In 1937, while in Southern California to cover the Chicago Cubs’ spring training season, Ronald Reagan did a screen test for the Warner Brothers movie studio. The studio signed him to a contract, and that same year he made his film debut in “Love is on the Air,” playing a radio news reporter. Over the next three decades, he appeared in more than 50 movies. Among his best-known roles was that of Notre Dame football star George Gipp in the 1940 biographical film “Knute Rockne All American.” In the movie, Reagan’s famous line–which he is still remembered for–was “Win one for the Gipper”. Another notable role was in 1942 in “Kings Row,” in which Reagan portrayed an accident victim who wakes up to discover his legs have been amputated and cries out, “Where’s the rest of me?” (Reagan used this line as the title of his 1965 autobiography.) Although Reagan called Kings Row the film that “made me a star,” his rising career was interrupted when he was ordered to active duty with the U.S. Army just two months after its release. Following nearly four years of stateside service during World War II with the 1st Motion Picture Unit, he returned to co-star in films like The Voice of the Turtle, Bedtime for Bonzo, and Hellcats of the Navy (the only film with Nancy Reagan). His final film was the 1964 remake The Killers, and throughout his career, his mother handled much of his fan mail. From 1954 to 1962, he hosted the weekly television drama series “The General Electric Theater.” In this role, he toured the United States as a public relations representative for General Electric, giving pro-business talks in which he spoke out against too much government control and wasteful spending, central themes of his future political career. (Photo credit: Getty Images / Library of Congress). Notify me of new posts by email.
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