Dennis Lyall (American, B. 1946) "Movie Actor - Ronald Reagan" Signed lower center. Original Oil painting on Canvasboard. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. In 1937, Ronald Reagan made his first Warner Brothers picture, Love Is on the Air. Often cast as the sincere, affable "good guy," he would appear in 53 films over the next few decades, including Knute Rockne-All American (1940), and Kings Row (1942), his most critically acclaimed role. While filming Brother Rat (1938), he became engaged to costar Jane Wyman. Married in 1940, they had a daughter, Maureen, and later adopted a son, Michael. World War II saw Reagan called to active duty in 1942 and assigned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California. As the war ended, he signed a million-dollar contract with Warner Brothers and in 1947 was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Divorced in 1948, he soon met actress Nancy Davis, a contract player for MGM Studios. On March 4,1952, the couple married at the Little Brown Church in Studio City, California. They had two children, Patricia (1952) and Ronald Prescott (1958). In 1957, they costarred in Hellcats of the Navy, their only film together. As president Of SAG, Reagan was drawn into disputes over Communism in Hollywood, and his political views turned increasingly conservative. In 1954, he became host of the television drama series General Electric Theater. Also named spokesman for the General Electric Company, he toured the country, delivering inspirational speeches with a usually conservative, pro-business message. In 1962, he officially switched to the Republican Party. Image Size: 14 x 12 in. Overall Size: 18 x 15 in. Unframed. (B17360)