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Rex Harrison Timeline |
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| 1908 | ||||
| 5/3 – |
Born Reginald Carey Harrison in Huyton, Lancashire, England to William Reginald Harrison, a cotton broker, and Edith Carey Harrison. He has two older sisters, Marjorie and Sylvia. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1915 | ||||
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– The sight in his left eye is badly impaired by a bad case of measles. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1918 | ||||
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– Changes his name to Rex, which is Latin for King. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1924/5 | ||||
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– Begins his theatre career with the Liverpool Repertory Company under William Armstrong on a wage of 30 shillings per week. His first appearance is in Katherine Mayor's play Thirty Minutes in a Street. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1927 | ||||
| – Tours in Charlie’s Aunt for 12 weeks. [MORE] [ADD] | ||||
| 1930 | ||||
| 26/11 – |
Makes West End debut as the Hon Fred Thrippleton in Florence Kilpatrick’s Getting George Married at the Everyman Theatre. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1934 | ||||
| – Marries former fashion model Colette Thomas. [MORE] [ADD] | ||||
| 1935 | ||||
| 29/1– | ||||
| 1936 | ||||
| 4/3 – |
Makes his Broadway debut as Tubs Barrow in Jay Mallory’s Sweet Aloes. The play is not a success, managing just 24 performances before closing. [MORE] [ADD] – Signs a film contract with Alexander Korda, making films at Denham Studios. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1937 | ||||
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– Breakthrough role in Terrence Rattigan’s French Without Tears on the West End stage. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1940 | ||||
| – Meets German actress Lilli Palmer [MORE] [ADD] | ||||
| 1942 | ||||
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– Divorces Colette Thomas. [MORE] [ADD] – Serves in the royal Air Force. Barred from active duty because of his damaged eyesight, he works as a flying-control officer, guiding returning flight crews home from combat missions. He eventually reaches the rank of Flight Lieutenant. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1943 | ||||
| 25/1 – |
Marries actress Lilli Palmer; the couple appear together in numerous plays and films. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1944 | ||||
| 19/2 – |
Son Carey is born in London during an air raid. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1945 | ||||
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– Leaves the Royal Air Force. [MORE] [ADD] – Signs a seven year contract with 20th Century-Fox at $4,500 per week. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1946 | ||||
| – Wins international fame playing the King of Siam in Anna and the King. [MORE] [ADD] | ||||
| 1947 | ||||
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– Begins an affair with actress Carole Landis. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1948 | ||||
| 4/7 – |
– Discovers his lover Carole Landis near death after she has taken an overdose of Seconal. Rumours suggest Harrison’s attempts to find the number of her private doctor in hopes of avoiding a scandal is one of the reasons her life isn’t saved. [MORE] [ADD] – His contract with 20th Century-Fox is cancelled by mutual consent. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1956 | ||||
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– Appears in My Fair Lady on Broadway with Julie Andrews as Eliza. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1957 | ||||
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6/2
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Divorces Lilli Palmer with her consent so that he can marry and care for his mistress Kay Kendall who is dying of leukemia. He and Palmer agree to re-marry later but never do. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 22/6 – |
Marries Kay Kendall [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1959 | ||||
| 6/9 – |
Wife Kay Kendall dies of leukemia [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1962 | ||||
| 21/3 – |
Marries actress Rachel Roberts.[MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1971 | ||||
| 26/8 – |
– Divorces Rachel Roberts. [MORE] [ADD] Marries Elizabeth Rees-Williams, the former wife of Richard Harris. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1975 | ||||
| – Divorces Elizabeth Rees-Williams. [MORE] [ADD] | ||||
| 1978 | ||||
| 17/12 – |
Marries Mercia Tinker, with whom he remains until his death in 1990. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1989 | ||||
| 25/7 – |
Is awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 1990 | ||||
| 11/5 – |
Makes his final stage appearance, playing Lord Porteous on stage in W. Somerset Maugham's The Circle. [MORE] [ADD] |
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| 2/6 – | Dies of pancreatic cancer in New York City at the age of 82. [MORE] [ADD] | |||
Rex Harrison