# Richard Denning

Richard Denning (born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr.; March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998) was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including Unknown Island (1948), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Target Earth (1954), Day the World Ended (1955), Creature with the Atom Brain (1955), and The Black Scorpion (1957). Denning also appeared in the film An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant and on radio with Lucille Ball in My Favorite Husband$^{:244}$ (1948–1951), the forerunner of I Love Lucy. He's more well-known as Governor Paul Jameson in late 1960s-early 1980s police procedural TV series Hawaii Five-O.

## Early years

Denning was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. After attending Manual Arts High School, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Woodbury Business College in Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father's garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and served on submarines.

## Career

Denning was perhaps best known for his recurring starring roles in science fiction and horror films of the 1950s, and playing husband opposite Lucille Ball on the radio series that led to I Love Lucy in which he was replaced by Desi Arnaz as Lucy's husband.
Denning began acting in minor supporting and background roles through the 1930s and early 1940s until the start of World War II. According to Denning, his military service disrupted his acting career, and after his discharge it would be a year and a half before Paramount Pictures offered him more acting work. During that time, he and his family lived in a mobile home that he alternately parked at Malibu and Palm Springs.
Denning's unemployment ended when he was hired to star on the radio opposite Lucille Ball in My Favorite Husband. The CBS Radio sitcom ran for 124 episodes from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951 and would evolve into the groundbreaking television sitcom I Love Lucy. CBS wanted Denning to continue as the husband in the new sitcom but Lucille Ball insisted that her real life husband, Desi Arnaz, play the part. The radio stint, however, led to a role on CBS television's series adaptation of Mr. and Mrs. North.
On television, he starred as the title character in the 1950 syndicated adventure series Ding Howe and the Flying Tigers. He was cast as Dr. Greg Graham in the 1959 series, The Flying Doctor.$^{:353}$ He also starred as the title character in the detective series Michael Shayne (1960–1961)$^{:685}$ and shared title billing with Barbara Britton in the detective series Mr. and Mrs. North (1952–1954).$^{:698}$
In 1964-1965, Denning played Steve Scott in the comedy series Karen.$^{:555}$ In later life, he had a recurring role as the fictitious governor of Hawaii, Paul Jameson, in the CBS television crime drama series, Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980), starring Jack Lord.$^{:440}$
He appeared three times on the ABC religion anthology series Crossroads, as Dr. Ira Langston in "Chinese Checkers" (1955) and as the Reverend George Bolton in "The Bowery Bishop" and as the Reverend Lloyd E. Williams in "The Pure White Orchid" (both 1956).
In other activity on radio, Denning played Uncle Jack in It's a Crime, Mr. Collins (1956-1957) on the Mutual Broadcasting System. He also was the second actor to play Jerry North in the radio version of Mr. and Mrs. North.$^{:232}$
Denning later appeared in several 'B' crime drama films before starring in science fiction and horror films. In 1957, he began the first of a series of television appearances, usually as a supporting character, though he did star briefly in two television dramas, The Flying Doctor (1959), and Michael Shayne (1960–61).
In 1968, Denning completed his last film, a comedy titled I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew. Semi-retired and living on the island of Maui with his wife, Denning was contacted by producer Leonard Freeman, who offered him the supporting role as the governor of Hawaii in the TV detective series, Hawaii Five-O. In order to persuade Denning to sign on in the recurring role, Freeman guaranteed Denning five-hour days and a four-day work week.

## Recognition

Denning has a star at 6932 Hollywood Boulevard in the Television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

## Personal life

In 1942, Denning married 1940s horror film queen Evelyn Ankers (co-star of The Wolf Man, Ghost of Frankenstein and Son of Dracula), who retired from films at the age of 32 after they were married. He and Ankers had a daughter, Diana Denning (later Dwyer). After Ankers's death from cancer in 1985, he married Patricia Leffingwell. Denning died of a heart attack at the age of 84 on October 11, 1998, while visiting relatives in Southern California. He outlived his Hawaii Five-O co-star Jack Lord (who died in January 1998) by nine months. Denning and Ankers are buried at Makawao Veterans' Cemetery in Makawao, Hawaii.

