ROBERT RYAN

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12701267

Information from IMDb


Date of birth (location)
11 November 1909
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Date of death (details)
11 July 1973
New York, New York, USA. (lung cancer)

Birth name
Robert Bushnell Ryan
Height
6' 4" (1.93 m)
Spouse
Jessica Cadwalader (11 March 1939 - 1972) (her death) 3 children

Mini- Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He most often played hardened cops and ruthless villains throughout his career. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1932, where he was also the school boxing champion. After graduation, not finding work to his liking, Ryan worked as a stoker on a ship, a laborer, and a ranch hand in Montana.

He attempted to make a career in show business as a playwright, but had to turn to acting to support himself. He studied acting in Hollywood and appeared on stage in small film parts during the 1940s. Robert Ryan enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp in January 1944. He was trained as a drill instructor, assigned to Camp Pendleton. The extremely creative Marine took up abstract painting during his time at the Southern California barracks, producing a hellish self-portrait. It may have been a way for him to grapple with the inner battle stirred up by having to play the real-life role of a tough, no-nonsense marine trainer, all the while knowing that many of those fresh-faced boys would never survive the war.

Ryan was equally affected by many of the war veterans who did return. He watched as the wounded and crippled tried to cope with uncertain futures. He saw the horror behind the haunted gaze of those who had lived through unimaginable conditions, leaving comrades forever behind.

While he had made films starting in 1940, his productive career commenced after his discharge from the military. He also became involved in many liberal causes.

He married Jessica Cadwalader on March 11, 1939, and they remained married until her death from cancer in 1972; they had 3 children. He died from lung cancer in New York City the following year at the age of 63.

The role that first put him on the map was as the anti-semitic killer in Edward Dmytryk's 1947 film-noir Crossfire. From then on Ryan's speciality was tough/tender roles, finding particular expression in the films of celebrated directors such as Nicholas Ray, Robert Wise and Sam Fuller. In Ray's On Dangerous Ground (1951) he portrayed a burnt-out violent city-cop finding redemption whilst solving a rural murder. He played the over-the-hill boxer in The Set-Up (1949). Other important films were Anthony Mann's western The Naked Spur, Sam Fuller's uproarious Japanese set gangland thriller House of Bamboo, Bad Day at Black Rock, and the socially conscious heist-movie Odds Against Tomorrow. He also appeared in several all-star war films, including The Longest Day (1962) and Battle of the Bulge (1965).

Ryan's Broadway credits included Mr. President and The Front Page.

In his latter years, Ryan continued playing key roles in major films. Most notable of these were The Dirty Dozen, The Professionals and Sam Peckinpah's highly influential brutal western The Wild Bunch.

Trivia

Originally intended to portray "Commodore Matt Decker" in the "Star Trek" (1966) (the original series) episode "Doomsday Machine", but was unable to do so. The character was intended as a Captain Ahab-type, obsessed with revenge for the loss of his crew. The role instead went to William Windom who portrayed Decker in a more tragic, sensitive light.

Initially planned on studying at the Pasadena Playhouse, but instead became a student of Max Reinhardt in the late 1930s, where he met fellow student and future wife Jessica Cadwalader. Following their marriage, she gave up her acting aspirations and later became a childrens' fiction book writer.

While performing in a stock play version of "A Kiss for Cinderella" in 1941 with actress Luise Rainer, Rainer's ex-husband, Clifford Odets, saw him and offered him the featured juvenile part in his Broadway play "Clash by Night" as "Joe Doyle", opposite Tallulah Bankhead. A decade later he starred in the film version but had outgrown the juvenile role and instead played Earl Pfeiffer, one of the leads, originated on Broadway by Joseph Schildkraut. His "Joe Doyle" character was played by Keith Andes in the film Clash by Night (1952).

In 1973, he played the terminally-ill political activist Larry Slade in The Iceman Cometh (1973). Ironically, while filming, he knew he was approaching the final stages of lung cancer and died in July of that year. His wife Jessica Cadwalader preceded him in death by a year, also succumbing to cancer.

Due to his towering frame, cruelly-lined face and a simmering intensity uncommon in his generation of "tough guys", he usually played hateful villains. Even on the rare occasions that he played a good guy, they often possessed a violent, obsessive personality that was a tad unsettling.

Two sons, Tim and Cheyney, and a daughter, Lisa, who is the youngest.

At the time he was diagnosed with cancer, he was scheduled to play "Don Quixote" in a film version of Miguel Cervantes' novel. It was Rex Harrison, however, who was finally seen as the Don in a 1973 made-for-television film of the book, a year after Peter O'Toole had starred in the film version of the Broadway musical "Man of La Mancha".

Shortly before his death, Ryan moved out of his apartment (number 72) at the Dakota in New York City. Ryan leased (and then his estate later sold) the apartment to John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Co-founded the Theatre Group at the University of California at Los Angeles with John Houseman and Sidney Harmon in 1959. Nine years later in 1968 he co-founded the Plumstead Playhouse Repertory Company, with Henry Fonda and Martha Scott.

