Thursday, February 19, 2009

Sidekick: Ralph Bellamy

I admit it: I’ve been slacking. All of the procrastinating I’ve been doing this semester finally came back and bit me in the butt. Last week, I thought my brain was going to completely shut down on me. I won’t go into all the details because it makes me stressed out just thinking about all of it. However, my biggest regret was that I had almost no time to work on my blog and I hated it. Luckily, I’m back and ready to go!

A few weeks go, I had a poll that asked you which character actor you would like to learn more about. It was rather close for awhile, but dependable Ralph Bellamy pulled ahead and won. Lucky for him there was no Cary Grant to compete against.

Ralph Rexford Bellamy was born in Chicago on June 17, 1904 to Charles Rexford Bellamy and Lilla Louise Smith. After high school, he traveled around the country putting on Shakespearean plays. However, he found his true calling on the silver screen in 1931, which marked the beginning of a career that lasted for over sixty years. At the height of his career, Bellamy was stuck playing the simple dope that always lost the girl, most likely to the suave Cary Grant. Although he never got the girl in the movies, he had no problem in real life. He was married four times, the last of which lasted from 1949 until his death in 1991. Later in his career, he found fame once again by playing Franklin Roosevelt on Broadway, the silver screen, and on television. His final film appearance was in 1990’s Pretty Woman.

Recommended Films:
Hands Across the Table (1935)
The Awful Truth (1937)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Sunrise at Campobello (1960)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Trading Places (1983)
Pretty Woman (1990)



4 comments:

Millie said...

Very interesting!

Have you ever seen him in "Lady On A Train"...CREEPY!

Unknown said...

Oh, I'm glad he won your poll! It's about time Ralph Bellamy came in first place :)

© John Warwick Arden said...

I wouldn't even know this guy if it wasn't for 'Trading Places'! Thanks for broadening my horizons...

Genevieve said...

Millie: I haven't seen him in "Lady on a Train". I'll add it to my list : )

Kate: I'm glad he won the poll too! He always seems to come in second.

Mandingo: No problem! I'm glad I could broaden your horizons.