Stanley Ridges Explained

Stanley Ridges
Birth Name:Stanley Charles Ridges
Birth Date:17 July 1890
Birth Place:Southampton, Hampshire, England
Death Place:Westbrook, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1917–1951
Spouse:Anna McGauren (1918; 19??)
Children:1

Stanley Charles Ridges (17 July 1890 – 22 April 1951) was an English-born American actor who made more than 100 appearances in theatre and movies from 1917 to 1951.

After his American film debut in Success (1923), he appeared in films such as Crime Without Passion (1934), The Scoundrel (1935), If I Were King and The Mad Miss Manton (both 1938), Black Friday (1940), Sergeant York (1941), Wilson (1944) and No Way Out (1950). He also had the starring role in the B-picture False Faces (1943).

Early life

Stanley Charles Ridges was born 17 July 1890 in Southampton, Hampshire. He later became a protégé of Beatrice Lillie, a star of musical stage comedies, and spent many years learning and honing his craft on the stage.[1]

Career

Eventually making his way to America, Ridges began as a song-and-dance man on Broadway, but later turned to dramatic roles onstage, appearing in such plays as Maxwell Anderson's Mary of Scotland (as Lord Morton) and Valley Forge (as Lieutenant Colonel Lucifer Tench), becoming a romantic leading man.[2]

Ridges' silent film debut was in Success (1923). With his excellent diction and rich voice, he easily made the transition into sound films, with his career taking off at age 43, in Crime Without Passion (1934), with Claude Rains. Ridges found himself cast in character roles, as his greying hair put his romantic leading man days at an end.[3]

His better known roles were probably two different characters in one film, one of them the kindly Professor Kingsley and the other the murderous Red Cannon in the thriller Black Friday (1940).[1] The Jekyll and Hyde transformations gave Ridges a chance to display his acting ability.[4] [5]

Ridges often was cast in supporting roles in many classic films, and played the lead only once, in the B-picture False Faces (1943).[6]

Among Ridges's other film roles were as the Scotland Yard inspector who is shadowing Charles Laughton in the film The Suspect (1944), as Major Buxton (Gary Cooper's commanding officer) in Sergeant York (1942), as Professor Siletsky in To Be or Not to Be (also 1942), and as Cary Travers Grayson, the official physician for the president in Wilson (1944).[7]

By 1950, he had just begun an appearing in television anthologies such as Studio One and Philco Television Playhouse. His last feature film, the Ginger Rogers comedy The Groom Wore Spurs, in which he played a mobster, was released a month before he died.[8]

Death

Ridges died 22 April 1951 in Westbrook, Connecticut, aged 60.[3]

Filmography

Broadway roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1933Mary of Scotland Lord Morton
1934Valley Forge Lt. Colonel Lucifer Tench

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1923Success Gilbert Gordon
1930The Poor Fish Georgeshort
1930Let's Mergeshort
1931 For Two Cents Reporter
1932The Sign of the CrossChaplain Lloyd uncredited, his footage was added especially for the 1944 re-release prologue only
1934Crime Without Passion Eddie White
1935The ScoundrelPaul Decker
1936Winterset Shadow
1936Sinner Take All MacKelvey
1937Internes Can't Take Money Innes
1938Yellow JackDr. James Carroll
1938If I Were King Rene de Montigny
1938The Mad Miss Manton Edward Norris
1938They're Always Caught Dr. John Pritchardshort
1938There's That Woman Again Tony Croy
1939Let Us Live District Attorney
1939Silver on the Sage Earl Brennan / Dave Talbot
1939Union Pacific General Casement
1939Each Dawn I Die Meuller
1939I Stole a Million Downsuncredited
1939Dust Be My Destiny Charlie Garrett
1939Espionage Agent Hamilton Peyton
1939Nick Carter, Master Detective Doctor Frankton
1940Black Friday Prof. George Kingsley / Red Cannon
1941The Sea Wolf Johnson
1941Mr. District Attorney District Attorney Tom F. Winton
1941Sergeant York Major Buxton
1941They Died with Their Boots On Major Romulus Taipe
1942The Lady Is Willing Kenneth Hanline
1942To Be or Not to Be Professor Siletsky
1942The Big Shot Martin T. Fleming, Attorney
1942Eagle Squadron Air Minister
1942Eyes in the Night Hansen
1943 Tarzan Triumphs Col. von Reichart
1943Air Force Major Mallory
1943False Faces District Attorney Stanley S. Harding
1943This is the Army Maj. John B. Davidson
1944The Story of Dr. Wassell Cmdr. William B. 'Bill' Goggins
1944Wilson Dr. Cary Grayson
1944The Master Race Phil Carson
1944The Suspect Huxley
1945God Is My Co-Pilot Col. Merian 'Steve' Cooper
1945The Phantom Speaks Dr. Paul Renwick
1945Captain Eddie Col. Hans Adamson
1945Because of Him Charles Gilbert
1946Canyon Passage Jonas Overmire
1946Mr. Ace Toomey
1947Possessed Dr. Harvey Willard
1948An Act of Murder Doctor Walter Morrison
1949Streets of Laredo Major Bailey
1949You're My Everything Mr. Henry Mercer
1949Task ForceSen. Bentley`
1950The File on Thelma JordonKingsley Willis
1950Paid in Full Dr. P.J. 'Phil' Winston
1950No Way Out Dr. Sam Moreland
1950The Du Pont Story Gen. Henry du Pont
1951The Groom Wore Spurs Harry Kallenfinal film role

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Stanley Ridges – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie. Hal Erickson. AllMovie.
  2. Web site: Stanley Ridges – IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information. The Broadway League. ibdb.com.
  3. Web site: Ridges, Stanley. https://web.archive.org/web/20120715200446/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba1e4ae62. dead. July 15, 2012. BFI.
  4. News: Britney DVD Has Alternate Takes Of Her Videos, Plus More Skin. https://web.archive.org/web/20220927230610/https://www.mtv.com/news/6lu230/britney-dvd-has-alternate-takes-of-her-videos-plus-more-skin . dead . 27 September 2022 . October 27, 2004. September 27, 2022. Vineyard. Jennifer. MTV. MTV Networks.
  5. Web site: Showtimes, reviews, trailers, news and more – MSN Movies. https://archive.today/20120712104443/http://movies.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx?c=241218. dead. July 12, 2012. msn.com.
  6. Web site: False Faces (1943) –Overview . Turner Classic Movies.
  7. Web site: Stanley Ridges. aveleyman.com.
  8. Web site: The Groom Wore Spurs (1951) – Overview . Turner Classic Movies.