Ralph Faulkner
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ralph Faulkner (July 20, 1891 – January 28, 1987) was an American fencer and film actor. He competed in the team
sabre A sabre ( French: ˆsabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
event at the 1932 Summer Olympics.


Post-college career

After graduating from college Faulkner became a forest ranger. The majority of his time was spent in the wilderness of
Washington (state) Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingt ...
. He then moved to New York, where he established himself as a stage performer and silent film actor.


Introduction to fencing

During the filming of the 1922 film The Man from Glengarry, in which he portrayed a lumberjack, Faulkner fell and broke his left knee. Faulkner underwent surgery and move to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. It was here he joined the
Los Angeles Athletic Club Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is a privately owned Sports club, athletic club and social club in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, United States. Established in 1880, the club is today best known for its John R. Wooden Award pr ...
and took up
fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...
as a way of recovering. Faulkner reportedly fenced for 50 hours a week until his knee had healed completely. After which, he began competing in organized amateur fencing tournaments around Southern California where he got the opportunity to learn from many accomplished fencers, including
Lucien Gaudin Lucien Alphonse Paul Gaudin (27 September 1886 – 23 September 1934) was a French fencer. He competed in foil and in Ă©pĂ©e The ( or , ), sometimes spelled epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the spor ...
, Philippe Cattiau, Oreste Puliti, and Roger Ducret. During this time in his life, Faulkner was making a living selling real estate.


International fencing career

Faulkner won his first major sabre championship in 1928 and went on to compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics. In the 1932 Los Angeles games the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
took fourth place in team sabre. It was the highest finish in the nation's history.


Coaching

Faulkner opened Falcon Studios, a theatre and fencing school with his wife, Edith Jane. He coached many notable actors and actresses for staged swordplay and, himself returned to film in the mid 1930s. Additionally, Faulkner trained a number of fencers for competition including Polly Craus, Sewall Shurtz, and
Janice Romary Janice-Lee York Romary (August 6, 1927 – May 31, 2007) was a U.S. women's Olympic foilist who was the first woman to appear at six Olympic Games. Early life Born Janice-Lee York in Palo Alto, California, she learned fencing at Max Reinhar ...
. He taught a classical French style which stressed form, bladework, and finger strength over agility and athleticism, characteristic of the Italian school. Eventually, he retired from film work but continued to teach all three weapons until he suffered a stroke following a Saturday fencing class. He died two weeks later on January 27, 1987 at the age of 95. vangelista, Nick. The Art and Science of Fencing. Masters, 1999./ref>


Partial filmography

* ''War and the Woman'' (1917) - Minor Role * ''
On the Jump ''On the Jump'' is a 1918 American short comedy film featuring Harold Lloyd. A print of the film survives in the film archive of the Museum of Modern Art. Like many American films of the time, ''On the Jump'' was subject to cuts by city and st ...
'' (1918) -
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
* '' The Prussian Cur'' (1918) - Woodrow Wilson * '' Why America Will Win'' (1918) - Woodrow Wilson * '' Anne of Little Smoky'' (1921) - Tom Brockton * '' Hope'' (1922, Short) - Pierre * '' The Man from Glengarry'' (1922) * '' April Showers'' (1923) - Champ Sullivan * ''
Loving Lies ''Loving Lies'' is a 1924 silent American silent drama film directed by W. S. Van Dyke and starring Evelyn Brent and Monte Blue. Plot As described in a film magazine review, just after Ellen Craig has married Dan Stover, captain of a tug boa ...
'' (1924) - Jack Ellis * ''
My Neighbor's Wife ''My Neighbor's Wife'' is a 2011 Filipino drama film directed by Jun Lana, starring Dennis Trillo, Lovi Poe, Jake Cuenca, and Carla Abellana. The film premiered nationwide on September 14, 2011, under Regal Films. The movie was distribute ...
'' (1925) - William Jordan * '' God of Mankind'' (1928) * ''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...
'' (1935) - Jussac (uncredited) * ''
The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in orde ...
'' (1937) - Bersonin (uncredited) * ''
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 ...
'' (1938) - First Watch (uncredited) * '' Dramatic School'' (1938) - Fencing Teacher (uncredited) * '' The Star Maker'' (1939) - Fencing Master * ''
Zorro's Fighting Legion ''Zorro's Fighting Legion'' is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against ...
'' (1939, Serial) - Rodriguez - Henchman h. 1(uncredited) * ''
The Foxes of Harrow ''The Foxes of Harrow'' is a 1947 American adventure film directed by John M. Stahl. The film stars Rex Harrison, Maureen O'Hara, and Richard Haydn. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Production Design ( Lyle R. Wheeler, Mau ...
'' (1947) - Fencing Instructor (uncredited) * ''
Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often base ...
'' (1953, TV Series) - Professor * '' The Purple Mask'' (1955) - Opponent (uncredited) * ''
The Dinah Shore Show ''The Dinah Shore Show'' is an American variety show which was broadcast by NBC from November 1951 to July 1957, sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet division. For most of the program's run, it aired from 7:30 to 7:45 Eastern Time on Tuesday an ...
'' (1956, TV Series) - Himself * ''
The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...
'' (1957, TV Series) - Nourric * ''
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...
'' (1958, TV Series) - Herr Ziegler * ''
Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...
'' (1960) - Instructor * ''
Shirley Temple's Storybook ''Shirley Temple's Storybook'' is a 1958-1961 American children's anthology series hosted and narrated by actress Shirley Temple. The series features adaptations of fairy tales like Mother Goose and other family-oriented stories performed by well ...
'' (1961, TV Series) - Pirate


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Faulkner, Ralph 1891 births 1987 deaths American male sabre fencers American male film actors Olympic fencers of the United States Fencers at the 1932 Summer Olympics People from Abilene, Kansas Male actors from Kansas 20th-century American male actors