Richard Gerold Purcell Jr. (August 6, 1905 – April 10, 1944) was an American actor best known for playing

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

in the 1943 film serial, co-starring with

Lorna Gray Virginia Pound (July 26, 1917 – April 30, 2017), known professionally as Lorna Gray and (after 1945) Adrian Booth, was an American film actress known for her comic roles, and later as a villainess. She is best known for her roles in Columb ...

and

Lionel Atwill Lionel Alfred William Atwill (1 March 1885 – 22 April 1946) was an English stage and screen actor. He began his acting career at the Garrick Theatre. After coming to the U.S., he subsequently appeared in various Broadway plays and Hollywood f ...

. Purcell also appeared in films such as ''Tough Kid'' (1938), ''Accidents Will Happen'' (1938), '' Heroes in Blue'' (1939), '' Irish Luck'' (1939), ''

The Bank Dick ''The Bank Dick'', released as ''The Bank Detective'' in the United Kingdom, is a 1940 American comedy film starring W. C. Fields. Set in Lompoc, California, Fields plays Egbert Sousé, a drunk who accidentally thwarts a bank robbery and ends up ...

'' (1940), and ''

King of the Zombies ''King of the Zombies'' is a 1941 American zombie comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, and Mantan Moreland. The film was produced by Monogram Pictures, and was typical of its B films produced by the ...

'' (1941).

Early life

Purcell was born in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

in 1905 (not 1908, as many sources suggest). One of 5 children, he attended Catholic grade school and high school, before enrolling as a student at

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

in The

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Career

While in New York City, Dick Purcell began his acting career in theatre, appearing in at least three plays: '' Men in White'', ''Sailor, Beware!'' and ''Paths of Glory''. During his time acting in ''Paths of Glory'', a talent scout spotted Purcell and this led to a small role in the film ''

Ceiling Zero ''Ceiling Zero'' is a 1936 American adventure drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. The picture stars Cagney as daredevil womanizing pilot "Dizzy" Davis and O'Brien as Jake Lee, his war veteran buddy a ...

'' (1936). His next film was '' Man Hunt'' (1936), in which Purcell had a larger role as a newspaper reporter. Purcell appeared in eleven films in 1936 alone.

Captain America serial

Purcell was lucky enough to win the title role in the 1944

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

serial film A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a film, motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater ...

'' despite being a bit overweight. The story, which was loosely based on the comic book character

, had Captain America, really

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

Grant Gardner, trying to thwart the plans of The Scarab, (museum curator Dr. Cyrus Maldor) and his diabolical attempts to acquire a pair of super weapon devices, the "Dynamic Vibrator" and "Electronic Firebolt". The serial, which would go on to be box office success, would be Republic's most expensive to make but also its last one about a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

Personal life

Purcell eloped to Las Vegas with the actress

Ethelind Terry Ethelind Terry (14 August 1899 – 17 March 1984) was an American stage and film actress. Career Terry starred in one of the most famous Broadway shows of the 1920s, the musical '' Rio Rita'' produced by Florenz Ziegfeld. She also starre ...

. The two married on March 3, 1942, only to divorce on August 26, 1942.

Death

Shortly after he completed the ''Captain America'' film serial, and just before its general release, Purcell collapsed in the

locker room A locker is a small, usually narrow storage compartment. They are commonly found in dedicated cabinets, very often in large numbers, in various public places such as locker rooms, workplaces, elementary schools, middle and high schools, trans ...

at a

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) * Hollywood, ...

country club in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on 10 April 1944, shortly after playing a round of golf. His remains were interred at

Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Holy Cross Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery at 5835 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City, California, operated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. It is partially in the Culver City city limits. Opened in 1939, Holy Cross comprises . It contains—amo ...

. According to film historian Raymond Stedman, it was the strain of filming ''Captain America'' that was too much for his

heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...

Selected filmography

* ''

The Doorway to Hell ''The Doorway to Hell'' is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Lew Ayres and James Cagney in his second film role.Brennan, SandraThe Doorway to Hell ''The New York Times'', accessed October 12, 2010. The fil ...

