Ralph Morgan
Ralph Morgan
The older brother of actor Frank Morgan, Ralph Morgan graduated from Columbia University with a law degree, but chucked the stuffy world of jurisprudence for the more exciting (to him) vocation of journeyman actor. So successful was Morgan in stock and on Broadway that his kid brother, Frank, was encouraged to give the theater a try -- and as a result became even more famous than Ralph. The elder Morgan made his film bow in 1931, playing leading roles in such productions as Strange Interlude (1932) and Rasputin and the Empress (1933) before settling into secondary character parts. It was Morgan's distinction to play more "surprise" killers in more murder mysteries than virtually any other actor in Hollywood (to list the titles of these mysteries would give away the surprise -- if any). Among the actor's off-camera interests were politics and labor relations; he was one of the founders and charter members of the Screen Actors Guild. He was also the first President of the SAG. Ralph Morgan was the father of Claudia Morgan, an actress best known for her portrayal of Nora Charles on the "Thin Man" radio series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Filmography of Ralph Morgan:
- Stand up and Cheer with Warner Baxter , Madge Evans , James Dunn , John Boles , Shirley Temple , Dick Foran , Nigel Bruce , Stepin Fetchit , Lynn Bari , Scotty Beckett , Ruth Clifford , Edward Earle , Bess Flowers , Si Jenks , Lila Lee , Lucien Littlefield , Wilbur Mack , Frank Melton , John "Skins" Miller , Frances Morris , Jack Richardson , Carl Stockdale , Phil Tead , Lurene Tuttle
- The Life of Emile Zola with Paul Muni , Gale Sondergaard , Joseph Schildkraut , Robert Warwick , Donald Crisp , Henry O'Neill , Harry Davenport , Marcia Mae Jones , Morris Carnovsky , Vladimir Sokoloff , Grant Mitchell , Montagu Love , Louis Calhern , Dickie Moore , Robert Cummings , John Litel , William vonBrincken
- Stage Door Canteen with Judith Anderson , Tallulah Bankhead , Ralph Bellamy , Edgar Bergen , Ray Bolger , Virginia Field , Helen Hayes , Katharine Hepburn , Hugh Herbert , Jean Hersholt , Sam Jaffe , Allen Jenkins , George Jessel , Otto Kruger , Gypsy Rose Lee , Aline MacMahon , Harpo Marx , Ethel Merman , Alan Mowbray , Paul Muni , Merle Oberon , George Raft , Martha Scott , Ned Sparks , Ethel Waters , May Whitty , Ed Wynn , Elliott Nugent , Helen Broderick , Sunset Carson , Jane Darwell , William Demarest , Billy Gilbert , Roscoe Karns , June Lang , Charlie the Dummy McCarthy , Franklin Pangborn , Ruth Roman , Johnny Sr. Weissmuller , Lloyd Corrigan , Xavier Cugat , Peggy Lee
Ralph Morgan Trivia
