Carpet in Where the Rainbow Ends. From 1914 to 1917, he worked as stage manager at the Haymarket Theatre in London. Bach developed a substantial acting career in British theatre over the ensuing decades, appearing in numerous West End and regional productions during the 1920s and early 1930s. Representative credits from this period include Our Nell (1924), The Stranger Within (1929), The Queen's Husband (1931), and High Temperature (1933). Details on his specific roles in many early productions remain sparse in available records. In 1927, Bach made his Broadway debut in Yellow Sands, portraying Richard Varwell at the Fulton Theatre. This engagement marked his entry into American stage work, where he would continue acting and directing.

Work as producer

Reginald Bach was active as a theatrical producer during the 1920s and 1930s, presenting plays primarily on the London stage.

Later stage involvement

Bach maintained an active presence in American theatre from his 1927 Broadway debut onward, continuing to appear in productions during the 1930s and into the early 1940s until his death in January 1941. Specific credits from the late 1930s and early 1940s are documented in some theater databases, though overall records of his later work remain limited compared to his earlier career.

Film career

Silent films

Reginald Bach entered the film industry during the silent era with appearances in British productions in the 1920s. He went on to appear in supporting and minor roles in British silent films throughout the decade. His credits from this period include Build Thy House (1920), The Will (1921), Empress Josephine; Or, Wife of a Demigod (1923), A Romance of Mayfair (1925), We Women (1925), and the short Whispering Gables (1927). In We Women, Bach portrayed Francis Badderley, an actor. These appearances marked his early contributions to British cinema before the transition to sound films in the following decade.

Sound-era roles

Reginald Bach appeared in a handful of British sound films during the 1930s, primarily in supporting roles. In 1931, he played Schmidt in The Girl in the Night, Albert Prosser in Hobson's Choice, and Stapleton in The Hound of the Baskervilles. His subsequent credits included Hugh Preston in the short film Account Rendered (1932), a taxi driver in Let Me Explain, Dear (1933), Daniels in The Scoop (1934), and Jack Adams in The Right Age to Marry (1935). In addition to his acting work, Bach contributed to one film as dialogue director on Two Who Dared (1936).

Personal life

Marriages and family

Reginald Bach was married twice. His first marriage was to the actress Kathleen Blake in 1911. He later married the actress Olive Thurston in 1926. At the time of his death in 1941, Bach was survived by his wife and two children, who were living in London.

Equity union activities

Reginald Bach was an active member of British Actors' Equity Association, the union representing stage actors in the United Kingdom. He served on the Equity Council, which functioned as the union's executive committee, during the early 1930s. His involvement included participation in key union discussions and meetings. In February 1933, as a council member, Bach addressed a mass meeting on membership enforcement issues, underscoring the critical importance of compliance for the union's survival.

Later years and death

Relocation to the United States

Reginald Bach had returned to the United States in 1936 and remained active there in theater. He directed several Broadway productions in the late 1930s, including Foreigners, which opened in December 1939.

Death

Reginald Bach died of pneumonia on 6 January 1941 in New York Hospital, New York City, following an illness of several months. He was 54 years old at the time of his death. He was survived by his widow and two children, who were living in London.
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