'' (1930) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

The Strange Love of Molly Louvain ''The Strange Love of Molly Louvain'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Ann Dvorak and Lee Tracy. The script was based on the play ''Tinsel Girl'' by Maurine Dallas Watkins. Plot Molly Louva ...

'' (1932) - Jimmy's College Friend (uncredited) * ''

'' (1936) - Smiley * ''

Freshman Love ''Freshman Love'' is a 1936 sound film based on George Ade's oft filmed 1904 play '' The College Widow'', adaptations of which were filmed twice previously, in 1915 and 1927, and parodied by the Marx Brothers in their 1932 film '' Horse Feathers ...

'' (1936) - Radio Announcer (uncredited) * '' Man Hunt'' (1936) - Skip McHenry * ''

Brides Are Like That ''Brides Are Like That'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by William C. McGann and written by Ben Markson. The film stars Ross Alexander, Anita Louise, Joseph Cawthorn, Kathleen Lockhart, Gene Lockhart and Dick Purcell. The film was rele ...

'' (1936) - Dr. Randolph Jenkins * ''

Snowed Under ''Snowed Under'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring George Brent as a playwright who is working under a tight deadline. He becomes snowed-in in his remote cabin with two ex-wives and a girlfriend, play ...

'' (1936) - Bert (uncredited) * ''

Times Square Playboy ''Times Square Playboy'' is a 1936 American romance film directed by William C. McGann and starring Warren William, June Travis and Barton MacLane. It is also known by the alternative title of ''His Best Man''. The film's art direction was by E ...

'' (1936) - Wally Calhoun * ''

The Law in Her Hands ''The Law in Her Hands'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by William Clemens and written by George Bricker and Luci Ward. The film stars Margaret Lindsay and Glenda Farrell. It was released by Warner Bros. on May 16, 1936. The film's wor ...

'' (1936) - Marty * ''

Bullets or Ballots ''Bullets or Ballots'' is a 1936 American gangster film starring Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane, and Humphrey Bogart. Robinson plays a police detective who infiltrates a crime gang. This is the first of several films featuri ...

'' (1936) - Ed Driscoll (credited as Richard Purcell) * '' Public Enemy's Wife'' (1936) - Louie * ''

Bengal Tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...

'' (1936) - Nick DeLargo * '' Jailbreak'' (1936) - Ed Slayden * ''

The Case of the Velvet Claws ''The Case of the Velvet Claws'' is a 1936 mystery film, based on the first Perry Mason novel (1933) by Erle Stanley Gardner and featuring the fourth and final appearance of Warren William as defense attorney Mason. Plot summary Mason finally ...

'' (1936) - Crandal * ''

The Captain's Kid ''The Captain's Kid'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Tom Reed. The film stars May Robson, Sybil Jason, Guy Kibbee, Jane Bryan, Fred Lawrence and Dick Purcell. The film was released by Warner Bros. on Novemb ...

'' (1936) - George Chester * '' King of Hockey'' (1936) - Gabby Dugan * '' Navy Blues'' (1937) - Russell J. 'Rusty' Gibbs * ''

Men in Exile ''Men in Exile'' is a 1937 film directed by John Farrow. A "B" movie from Warner Bros, it was the first feature Farrow directed. It is essentially a remake of their 1931 melodrama ''Safe in Hell'', albeit with the lead switched from female to male ...

'' (1937) - Jimmy Carmody * ''

Melody for Two ''Melody for Two'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Louis King and starring James Melton, Patricia Ellis and Marie Wilson. The film is notable for introducing the song "September in the Rain", which subsequently became a pop standard ...

'' (1937) - Mel Lynch * ''

Draegerman Courage ''Draegerman Courage'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Louis King and written by Anthony Coldeway. The film stars Jean Muir, Barton MacLane, Henry O'Neill, Robert Barrat, Addison Richards and Helen MacKellar. The film was released by W ...