## Filmography

Film and television :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1937 | Hold 'em Navy | Midshipman Jepson | |
| 1937 | Night Club Scandal | Vera's Naval Fiancé | (scenes deleted) |
| 1937 | Wells Fargo | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1938 | The Buccaneer | Captain Reid | |
| 1938 | The Big Broadcast of 1938 | Officer, S.S. Gigantic | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Her Jungle Love | Pilot | Uncredited |
| 1938 | College Swing | Student | Uncredited |
| 1938 | You and Me | Salesman | |
| 1938 | The Texans | Cpl. Parker | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Give Me a Sailor | Sailor | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Campus Confessions | Buck Hogan | |
| 1938 | King of Alcatraz | Harry Vay | |
| 1938 | Touchdown, Army | Cadet | Uncredited |
| 1938 | The Arkansas Traveler | Bit Role | Uncredited |
| 1938 | Illegal Traffic | Silk Patterson | |
| 1938 | Say It in French | Elevator Passenger | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Ambush | Police Garage Mechanic | |
| 1939 | Persons in Hiding | Powder, Henchman | |
| 1939 | King of Chinatown | Protective Association Henchman | |
| 1939 | I'm from Missouri | Plane Pilot | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Sudden Money | Johnny Jordan | |
| 1939 | Hotel Imperial | | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Union Pacific | Reporter | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Some Like It Hot | Mr. Weems | |
| 1939 | Undercover Doctor | Frank Oliver | |
| 1939 | The Gracie Allen Murder Case | Fred | |
| 1939 | Grand Jury Secrets | Murph | |
| 1939 | Million Dollar Legs | Hunk Jordan | |
| 1939 | The Star Maker | Assistant Dance Director | |
| 1939 | Television Spy | Dick Randolph | |
| 1939 | Disputed Passage | Student | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Our Neighbors – The Carters | Pilot | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Geronimo | Lt. Larned | Uncredited |
| 1939 | The Night of Nights | Call Boy | Uncredited |
| 1940 | Emergency Squad | Dan Barton | |
| 1940 | Parole Fixer | Bruce Eaton | |
| 1940 | The Farmer's Daughter | Dennis Crane | |
| 1940 | Seventeen | Jack | |
| 1940 | Those Were the Days! | Briggs | |
| 1940 | Queen of the Mob | Charlie Webster | |
| 1940 | Golden Gloves | Bill Crane | |
| 1940 | Northwest Mounted Police | Const. Thornton | |
| 1940 | Love Thy Neighbor | Joe | |
| 1941 | Adam Had Four Sons | Jack Stoddard (older) | |
| 1941 | West Point Widow | Lt. Rhody Graves | |
| 1942 | Beyond the Blue Horizon | Jackra the Magnificent | |
| 1942 | The Glass Key | Taylor Henry | |
| 1942 | Quiet Please, Murder | Hal McByrne | |
| 1942 | Ice-Capades Revue | Jeff Stewart | |
| 1944 | Golden Gloves | | |
| 1946 | Black Beauty | Bill Dixon | |
| 1946 | The Fabulous Suzanne | Rex | |
| 1947 | Seven Were Saved | Captain Allen Danton | |
| 1948 | Caged Fury | Blaney Lewis | |
| 1948 | Lady at Midnight | Peter Wiggins | |
| 1948 | Unknown Island | John Fairbanks | |
| 1948 | Disaster | Bill Wyatt | |
| 1950 | No Man of Her Own | Hugh Harkness | |
| 1950 | Harbor of Missing Men | Jim 'Brooklyn' Gannon | |
| 1950 | Double Deal | Buzz Doyle | |
| 1951 | The Bigelow Theatre | | TV series, episode: "The Hot Welcome" |
| 1951 | Flame of Stamboul | Larry Wilson | |
| 1951 | Insurance Investigator | Tom Davison | |
| 1951 | Secrets of Beauty | Dr. John Waldron | |
| 1951 | Week-End with Father | Don Adams | |
| 1952 | Okinawa | Lt. Phillips | |
| 1952 | Scarlet Angel | Malcolm Bradley | |
