Ralph Yearsley (October 6, 1896 – December 4, 1928) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

-born

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to ...

who worked in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

films.

Early life and education

Born in

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, he was trained in a medical school, but left for 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 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

to pursue a career in the film industry.

Career

He made his

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

debut in 1921 in a secondary but good role in the

Goldwyn Pictures Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was an American motion picture production company that operated from 1916 to 1924 when it was merged with two other production companies to form the major studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was founded on November 19, 1 ...

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term ori ...

'' Pardon My French'' directed by

Sidney Olcott Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott, September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great direc ...

. That same year he appeared as Saul "Little Buzzard" Hatburn in ''

Tol'able David ''Tol'able David'' is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of violen ...

'', directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. The acclaimed film was voted a

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film (another name for ''photoplay'') fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded '' Motion Picture Story,'' a magazine also directed at fans. For ...

magazine's medal of honor. Over the next eight years, Yearsley appeared in another twenty films, in secondary or minor roles. One of his more notable roles was in

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary '' Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film c ...

's 1927 film '' The Kid Brother''.

Personal life

He was married to Grace Yearsley (1895–1967) with whom he had a daughter.
In 1928, Ralph Yearsley committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.

Partial filmography

*'' Pardon My French'' (1921) *''

'' (1921) * ''

Tom Mix in Arabia ''Tom Mix in Arabia'' is a 1922 American silent adventure film directed by Lynn Reynolds and starring Tom Mix, Barbara Bedford and George Hernandez.Solomon p.280 Cast * Tom Mix as Billy Evans * Barbara Bedford as Janice Terhune * George H ...

'' (1922) *'' The Village Blacksmith'' (1922) *''

A Chapter in Her Life ''A Chapter in Her Life'' is a 1923 American drama film based on the novel ''Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life'' by Clara Louise Burnham. The film was directed by Lois Weber. She had previously adapted the same novel as the 1915 film ''Jewel'', which ...

'' (1923) *''

Anna Christie ''Anna Christie'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this work. According to historian Paul Avrich, the o ...

'' (1923) *'' The Call of the Canyon'' (1923) *''

One Night in Rome ''One Night in Rome'' is a 1924 American silent drama film starring Laurette Taylor. The film was directed by Clarence G. Badger and written by J. Hartley Manners, Ms. Taylor's husband, based upon his play of the same name. Laurette Taylor was ...

'' (1924) * '' Another Man's Wife'' (1924) * '' The Fighting Sap'' (1924) * '' The Valley of Hate'' (1924) *'' The Gambling Fool'' (1925) *'' Desert Gold'' (1926) *'' The Kid Brother'' (1927) * '' Born to Battle'' (1927) *''

Rose Marie Rose Marie (born Rose Marie Mazzetta; August 15, 1923 – December 28, 2017) was an American actress, singer, comedian, and vaudeville performer with a career ultimately spanning nine decades, which included film, radio, records, theater, night ...

'' (1928) *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'' (1928) *'' The Big Killing'' (1928)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yearsley, Ralph 1896 births 1928 deaths English male silent film actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Suicides in California British expatriate male actors in the United States 20th-century English male actors 1928 suicides