Reb Brown (1948-)

biography

Born Robert Brown on April 29, 1948, Los Angeles native Reb Brown attended USC on a football scholarship, following graduation from high school in 1966. After stints as a bouncer and an amateur boxer, Brown was discovered by makeup artist Dan Striepeke, who served as producer on Brown's first film SSSSSSS (1973; with Strother Martin and Heather Menzies). He has acted in many films and TV shows since the early 1970s, starring in comedies, horror, science fiction, war films, and dramas. Brown also starred as Captain America in two late 1970s made-for-television films. But Brown wasn't the first actor to portray Captain America; in 1944, Dick Purcell starred in a fifteen-chapter Republic serial of the same name. Sadly, at about the time of the release of the serial, Purcell died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 35. In 1992, a new Captain America was lensed, with Matt Salinger taking the lead role.

Starting out as brawny types in 1970s films and television, in the 1980s Brown morphed into a hero in low-budget films. Brown's first starring film role in Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1982; with Corinne Clery) became an instant cult classic when Columbia Pictures picked it up for distribution in 1983. Yor was shot in Turkey as a four-part Italian TV miniseries, but when it was released to U.S. theaters, the film version was drastically edited down to 88 minutes, making the plot somewhat hard to follow. Although critics have given the film a bad rap, Brown makes it watchable, and the film enjoys a healthy cult following. Much the same can be said for Space Mutiny (1988; with John Phillip Law and Cameron Mitchell), a direct-to-video release. Some of the special effects in this film were lifted from the TV series Battlestar Galactica. Space Mutiny aired as episode #820 on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

the films of reb brown

Fast Break (1979)

Captain America (1979)

Captain America 2: Death too Soon (1979)

Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1982)

Uncommon Valor (1983)

Space Mutiny (1988)

Cage (1989)

reb brown today

Reb Brown's acting career cooled in the early 1990s, although he's taken on a few roles from time to time in films and on television. He is married to actress Cisse Cameron, with whom he starred in Space Mutiny (1988; with John Phillip Law). In addition to being Vice President of Domestic Distribution of Sunn Classic Pictures, he stars in the new horror film Night Claws, due to be released in 2012.

reb brown films available from movies unlimited

Sssssss [DVD](1973) DVD
"The newest sound in terror" features Strother Martin as a demented, snake-obsessed scientist who develops a serum to slowly turn new lab assistant Dirk Benedict into a giant cobra. Slithery, sinister shocker also stars Heather Menzies, Richard B. Shull. 99 min.
Strange New World [DVD](1975) DVD
Originally produced as the first two episodes of a proposed TV series, this sci-fi adventure finds a trio of astronauts returning to Earth after being in suspended animation for 180 years. What they find is a planet ravaged by meteors, a civilization made up entirely of clones, and bizarre warring factions. John Saxon, Kathleen Miller, Keene Curtis, Martine Beswick star. 97 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Six Characters In Search Of An Author [DVD](1976) DVD
A bold reimagining of Pirandello's classic finds the play's typical theater setting transplanted to a TV studio, where a group of actors about to rehearse an adaptation of another Pirandello play are replaced by mysterious strangers. The new personalities take the actors and directors to task, claiming they have a better story to tell. Stacy Keach directs a top-notch cast that includes Andy Griffith, John Houseman, Julie Adams, Beverly Todd and James Keach. 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Captain America (1979)/Captain America II: Death Too Soon [DVD](1979) DVD
Steve Rogers (Reb Brown), the son of the original WWII superhero, follows in his late father's footsteps in order to save the city of Phoenix from a madman with a neutron bomb, in the action-packed made-for-TV movie "Captain America." Len Birman, Heather Menzies also star. And, the star-spangled sentinel of liberty is back in the exciting follow-up "Captain America II: Death Too Soon," as a ruthless terrorist (Christopher Lee) threatens the U.S. with a virus that causes rapid aging, and only Cap (Brown) can stop him. With Birman, Connie Sellecca. 3 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Hardcore [DVD](1979) DVD
Written and directed by "Taxi Driver" scribe Paul Schrader, this gritty drama stars George C. Scott as a conservative, Midwestern businessman whose search for his missing daughter leads him into the seedy underworld of the porn industry. Peter Boyle, Season Hubley, Dick Sargent, Gary Graham co-star. AKA: "The Hardcore Life." 109 min.
Yor, The Hunter From The Future [DVD](1983) DVD
Stone-Age thrills mix with Space-Age action in this exciting fantasy saga, culled from a four-part miniseries that originally aired on Italian TV. Join Yor, a warrior from a primitive society, as he embarks on a dangerous quest to learn the truth about his mysterious past, battling dinosaurs and encountering a strange futuristic island controlled by the evil Overlord and his android army. Reb Brown, Corinne Clery, John Steiner star.
Uncommon Valor [DVD](1983) DVD
Gene Hackman, Robert Stack, Patrick Swayze and boxing star Randal "Tex" Cobb star in this action-packed drama about a special team sent to post-war Vietnam to rescue U.S. soldiers declared Missing in Action. 105 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround; Subtitles: English; scene access.
Howling II: Your Sister's A Werewolf [DVD](1985) DVD
A young man, convinced his sister was murdered by a cult of werewolves, joins a lycanthropy expert on a mission to Transylvania to stop the terror at its source. Christopher Lee, Reb Brown, Annie McEnroe and Sybil Danning star in this horrific howler. 91 min. Standard and Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Mercenary Fighters [DVD](1988) DVD
Exciting soldiers-of-fortune saga about an international group of mercenaries who get involved in a border war in Africa at the behest of a corrupt politician. But when one of the mercs realizes that he has been duped and is fighting for the wrong side, he puts his life on the line in order to make things right. Peter Fonda, Reb Brown, Ron O'Neal, James Mitchum star. Soundtrack: English.
Cage [DVD](1989) DVD
It's the most brutal form of hand-to-hand combat imaginable: a steel cage, two men, no rules...and one survivor! Spectacular martial arts actioner stars Lou Ferrigno, Reb Brown, James Shigeta. 101 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
The Firing Line [DVD](1991) DVD
Reb Brown and Shannon Tweed star in this riveting action epic as real as today's headlines. A special forces jungle fighter is hired by a Central American government to destroy a faction of dangerous rebels. After he sees how corrupt his new employer is, his allegiance switches to the rebels. 93 min.
Flight Of The Intruder [Blu-ray](1991)
1972: A maverick U.S. pilot, frustrated with his meaningless flying missions over Vietnam, teams with a rowdy pal for a rogue attack on an enemy air base in Hanoi. Willem Dafoe, Danny Glover, Brad Johnson, and Rosanna Arquette star in John Milius' military thriller. 114 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English, Spanish.
The Deli [DVD](1997) DVD
This slice-of-life comedy centers on Johnny Amico, the owner of a New York deli, who is constantly in trouble because of his gambling debts. With his business in trouble thanks to his bad betting ways, Johnny takes on bookies, gangsters and neighborhood weirdoes in a last-ditch effort to save his business. Mike Starr, Jerry Stiller, David Johansen, Ice T, and Debi Mazar star. 98 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; deleted scenes.