'' (1937) - Trapped Draegerman (uncredited) * ''

Slim Slim or SLIM may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slim Goodbody, a fictional character who teaches about anatomy * Slim, one of the alien antagonists of the 1988 film '' Killer Klowns from Outer Space'' * Slim, the Pixl fro ...

'' (1937) - Tom * ''

Public Wedding ''Public Wedding'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Nick Grinde and written by Roy Chanslor and Houston Branch. The film stars Jane Wyman (in her first starring role), William Hopper, Dick Purcell, Marie Wilson, Berton Churchill and ...

'' (1937) - Joe Taylor * '' Reported Missing'' (1937) - Paul Wayne * '' Wine, Women and Horses'' (1937) - George Mayhew * ''

Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pris ...

'' (1937) - 'Harp' Santell * ''

Missing Witnesses ''Missing Witnesses'' is a 1937 American crime film directed by William Clemens and written by Kenneth Gamet and Don Ryan. The film stars John Litel, Dick Purcell, Jean Dale, Sheila Bromley, Ben Welden and William Haade. The film was released ...

'' (1937) - 'Bull' Regan * ''

Daredevil Drivers ''Daredevil Drivers'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by B. Reeves Eason and written by Sherman L. Lowe. The film stars Beverly Roberts, Dick Purcell, Gloria Blondell, Gordon Oliver, Charley Foy and Donald Briggs. The film was released by ...

'' (1938) - Bill Foster * '' Over the Wall'' (1938) - Ace Scanlon * ''

Accidents Will Happen "Accidents Will Happen" is a song written by Elvis Costello and performed by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It first appeared on the 1979 album '' Armed Forces''. Costello wrote the song about his many infidelities during this period of h ...

'' (1938) - Jim Faber * ''

Flight into Nowhere ''Flight Into Nowhere'' is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Lewis D. Collins, and produced by Larry Darmour for Columbia Pictures. The film stars Jack Holt, Jacqueline Wells and Dick Purcell. In the low-budget action film, the locale ...

'' (1938) - Bill Kellogg * ''

Air Devils ''Air Devils'' is a 1938 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by John Rawlins (director), John Rawlins, based on an original story, "The Fighting Marines" by Harold Buckley. The film stars Larry J. Blake, Dick Purcell and Ber ...

'' (1938) - Percy 'Slats' Harrington * ''

Mystery House ''Mystery House'' is an adventure game released by On-Line Systems in 1980. It was designed, written and illustrated by Roberta Williams, and programmed by Ken Williams for the Apple II. ''Mystery House'' is the first graphical adventure ga ...

'' (1938) - Lance O'Leary * '' Penrod's Double Trouble'' (1938) - Tex Boyden * '' Valley of the Giants'' (1938) - Creel * '' Garden of the Moon'' (1938) - Rick Fulton * ''

Broadway Musketeers ''Broadway Musketeers'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by John Farrow for Warner Bros. Starring Margaret Lindsay, Ann Sheridan and Marie Wilson as three women who grew up in an orphanage and cross paths later in life, it is a re ...

'' (1938) - Vincent 'Vince' Morrell * '' Nancy Drew... Detective'' (1938) - Keiffer * ''

Tough Kid ''Tough Kid'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Wellyn Totman. The film stars Frankie Darro, Dick Purcell, Judith Allen, Lillian Elliott, Don Rowan and William Ruhl. The film was released on December 28, ...

'' (1938) - 'Red' Murphy * ''

Blackwell's Island Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City's East River, within the borough of Manhattan. It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens, on Long Island, to the east. Running from the equivalent of East 46th to 85 ...

'' (1939) - Terry Walsh * '' Streets of New York'' (1939) - T.P. 'Tap' Keenan * '' Irish Luck'' (1939) - Steve Lanahan * '' Heroes in Blue'' (1939) - Terry Murphy * '' Outside the Three-Mile Limit'' (1940) - Agent Melvin Pierce * ''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

'' (1940) - Alexander * '' Private Affairs'' (1940) - Dick Cartwright * ''

Arise, My Love ''Arise, My Love'' is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Claudette Colbert, Ray Milland and Dennis O'Keefe. It was made by Paramount Pictures and written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett and Jacques T ...

