John Ridgely (born John Huntington Rea,[2] September 6, 1909 – January 18, 1968[citation needed] ) was an American film character actor with over 175 film credits.[3]

John Ridgely
Ridgely in the trailer for Destination Tokyo (1943)
Born
John Huntington Rea

(1909-09-06)September 6, 1909
DiedJanuary 18, 1968(1968-01-18) (aged 58)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materStanford University
OccupationActor
Years active1935–1954
SpouseVirginia Robinson[1]

Early years

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Ridgely was born in Chicago, Illinois,[4] the son of John Ridgely Rea. Ridgely's elementary schooling was in Hinsdale, Illinois, and he attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri.[5] He also attended Stanford University before his debut in movies.[6]

Film

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He appeared in the 1946 Humphrey Bogart film The Big Sleep as blackmailing gangster Eddie Mars and had a pivotal role as a suffering heart patient in the film noir Nora Prentiss (1947). His most prominent other roles were his top-billed part as the bomber captain in Howard Hawks's Air Force and as real-life fighter pilot Tex Hill in 1945's God is My Co-Pilot.

The Chicago-born actor appeared in a large number of other films, particularly for Warner Bros., in the 1930s and 1940s.[7]

Freelancing after 1948, Ridgely continued to essay general-purpose parts until he left films in 1953.

Later life and death

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He worked in summer-theater productions and television until his death from a heart attack at the age of 58 in 1968.[8]

Selected filmography

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Radio appearances

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Year Program Episode/source
1938 Warner Brothers Academy Theater Special Agent[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Hollywood Movie Actor John Ridgely Biography, News, Photos, Videos".
  2. ^ Room, Adrian (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. p. 406. ISBN 9780786457632. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  3. ^ John Ridgely Roles Now Number 175, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 2, 1951, p. 6
  4. ^ Katz, Ephraim (1979). The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume. Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-50601-2. P. 973.
  5. ^ Dudley, Fredda (August 1943). "Man with a Future". Screenland. XLVII (4): 25–29, 62. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  6. ^ John Ridgely Roles Now Number 175, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 2, 1951, p. 6
  7. ^ John Ridgely Roles Now Number 175, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 2, 1951, p. 6
  8. ^ Willis, John, Screen World, 1969, Vol. 20, London: Frederick Muller Ltd, p. 239
  9. ^ "Those Were the Days". Nostalgia Digest. 39 (1): 32–41. Winter 2013.
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