Ralph Byrd | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Byrd inDick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) | |
| Born | (1909-04-22)April 22, 1909 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | August 18, 1952(1952-08-18) (aged 43) Tarzana, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park,Glendale, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1935–1952 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Ralph Byrd (April 22, 1909 – August 18, 1952) was an Americanactor. He was most famous for playing thecomic strip characterDick Tracy on screen, inserials,films andtelevision.[1]
The son of George and Edna May Byrd, Ralph Byrd was born in Dayton, Ohio. Before he began acting in films, he sang and danced in theatrical productions.[2]
He served in theUnited States Army duringWorld War II, having been inducted into the service in San Pedro, California, in 1944.[3]
He married actress and modelVirginia Carroll in 1936.[4] The couple remained together until Byrd's death in 1952.[4]
He debuted in movies with a bit part inRed-Headed Woman in (1932).[5]
Once established inRepublic Pictures' Dick Tracy serials (beginning in 1937), he was usually cast in action features (as atruck driver,lumberjack, cowboy, etc.).
Byrd also starred in three other serials:Blake of Scotland Yard (1937),S.O.S. Coast Guard (1937), andThe Vigilante (1947).[6]
Republic cast Byrd asChester Gould's comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in the 1937serial of the same title. The film was so successful that it spawned three sequels (unheard of in serials):Dick Tracy Returns,Dick Tracy's G-Men (featuring a youngJennifer Jones, under her real name of Phylis Isley), andDick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. (reissued in 1952 asDick Tracy vs. the Phantom Empire).
RKO Radio Pictures made a feature film,Dick Tracy, in 1945, withMorgan Conway in the title role. After two films, exhibitors complained. To them, Ralph Byrdwas Dick Tracy, and only Ralph Byrd would do. RKO capitulated, and hired Byrd to finish the series.Dick Tracy's Dilemma andDick Tracy Meets Gruesome were both released in 1947.[7]
Byrd portrayed Tracy for one season on theTV series. He died of aheart attack on August 18, 1952, and is buried atForest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale).[8] He was 43 years old.[9][10]
