Michael Rennie was born at 10 Norman Bank Idle Road Bradford West Yorkshire he was the second son of Wool Mill Owner James Alexander C Rennie and Edith Amelia nee Dobby They named him Eric Alexander and could never have known their son would grow up to be the handsome actor Michael Rennie Eric s elder brother was William Milne [Bill] and younger brother Gordon James sister Edith Muriel [Bunny] The Rennie children were brought up at Norman Bank Eric went first to boarding school in Harrogate then to Oatlands School also in Harrogate At fourteen he went to the Leys School in Cambridge at the age of fifteen his Father died aged only forty six Eric felt his Father s death greatly but carried on with his education by going to Caius College Cambridge where in 1931 he graduacted with a BA