Ralph Spence (November 4, 1890 – November 21, 1949) was an American screenwriter and playwright. Born in

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

in 1890, he wrote for more than 120 films between 1912 and 1946. His play, '' The Gorilla'', was produced on Broadway in 1925, and was the basis for several films. He also wrote material for a number of presentations of the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

'' and '' Earl Carroll's Vanities''.Ralph Spence
at the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade asso ...

Spence died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

Broadway credits

Spence worked on several Broadway productions: *''Ziegfeld Follies of 1921'' - dialogue *''Ziegfeld Follies of 1922'' - book and lyrics *''Ziegfeld Follies of 1923'' (summer edition) - sketches *''Earl Carroll's Vanities'' (1924) - book *'' The Gorilla'' (1925) - playwright *''Earl Carroll's Vanities'' (1931) - book

Partial filmography

* ''

The Yankee Way ''The Yankee Way'' is a 1917 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Richard Stanton and starring George Walsh, Enid Markey and Joseph J. Dowling.Solomon p.242 Cast * George Walsh as Dick Mason * Enid Markey as Princess Alexia * Josep ...

'' (1917) * '' On the Jump'' (1918) * '' The Oath'' (1921) * ''

Hickville to Broadway ''Hickville to Broadway'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film directed by Carl Harbaugh and starring Eileen Percy, William Scott and Rosemary Theby.Munden p.347 Cast * Eileen Percy as Anna Mae Neil * William Scott as Virgil Cole * Rosemar ...

'' (1921) * ''

After Your Own Heart ''After Your Own Heart'' is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Tom Mix, Ora Carew and George Hernandez.Munden, p. 10. Cast * Tom Mix as Herbert Parker * Ora Carew as Loretta Bramley * George Hernandez ...

'' (1921) * '' The Rough Diamond'' (1921) *''

A Ridin' Romeo ''A Ridin' Romeo'' is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Tom Mix, Rhea Mitchell and Eugenie Forde.Solomon, p. 270. Cast * Tom Mix as Jim Rose * Rhea Mitchell as Mabel Brentwood * Pat Chrisman as Highl ...

'' (1921) * ''

For Big Stakes ''For Big Stakes'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring Tom Mix. It was produced by and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Cast * Tom Mix as "Clean-up" Sudden * Patsy Ruth Miller as Dorothy Clark * S ...

'' (1922) * ''

Do and Dare ''Do and Dare'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Tom Mix, Dulcie Cooper and Claire Adams.Solomon, p. 279. Cast * Tom Mix as Kit Carson Boone / Henry Boone * Dulcie Cooper as Mary Lee * Claire Ad ...

'' (1922) * '' Sure Fire Flint'' (1922) * '' Let's Go'' (1923) * '' Six Cylinder Love'' (1923) * '' In Fast Company'' (1924) * ''

On Time ''On Time'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Grand Funk Railroad. The album was released on August 25, 1969, by Capitol Records. Recorded at Cleveland Recording Company, the album was produced by Terry Knight. "Time Machine", t ...

'' (1924) * ''

His Darker Self ''His Darker Self'' is a 1924 American silent blackface comedy film directed by John W. Noble and starring Lloyd Hamilton, Tom Wilson, and Sally Long. The plot involves a self-taught small town detective who, after a Black friend is killed, g ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Speed Spook ''The Speed Spook'' is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Charles Hines and starring Johnny Hines, Faire Binney and Edmund Breese.Munden p.754 Cast * Johnny Hines as 'Blue Streak' Billings * Faire Binney as Betty West * Edmund Br ...

'' (1924) * '' Mademoiselle Modiste'' (1926) * '' 3 Bad Men'' (1926) * ''

Johnny Get Your Hair Cut ''Johnny Get Your Hair Cut'' is a 1927 silent American comedy film directed by B. Reeves Eason and featuring Harry Carey. A print is preserved by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cast * Jackie Coogan as Johnny O'Day * Harry Carey * James Corrigan as ...

'' (1927) * '' Spring Fever'' (1927) * '' The Gorilla'' (1927) * ''

Bringing Up Father ''Bringing Up Father'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 2, 1913, to May 28, 2000. The strip was later titled ''Jiggs and Maggie'' (or ...

'' (1928) * '' The Patsy'' (1928) * '' Excess Baggage'' (1928) * '' Cracked Nuts'' (1931) * '' Laugh and Get Rich'' (1931) * '' Her Bodyguard'' (1933) * '' Everybody Dance'' (1936) * '' The Great Barrier'' (1937) * ''

King Solomon's Mines ''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...

'' (1937) * ''

Sweet Devil ''Sweet Devil'' is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by René Guissart (director), René Guissart and starring Bobby Howes, Jean Gillie and William Kendall (actor), William Kendall. It was made at Pinewood Studios.Wood p.97 Cast * Bobby ...

'' (1938) * '' The Gorilla'' (1939) * '' The Flying Deuces'' (1939) * '' Higher and Higher'' (1943)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Ralph 1890 births 1949 deaths American male screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters