Ralph Moody (November 5, 1886 – September 6, 1971 ) was an American actor with over 50 movie and over 100 television appearances, plus numerous radio appearances. Moody spent more than four decades working in stock theater throughout the United States, including having his own troupe for almost half of that span. In 1939, he began working in radio at WIBW in Topeka, Kansas. Later, he became an announcer and actor at

WLW WLW (700 AM) is a commercial news/talk radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Owned by iHeartMedia, WLW is a clear-channel station, often identifying itself as The Big One. WLW operates with around the clock. Its daytime signal provides ...

radio in Cincinnati. Moody was a regular on radio broadcasts of ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', and also performed on the '' Roy Rogers Show'', ''

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement ...

'', and ''

X Minus One ''X Minus One'' is an American half-hour science fiction radio drama series that was broadcast from April 24, 1955, to January 9, 1958, in various timeslots on NBC. Known for high production values in adapting stories from the leading American a ...

''.Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. . Retrieved April 2, 2012. He portrayed Gramps on ''The Trouble with the Truitts'' on NBC Rado. At the age of 62, Moody began a string of film and television appearances, including films such as ''

Road to Bali ''Road to Bali'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Released by Paramount Pictures on November 19, 1952, the film is the sixth of the seven ''Road to …'' movies. It w ...

'', ''

Toward the Unknown ''Toward the Unknown'', originally called ''Flight Test Center'' and titled ''Brink of Hell'' in its UK release, is a 1956 American war film about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Starring William Holden ...

'', ''

The Legend of Tom Dooley ''The Legend of Tom Dooley'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Ted Post and starring Michael Landon, Jo Morrow, Jack Hogan, Richard Rust, Dee Pollock and Ken Lynch. It was based on the 90-year-old folk song " Tom Dooley", which had been ...

'', and ''

The Story of Ruth ''The Story of Ruth'' is a 1960 American historical romance film directed by Henry Koster, shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color, and released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay, written by Norman Corwin, is an adaptation of the biblical Book o ...

''. On television, he played Jay Burrage in ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show wa ...

''. He was also seen in episodes of ''

'', ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'', ''

Circus Boy ''Circus Boy'' was an American adventure film, adventure Children's television series, family western (genre), western that aired in prime time on NBC, and then on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, from 1956 to 1957. It was then rerun by NBC on ...

'', '' Mr. Adams and Eve'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', ''

Have Gun – Will Travel ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' is an American Western series that was produced and originally broadcast by CBS on both television and radio from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number t ...

'', '' Rawhide'', ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'', '' Wanted Dead or Alive'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'', ''

Rescue 8 ''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure crime drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a decade th ...

'', and ''

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' is an American children's television series in the Western genre that aired from October 1954 to May 1959 on the ABC television network. In all, 164 episodes aired. The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orph ...

''. He was also among a rotation of actors used by

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

in the 1950s version, as well as the 1967–70 revival of '' Dragnet'', and in 1970 appeared in the last ''Dragnet'' episode produced by Webb. His most frequent television roles were as a kindly old man or Native American.

Filmography

References

External links

* * 1886 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors Western (genre) television actors {{US-actor-stub