'' (1940) - Pink * ''

'' (1940) - Mackley Q. Greene * ''

Flight Command ''Flight Command'' is a 1940 American film about a cocky U.S. Navy pilot who has problems with his new squadron and with the wife of his commander. It stars Robert Taylor, Ruth Hussey and Walter Pidgeon. ''Flight Command'' has the distinction of ...

'' (1940) - Lieut. 'Stichy' Payne * ''

'' (1941) - James McCarthy * '' Two in a Taxi'' (1941) - Bill Gratton * ''

Bullets for O'Hara ''Bullets for O'Hara'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by William K. Howard, written by Raymond L. Schrock, and starring Joan Perry, Roger Pryor, Anthony Quinn, Maris Wrixon, Dick Purcell and Richard Ainley. It was released by Warner Bros ...

'' (1941) - Wicks * '' Flying Blind'' (1941) - Bob Fuller * ''

The Pittsburgh Kid ''The Pittsburgh Kid'' is a 1941 American sports film directed by Jack Townley and starring Billy Conn, Jean Parker and Dick Purcell.Ritchie p.231 The film's sets were designed by the art director John Victor Mackay. Plot About to fight his bigg ...

'' (1941) - Cliff Halliday * ''

No Hands on the Clock ''No Hands on the Clock'' is a 1941 American comedy mystery film directed by Frank McDonald starring Chester Morris as detective Humphrey Campbell. The cast also included Jean Parker and Rose Hobart. It was produced by Pine-Thomas Productions ...

'' (1941) - Red Harris * ''

Torpedo Boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...

'' (1942) - Ralph Andrews * '' In Old California'' (1942) - Joe Dawson * ''

I Live on Danger ''I Live on Danger'' is a 1942 film noir thriller film directed by Sam White and starring Chester Morris and Jean Parker. Plot Jeff Morrell is an ambitious radio reporter. The news of the day is the prison release of gambler Eddie Nelson, who ...

'' (1942) - Norm Thompson * '' The Old Homestead'' (1942) - Scarf Lennin * ''

Phantom Killer The Texarkana Moonlight Murders, a term coined by the contemporary press, was a series of four unsolved serial murders and related violent crimes committed in and around the Texarkana region of Arkansas and Texas in the late winter and sprin ...

'' (1942) - Edward Arlington Clark * '' X Marks the Spot'' (1942) - Police Lt. William 'Bill' Decker * '' Reveille with Beverly'' (1943) - Andy Adams * ''

No Place for a Lady ''No Place for a Lady'' is a 1943 black and white mystery film, directed by James P. Hogan. Plot At a warehouse in Los Angeles, trucks are loaded with stacks of tires to be delivered to a San Francisco warehouse. On a country road under cover ...

'' (1943) - Rand Brooke * ''

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

'' (1943) - Duke Springer * ''

Aerial Gunner ''Aerial Gunner'' is a 1943 American black-and-white World War II propaganda film produced by William C. Thomas and William H. Pine, who also directed. The film stars Chester Morris, Richard Arlen, and Jimmy Lydon. This was the first feature film ...

'' (1943) - Pvt. Lancelot 'Gadget' Blaine * ''

High Explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An exp ...

'' (1943) - Dave * ''

Mystery of the 13th Guest ''The Mystery of the 13th Guest'' is a 1943 American crime film, crime/mystery film directed by William Beaudine and released by Monogram Pictures. It is based on Armitage Trail's 1929 novel ''The 13th Guest'' and is an updated version of the 1932 ...

'' (1943) - Johnny Smith * '' Timber Queen'' (1944) - Milt Holmes * ''

'' (1944, Serial) - Grant Gardner / Captain America * '' Trocadero'' (1944) - Spike Nelson * '' Leave It to the Irish'' (1944) - Pat Burke (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Dick Purcell biography
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Purcell, Dick 1905 births 1944 deaths Male actors from Greenwich, Connecticut 20th-century American male actors