| 1952 - 1953 | Mr. and Mrs. North | Jerry North | TV series on CBS, 56 episodes total; later with NBC |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America | | TV series episode: "The Man Who Took a Chance" |
| 1952 | Hangman's Knot | Lee Kemper | |
| 1953 | Target Hong Kong | Mike Lassiter | |
| 1953 | Ford Television Theatre | Dr. James Baker | TV series, episode: "The Doctor's Downfall" |
| 1953 | The 49th Man | Chief Investigator Paul Reagan | |
| 1953 | The Glass Web | Dave Markson | |
| 1954 | Jivaro | Jerry Russell | |
| 1954 | Ford Television Theatre | George Beagle | TV series, episode: "The Legal Beagles" |
| 1954 | Creature from the Black Lagoon | Dr. Mark Williams | |
| 1954 | Battle of Rogue River | Stacey Wyatt | |
| 1954 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | | TV series, episode: "Tapu" |
| 1954 | Mr. and Mrs. North | Jerry North | TV series on NBC, 56 episodes total (both networks) |
| 1954 | Target Earth | Frank Brooks | |
| 1955 | TV Reader's Digest | Don Wilkerson | TV series, episode: "I'll Pick More Daisies" |
| 1955 | Ford Television Theatre | Tim Barker | TV series, episode: "All That Glitters" |
| 1955 | Air Strike | Cmdr. Stanley Blair | |
| 1955 | The Magnificent Matador | Mark Russell | |
| 1955 | Creature with the Atom Brain | Dr. Chet Walker | |
| 1955 | The Gun That Won the West | 'Dakota' Jack Gaines | |
| 1955 | The Crooked Web | Frank Daniel | |
| 1955 | Day the World Ended | Rick | |
| 1956 | Cheyenne | Capt. Quinlan | TV series, episode: "Decision" |
| 1956 | Celebrity Playhouse | William Broder | TV series, episode: "Bachelor Husband" |
| 1956 | The Oklahoma Woman | Steve Ward | |
| 1956 | Girls in Prison | Rev. Fulton | |
| 1956 | Crossroads | Dr. Ira Langston | TV series, episode: "Chinese Checkers" |
| 1956 | Crossroads | Rev. George Bolton | TV series, episode: "The Bowery Bishop" |
| 1956 | Crossroads | Reverend Lloyd E. Williams | TV series, episode: "The Pure White Orchid" |
| 1956 | Assignment Redhead | Major Gregory Keen | |
| 1956 | Ford Television Theatre | Barney Maddock | TV series, episode: "Double Trouble |
| 1956 | Ford Television Theatre | Davy Jones | TV series, episode: "On the Beach" |
| 1957 | Naked Paradise | Duke Bradley | |
| 1957 | Ford Television Theatre | Charlie Frye | TV series, episode: "The Idea Man" |
| 1957 | The Buckskin Lady | Dr. Bruce Merritt | |
| 1957 | An Affair to Remember | Kenneth Bradley | |
| 1957 | The Black Scorpion | Hank Scott | |
| 1957 | General Electric Theater | Dr. Mark Andrews | TV series, episode: "Eyes of a Stranger" |
| 1958 | General Electric Theater | Jim Kendall | TV series, episode: "Letters from Cairo" |
| 1958 | The Lady Takes a Flyer | Al Reynolds | |
| 1958 | Studio One | Jack Marshall | TV series, episode: "The Laughing Willow" |
| 1958 | Desert Hell | Sgt. Major Pierre Benet | |
| 1959 | The Flying Doctor | Dr. Greg Graham | TV series, 39 episodes |
| 1960 | No Greater Love | | |
| 1960–1961 | Michael Shayne | Michael Shayne | TV series, 32 episodes |
| 1963 | Going My Way | Larry | TV series, episode: "Don't Forget to Say Goodbye" |
| 1963 | Twice-Told Tales | Jonathan Maulle | |
| 1964–1965 | Karen | Steve Scott | TV series, 27 episodes |
| 1966 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Alice's Father | |
| 1968 | I Sailed to Tahiti With an All Girl Crew | Commodore | |
| 1968 | I Spy | Delaney | TV series, episode: "This Guy Smith" |
| 1968–1980 | Hawaii Five-O | Governor Paul Jameson | TV series, 69 episodes |
| 1974 | McCloud | Edgar Hamilton | TV series, episode: "A Cowboy in Paradise" |
| 1980 | The Asphalt Cowboy | Charles Van Heuran | (final film role) |