Hal Reid (actor)


Hal Reid was an American playwright and stage and screen actor.

Biography

Born in 1863, Reid entered the film business in 1910 as an actor, director, and writer, bringing along his teen son Wallace Reid, who had aspirations to be a director or cameraman. Many of his plays saw Broadway openings. In 1912, Hal was appointed Censor to the Universal Film Corporation.
Reid was at one time said to be actually Harry Preston and that he had served a prison sentence for an unspecified crime.
His parents were Hugh McMillan Reid and America Elizabeth Reid. Hal was married three times with each woman bearing him a child. His first wife was Marylee Withers, m. 1879, who at 16 produced a daughter, Hazel Withers Reid in 1882. Hazel died in 1921 a year after her father. Wife two was Bertha Westbrook, m. 1889, who produced son Wallace in 1891 or '92. Wife three was the much younger Marcella, m. 1916, who also produced a son, James Hillock Reid.
His son Wallace Reid became an actor who starred in many films of Hollywood's silent era.

Selected plays

as actor only