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 ''Crime Without Passion'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur and starring Claude Rains. It is the first of four pictures written, produced and directed by Hecht and MacArthur for Paramount Pictures. Sixt ...

'' (1934), '' The Scoundrel'' (1935), ''

If I Were King ''If I Were King'' is a 1938 American biographical and historical film starring Ronald Colman as medieval poet François Villon, and featuring Basil Rathbone and Frances Dee. It is based on the 1901 play and novel, both of the same name, by Just ...

'' and ''

The Mad Miss Manton ''The Mad Miss Manton'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy-mystery film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Barbara Stanwyck as fun-loving socialite Melsa Manton and Henry Fonda as newspaper editor Peter Ames. Melsa and her debutante friends h ...

'' (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 A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

'' 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.

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 James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

's '' Mary of Scotland'' (as Lord Morton) and ''

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the ...

'' (as Lieutenant Colonel Lucifer Tench), becoming a romantic leading man. 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 ''

'' (1934), with Claude Rains. Ridges found himself cast in character roles, as his greying hair put his romantic leading man days at an end. Edward Arnold - Stanley Ridges Eyes in the Night 1942

Edward Arnold - Stanley Ridges Eyes in the Night 1942

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). The

Jekyll and Hyde ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...

transformations gave Ridges a chance to display his acting ability. Ridges often was cast in supporting roles in many classic films, and played the lead only once, in the

'' False Faces'' (1943). Among Ridges's other film roles were as the

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...

inspector who is shadowing Charles Laughton in the film '' The Suspect'' (1944), as Major Buxton (

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

's commanding officer) in '' Sergeant York'' (1942), as Professor Siletsky in ''

To Be or Not to Be To Be or Not to Be may refer to: * ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''. Films and TV, theatre and books * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced ...

'' (also 1942), and as

Cary Travers Grayson Cary Travers Grayson (October 11, 1878 – February 15, 1938) was a surgeon in the United States Navy who served a variety of roles from personal aide to President of the United States, President Woodrow Wilson to chairman of the American Red Cros ...

, the official physician for the president in '' Wilson'' (1944). By 1950, he had just begun an appearing in television anthologies such as '' Studio One'' and ''

Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golde ...

''. His last feature film, the

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

comedy '' The Groom Wore Spurs'', in which he played a mobster, was released a month before he died.

Death

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

Filmography

Broadway roles

Film

References

External links

* *
Stanley Ridges
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ridges, Stanley 1890 births 1951 deaths 20th-century American male actors British emigrants to the United States Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from Southampton