Ralph Bellamy is little known in Russia: most viewers know him only by his age role in the film "Pretty Woman". Meanwhile, Bellamy is an outstanding actor, starred in more than a hundred films and has a large number of main roles. From this article you can find a biography of Ralph Bellamy.
early years
Ralph Rexford Bellamy was born June 17, 1904 in Chicago, in a prosperous, but not wealthy family. From early childhood gravitated to creativity, but he had to listen to his parents talk that acting is not a profession, and that’s not enough to make a living. Not wanting to be a burden for working parents, but at the same time not intending to work as an ordinary employee, at the age of fifteen Ralph ran away from home with a troupe of road shows - at that time they were artists touring cities and opening theater and cinema premieres.
So, touring, Bellamy got to New York. Actively speaking, the young Ralph Bellamy proved himself to be an outstanding artist - at 23 he assembled his own troupe of road shows and became its leader and organizer of all performances.
Movie career
In 1931, Ralph made his film debut - the film "The Secret Six". The aspiring film actor played the role of Johnny Franks. Partners on the site were stars of the time, such as Gene Harlow, Clark Gable and Wallace Beery. Bellamy liked the world of cinema, he began to act actively and by 1933 he managed to be noted in 22 films, in five of them - in the lead roles.
In 1937, Ralph Bellamy played a second major role in the film "The Bitter Truth", for which he was nominated for an Oscar. A shot from this film is presented below: Bellamy in the center, next to him are partners in the film - Carey Grant and Irene Dunn.
In the forties, films with Ralph Bellamy acquired some uniformity - he continued to act actively, taking part in more than thirty films, but soon became tired of the routine of template roles. In 1945, Bellamy decided to change the stage to the stage, performing in the theater for fifteen years. Also during this period, the actor took part in a radio show on the film "Lady Phantom."
With the exception of 1955, when Bellamy starred in Billy Mitchell's Tribunal, he did not appear on the screens until the 60s, seriously devoting himself to theatrical roles.
One of Bellamy's best theater roles was the incarnation of 32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Broadway production of "Sunrise at Campobello." In the movie, Ralph Bellamy returned with the same role, playing Roosevelt in the film version of this performance. Below is a photo of Bellamy as president.
The next significant role of Bellamy was Dr. Sapirstein in the cult film of Roman Polanski's “Rosemary's Baby” in 1968. In 1983, the actor again embodied the image of Roosevelt in the television series "Winds of War", for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. This nomination became the fourth in the career of an actor.
Last years
In 1984, Bellamy was awarded the Achievement of Life Award from the Screen Actors Guild, and in 1987 received an honorary Oscar. Being at an advanced age, Ralph Bellamy continued to actively shoot in films - so, in 1988, he played the role of Roosevelt for the third time in the continuation of the series "Winds of War". The last role of the actor was the owner of a large company, James Morse in the film "Pretty Woman", which the viewer remembered from a comedic and instructive scene with eating snails.
Personal life
Ralph Bellamy was married four times. The first three marriages were short-lived: the actor lived with Alice Delbridge for three years, 14 years (from 1931 to 1945) with Katherine Willard, and two years with Ethel Smith. Despite the shortest marriage, the actor has his only children from his third wife - Willard and Lynn Bellamy. Finally, in 1949, Bellamy met his true love - he lived with Alice Murphy for 42 years, and only death could separate the spouses.
Ralph Bellamy died of lung disease on November 29, 1991 at St. John's Hospital in California. In 1992, his name star was discovered on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.