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filmography

FILM
Night Claws (2012) with Frank Stallone and Ted Prior
The Deli (1997) with Ice-T, Debi Mazar, and Iman
Cage II: The Arena of Death (1994) with Lou Ferrigno
The Firing Line (1991) with Shannon Tweed
Last Flight to Hell (1991) with Chuck Connors
Flight of the Intruder (1991) with Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Rosanna Arquette, Tom Sizemore, Ving Rhames, and John Corbett
Street Hunter (1990) with Steve James, John Leguizamo, Valarie Pettiford, Frank Vincent, and Richie Havens
Cage (1989) with Lou Ferrigno, James Shigeta, and Michael Dante
Distant Thunder (1988) with John Lithgow, Ralph Macchio, and Janet Margolin
Robowar (1988) with Catherine Hickland and John Dulaney
Space Mutiny (1988) with John Phillip Law, Cameron Mitchell, and Cisse Cameron
White Ghost (1988) with William Katt
Mercenary Fighters (1988) with Peter Fonda, Ron O'Neal, Robert DoQui, and James Mitchum
Strike Commando (1987) with Christopher Connelly
Death of a Soldier (1986) with James Coburn
Howling II (1985) with Christopher Lee and Sybil Danning
Hard Knox (1984) with Robert Conrad
Uncommon Valor (1983) with Gene Hackman, Robert Stack, Patrick Swayze, Fred Ward, Randall 'Tex' Cobb, Harold Sylvester, Tim Thomerson, and Jane Kaczmarek
Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1982) with Corinne Clery
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) with George Maharis, Lee Horsley, Simon MacCorkindale, Richard Lynch, Richard Moll, and Jeff Corey
Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood (1981) with O.J. Simpson, Jack Gilford, James Gregory, Stubby Kaye, Sheila MacRae, Robert Mandan, Lynne Moody, and Bill Williams
Brave New World (1980) with Keir Dullea, Aron Kincaid, Valerie Curtin, Ron O'Neal, and Marcia Strassman
Fast Break (1979) with Gabe Kaplan, Harold Sylvester, Michael Warren, Rhonda Bates, and K Callan
Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979) with Connie Sellecca, Christopher Lee, and Lana Wood
Hardcore (1979) with George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, Season Hubley, and Dick Sargent
Captain America (1979) with Heather Menzies, Steve Forrest, and Robin Mattson
Big Wednesday (1978) with Jan-Michael Vincent, Gary Busey, William Katt, Barbara Hale, Patti D'Arbanville, Lee Purcell, Sam Melville, Steve Kanaly, and Fran Ryan
Six Characters In Search of an Author (1976) with Julie Adams, Pat Ast, Patricia Hitchcock, Andy Griffith, John Houseman, and James Keach
Strange New World (1975) with John Saxon, Martine Beswick, Ford Rainey, Gerrit Graham, Catherine Bach, and Richard Farnsworth
Let's Switch! (1975) with Barbara Eden, Barbara Feldon, Kaye Stevens, Richard Schaal, Pat Harrington Jr., Penny Marshall, Joyce Van Patten, and Ron Glass
The Law (1974) with Judd Hirsch, Bonnie Franklin, Gary Busey, John Beck, Barbara Baxley, Sam Wanamaker, Allan Arbus, John Hillerman, and Robert Q. Lewis
The Girl Most Likely to... (1973) with Stockard Channing, Ed Asner, Larry Wilcox, Jim Backus, Joe Flynn, Chuck McCann, Carl Ballantine, and Warren Berlinger
SSSSSSS (1973) with Dirk Benedict, Heather Menzies, Strother Martin, and Tim O'Connor

TELEVISION SERIES
Centennial TV mini-series, aired October-November 1978

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Players, episode Con-traband, originally aired January 16, 1998
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, episode The Vanishing Dead, originally aired April 24, 1995
Miami Vice, episode Viking Bikers from Hell, orginally aired April 3, 1987
Bosom Buddies, episode The Show Must Go On, originally aired March 26, 1981
The Love Boat, episode Isaac's Teacher, originally aired January 10, 1981
The Facts of Life, episode New Girl, Part 1, orginally aired November 19, 1980
Alice, episode Cook's Tour, originally aired March 30, 1980
Three's Company, episode Ralph's Rival, originally aired December 4, 1979
Happy Days, episode Requiem for a Malph, originally aired December 6, 1977
CHiPs, episode Hustle, originally aired November 24, 1977
CHiPs, episode Baby Food, originally aired October 27, 1977
CHiPs, episode Undertow, originally aired September 22, 1977
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, episode The Mystery Of The Ghostwriter's Cruise, originally aired May 1, 1977
Kolchak: The Night Stalker, episode The Youth Killer, originally aired March 14, 1975
Emergency!, episode Foreign Trade, originally aired November 16, 1974
Emergency!, episode Gossip, originally aired September 28, 1974
Emergency!, episode Inventions, originally aired March 23, 1974

links

Yor, the Hunter from the Future
This page contains a review of Yor at the Stomp Toyko site.