Ralph Woodward Clanton (September 11, 1914 – December 29, 2002) was an American character actor of film, stage, and television. His most seen performance was Comte De Guiche in the 1950 film ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th ce ...

'', the first sound version in English of Edmond Rostand's play, and the film for which

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hi ...

won his only

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for Best Actor. Besides Ferrer as Cyrano, Clanton was the only holdover from the cast of the 1946 Broadway revival of the play, and would play the role of De Guiche opposite him once more, in a

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...

production in 1953.

Career

After acting as the narrator in ''

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

'' (1949), he was the American lead in the British war film '' They Were Not Divided''.(1950). Clanton was featured in seven episodes of

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

television show A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...

, as well as making several appearances on the ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

''. In 1976, he played the role of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

in a

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

television production of

Sidney Kingsley Sidney Kingsley (October 22, 1906 – March 20, 1995) was an American dramatist. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play '' Men in White'' in 1934. Life and career Kingsley was born Sidney Kirschner in New York. He studied a ...

's drama '' The Patriots''. He also played Jasper Delaney on the TV

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s, '' Another World'' and its spinoff ''

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''. He played Mr. Ingram in the

sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

thriller '' The 27th Day''. He played guest star roles on numerous television series, such as four episodes of ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'', including the role of Mervyn Aldritch in the premiere episode, " The Case of the Restless Redhead" in 1957, murder victim Charles Brewster in "The Case of the Fancy Figures" in 1958 and Karl Colby in "The Case of the Stand-in Sister" in 1962. In addition, he appeared on Broadway in the role of Claude Nau in

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's '' Vivat! Vivat Regina!'', as well as in several

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

productions. One of his last roles was a bit part in the film ''

Trading Places ''Trading Places'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the film te ...

'' (1983). In a playbill for the 1946 revival of ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' he is listed as a direct descendant of members of the infamous Clanton gang, which took part in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1949) - Opening Narrator (voice, uncredited) *'' They Were Not Divided'' (1950) - David Morgan *''

'' (1950) - Antoine Comte de Guiche *'' San Antone'' (1953) - Narrator (uncredited) *'' New York Confidential'' (1955) - Narrator (uncredited) *''

The Vagabond King ''The Vagabond King'' is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic novel and play ''If I Were King''. The story is a fictionali ...

'' (1956) - Duke of Anjou (uncredited) *'' Hot Cars'' (1956) - Arthur Markel *''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 31: "The Gentleman From America") - Sir Stephen Hurstwood *''

'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 35: "The Legacy") - Randolph Burnside *''

'' (1957) (Season 2 Episode 20: "Malice Domestic") - Perry Harrison *'' Pharaoh's Curse'' (1957) - Colonel Cross *'' Johnny Tremain'' (1957) - General Gage *'' The 27th Day'' (1957) - Mr. Ingram *'' The Midnight Story'' (1957) - Trailer Narrator (voice, uncredited) *'' No Time to Be Young'' (1957) - Mr. Parner (uncredited) *'' Undersea Girl'' (1957) - Sam Marvin *''

'' (1958) (Season 3 Episode 25: "Flight to the East") - Sir Robert Walton *''

'' (1958) (Season 3 Episode 35: "Dip in the Pool") - Ship's Purser *''

'' (1959) (Season 4 Episode 24: "The Avon Emeralds") - Mr. Saunders *''

'' (1960) (Season 5 Episode 29: "The Hero") - Ship's Purser *'' The Absent Minded Professor'' (1961) - O.J. Turnbull (uncredited) *''

Panic in Year Zero! ''Panic in Year Zero!'' is a 1962 American black-and-white survival science fiction film from American International Pictures. It was produced by Arnold Houghland and Lou Rusoff, directed by Ray Milland, who also stars with Jean Hagen, Frankie ...

'' (1962) - Radio Announcer (voice, uncredited) *''

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock and Children's music, children's band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as ...

'' (1971) - Supermarket Manager *''

'' (1983) - Official #1 (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clanton, Ralph 1914 births 2002 deaths Male actors from Fresno, California 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American soap opera actors