Reginald Gardiner

Who was Reginald Gardiner?

Reginald Gardiner was an English-born actor in film and television and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in Great Britain. His parents wanted him to be an architect, but he insisted on a career as an actor.

He started as a super on stage and eventually became well known on the West End stage. He was also well known to wireless listeners and was known on air for his amusing train and car noises. Gardiner started film work in crowd scenes, making his big film break in 1926 in the silent film The Lodger, by Alfred Hitchcock. Moving to Hollywood, he was cast in numerous roles, often as a British butler. One of his most famous roles was that of Schultz in Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator. He also performed memorable turns as the spurned "almost-husband" in The Doctor Takes A Wife and Christmas in Connecticut.

On 4 October 1956, Gardiner appeared with Greer Garson as the first two guest stars in the series premiere of NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. He made other guest appearances on television sitcoms of the 1960s, including Fess Parker's ABC series, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Stanley Holloway's Our Man Higgins. He also appeared in the 1964 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Ugly Duckling," as business owner Albert Charity. His last major role was alongside Phyllis Diller in her 1966-1967 ABC series, The Pruitts of Southampton.