Life Before the Presidency: Pictures of Ronald Reagan as a Hollywood Actor From Between the 1940s and 1960s

Ronald Reagan was an American politician, commentator, and actor, who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Prior to his presidency, he served as the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, following a career as an actor and union leader in Hollywood.

Reagan's acting career began in 1937 when he contracted with Warner Bros. Apart from his absence during World War II, he would make most of his movies with Warner Bros. With the studio he starred in such films as Dark Victory, Knute Rockne, All American and Kings Row – which was nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award in 1942.

During World War II, Reagan served in the Army Air Force, assigned to the film production unit. He acted and narrated military training films such as Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter and Beyond the Line of Duty, the latter of which later won the Academy Award for Best Short film. He returned to acting after the war but never achieved stardom. In 1952 he married fellow actress Nancy Davis.

When film roles began to dwindle in the mid 1950s, he turned to television, where he hosted and acted in a number of programs, most notably as host of the General Electric Theater for eight years on CBS. His acting career came to an end in 1965, and he became active in politics, being elected to two terms as Governor of California, and then serving two terms as President of the United States.

Ronald Reagan poses for a sculpture class at the University of Southern California. May 2, 1940. (Image: Bettmann/Corbis)

Reagan in The Bad Man, 1941. (Image: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Reagan performs in The Winning Team alongside Dorothy Adams and Doris Day, 1952. (Image: Warner Bros./Getty Images)

Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck in a publicity still for Cattle Queen of Montana, 1954 (Image: CinemaPhoto/Corbis)

Reagan in Kings Row, 1942. (Image: Bettmann/Corbis)

Reagan performs with Cloris Leachman on an episode of Nash Airflyte Theater. Dec. 7, 1950. (Image: CBS/Getty Images)

Reagan gets made up for an appearance on an episode of Nash Airflyte Theatre. Dec. 7, 1950. (Image: CBS/Getty Images)

Reagan performs with Cloris Leachman on an episode of Nash Airflyte Theater. Dec. 7, 1950. (Image: CBS/Getty Images)

Reagan performs with Rhonda Fleming in The Last Outpost, 1951. (Image: Mondadori/Getty Images)

Reagan poses in a promo still for Tropic Zone, 1953 (Image: Paramount Pictures/Getty Images)

Reagan performs on the television show Death Valley Days, 1955. (Image: US Borax/Getty Images)

Reagan and Virginia Mayo perform in She's Working Her Way Through College, 1952. (Image: Corbis)

Reagan feeds his simian costar in Bedtime for Bonzo, 1951. (Image: Bettmann/Corbis)

Reagan performs in the General Electric Theater CBS teleplay The Lord's Dollar, 1958. (Image: Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck pose for a promo still for Cattle Queen of Montana, 1954. (Image: Pressefoto Kindermann/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

A promo still for Cattle Queen of Montana, 1954. (Image: BENHAMOU SERGE/GAMMA/Getty Images)

c.1955. (Image: A787/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images)

c.1955. (Image: A787/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images)

c.1960. (Image: A787/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images)

c.1960. (Image: A787/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images)

(via Mashable/Retronaut)