Was Turner Classic Movies' "Star of the Month" for February 2000, a rare honor for a character lead/supporting player.

Served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1944 to 1947.

When casting the role of the leading man in the 1943 Ginger Rogers' vehicle Tender Comrade (1943), RKO producer David Hempstead became interested in Ryan due to favorable preview cards hailing Ryan's performances in Bombardier (1943), The Sky's the Limit (1943) and Behind the Rising Sun (1943). He suggested him to Ginger Rogers, who was at first unimpressed after screening parts of the three movies. She turned him down as her leading man, as she thought he looked mean and, at 6' 4", he was too big. A week later, when Rogers visited David Hempstead at his office, he was busily going through preview cards of "The Sky's the Limit" and he showed her some of them. Ginger Rogers saw that all of the reviews of Ryan's performance were favourable and, since the time before principal production was drawing near, she decided to have another look at him. Ryan was conveniently waiting in a nearby office for just such a possibility. Less than a minute later, he came to the office and talked with both the producer and Rogers. After a few moments, Rogers unobtrusively slipped David Hempstead a note: "I think this is the guy." Today, the note hangs on the wall above Cheyney Ryan's (Ryan's son) desk, in his study.

Campaigned for Eugene McCarthy in the 1968 Democratic primaries.

Ryan was on his college boxing team and posted a 5-0 (3 knockouts) record.

Became friends with John Wayne while filming Flying Leathernecks (1951), despite their vast political differences.

He was a founder of SANE (an anti-nuclear action group) and a vocal supporter of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten during the 1950s.

His Shakespearean roles included "Antony and Cleopatra" with Katharine Hepburn in 1960, and the title role of "Othello" at the Nottingham Playhouse in England.

Personal quotes

[On why he never became a target of 'Joseph McCarthy (II)" and the Red-baiting HUAC, despite being known for his left-of-center politics] "I was involved in the things he was throwing rocks at but I was never a target. Looking back, I suspect my Irish name, my being a Catholic and an ex-Marine sort of softened the blow."

[On being listed as one of the screen's all-time best heavies]: I guess they never saw me in most of my pictures. Still, I've never stopped working so I can't complain.

[On why he never became a target of Joseph McCarthy and the Red-baiting House Un-American Activities Committee, despite being known for his left-of-center politics] "I was involved in the things he was throwing rocks at but I was never a target. Looking back, I suspect my Irish name, my being a Catholic and an ex-Marine sort of softened the blow."


Actor - filmography

1. The Iceman Cometh (1973) .... Larry Slade
2. Executive Action (1973) .... Foster
3. The Outfit (1973) .... Mailer
4. The Man Without a Country (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Cmdr. Vaughan
5. Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973) .... Pap Gutshall
... aka The Lolly-Madonna War (UK)
6. Course du lièvre à travers les champs, La (1972) .... Charley
... aka And Hope to Die (USA)
... aka Corsa della lepre attraverso i campi, La (Italy)
7. The Love Machine (1971) .... Gregory 'Greg' Austin
8. Lawman (1971) .... Sabbath Marshal Cotton Ryan
9. The Front Page (1970) (TV) .... Walter Burns

10. Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969) .... Captain Nemo
11. The Wild Bunch (1969) .... Deke Thornton
12. Anzio (1968) .... General Carson
... aka Batalla de Anzio, La (Spain)
... aka Sbarco di Anzio, Lo
... aka The Battle for Anzio (UK)
13. Minuto per pregare, un instante per morire, Un (1968) .... New Mexico Gov. Lem Carter
... aka A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die
... aka Dead or Alive
... aka Dove vai ti ammazzo
... aka Escondido
... aka Outlaw Gun
14. Custer of the West (1967) .... Sgt. Mulligan
... aka A Good Day for Fighting (short version)
... aka Custer, l'homme de l'Ouest (France)
15. Hour of the Gun (1967) .... Ike Clanton
16. The Dirty Dozen (1967) .... Col. Everett Dasher Breed
17. The Busy Body (1967) .... Charley Barker
18. The Professionals (1966) .... Hans Ehrengard
19. "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" .... Andrew Dixon (1 episode, 1966)
... aka The Chrysler Theater
... aka Universal Star Time (syndication title)
- Guilty or Not Guilty (1966) TV Episode .... Andrew Dixon
20. Battle of the Bulge (1965) .... Gen. Grey
21. The Dirty Game (1965) .... General Bruce
... aka Guerra segreta, La (Italy)
... aka Guerre secrète (France)
... aka Spione unter sich (West Germany)
... aka The Dirty Agents
... aka The Secret Agents (USA)
22. The Crooked Road (1965) .... Richard Ashley
... aka Krivi put (Yugoslavia: Serbian title)
23. "The Reporter" .... Rush (1 episode, 1964)
- No Comment (1964) TV Episode .... Rush
24. The Presidency: A Splendid Misery (1964) (TV)
25. "Wagon Train" .... Bob Stuart / ... (3 episodes, 1962-1964)
... aka Major Adams, Trail Master
- The Bob Stuart Story (1964) TV Episode .... Bob Stuart
- The John Bernard Story (1962) TV Episode .... John Bernard
- The Madame Sagittarius Story (1962) TV Episode
26. "The Bell Telephone Hour" .... Host (1 episode, 1964)
- Almanac (1964) TV Episode .... Host
27. "The Eleventh Hour" .... Franklin 'Hoppy' Hopp (1 episode, 1964)
- Who Chopped Down the Cherry Tree? (1964) TV Episode .... Franklin 'Hoppy' Hopp
28. "Breaking Point" .... Lloyd Osment (1 episode, 1964)
- Better Than a Dead Lion (1964) TV Episode .... Lloyd Osment
29. "Kraft Suspense Theatre" .... Tom Bollington (1 episode, 1963)
- Are There Any More Out There Like You? (1963) TV Episode .... Tom Bollington
30. Billy Budd (1962) .... John Claggart, Master d'Arms
31. The Longest Day (1962) .... Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin
32. King of Kings (1961) .... John the Baptist
33. "Frontier Justice" .... Captain Krag / ... (2 episodes, 1959-1961)
- Interrogation (1961) TV Episode .... Captain Krag
- You Only Run Once (1959) TV Episode .... Matt
34. The Canadians (1961) .... Inspector William Gannon
35. Ice Palace (1960) .... Thor Storm

36. Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) .... Earle Slater
37. "Zane Grey Theater" .... Matt / ... (5 episodes, 1956-1959)
... aka Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (USA: complete title)
... aka The Westerners (USA: rerun title)
- Interrogation (1959) TV Episode .... Captain Kraig
- To Sit in Judgment (1958) TV Episode .... Sheriff Parney
- Trial by Fear (1958) TV Episode .... Cob Oakley
- The Hanging Tree (1957) TV Episode .... Matt
- You Only Run Once (1956) TV Episode .... Matt
38. Day of the Outlaw (1959) .... Blaise Starrett
39. God's Little Acre (1958) .... Ty Ty Walden
40. "Playhouse 90" .... Jay Gatsby (1 episode, 1958)
- The Great Gatsby (1958) TV Episode .... Jay Gatsby
41. "Alcoa Theatre" .... Jeff Banner / ... (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
- The Perfectionist (1958) TV Episode .... Ken Morton
- Hidden Witness (1958) TV Episode .... Jeff Banner
- The Face of Truth (1957) TV Episode .... Mike Ripetti
- On Edge (1957) TV Episode .... William Trilbridge
42. "Goodyear Theatre" .... Dr. Robert Ross / ... (5 episodes, 1957-1958)
... aka Award Theatre (USA: syndication title)
... aka Golden Years of Television (USA: cable TV title)
- The Giant Step (1958) TV Episode .... Gunner's Mate Smith
- The Seventh Letter (1958) TV Episode .... Lieutenant Joe Carter
- The White Flag (1958) TV Episode .... Dr. Robert Ross
- The Crowd Pleaser (1957) TV Episode .... Frank Berry
- Silhouette of a Killer (1957) TV Episode .... Man
43. Lonelyhearts (1958) .... William Shrike
... aka Miss Lonelyheart
44. Men in War (1957) .... Lt. Benson (2nd Platoon, Co. D)
45. Back from Eternity (1956) .... Bill Lonagan
46. The Proud Ones (1956) .... Cass Silver, Marshal Flat Rock Kansas
47. "Screen Directors Playhouse" .... President Abraham Lincoln (1 episode, 1955)
- Lincoln's Doctor's Dog (1955) TV Episode .... President Abraham Lincoln
48. The Tall Men (1955) .... Nathan Stark
49. House of Bamboo (1955) .... Sandy Dawson
50. Escape to Burma (1955) .... Jim Brecan
51. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) .... Reno Smith
52. Her Twelve Men (1954) .... Joe Hargrave
... aka Her 12 Men
... aka Miss Baker's Dozen (USA)
53. About Mrs. Leslie (1954) .... George Leslie
54. Alaska Seas (1954) .... Matt Kelly
55. Inferno (1953) .... Donald Whitley Carson III
56. City Beneath the Sea (1953) .... Brad Carlton
57. The Naked Spur (1953) .... Ben Vandergroat
58. Horizons West (1952) .... Dan Hammond
59. Beware, My Lovely (1952) .... Howard Wilton
60. Clash by Night (1952) .... Earl Pfeiffer
61. On Dangerous Ground (1952) .... Jim Wilson
62. The Racket (1951) .... Nick Scanlon
63. Flying Leathernecks (1951) .... Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin
64. Best of the Badmen (1951) .... Jeff Clanton
65. Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) (uncredited) .... Seabright Tennis Match Spectator
... aka Mother of a Champion (USA)
66. Born to Be Bad (1950) .... Nick Bradley
67. The Secret Fury (1950) .... David McLean

68. I Married a Communist (1949) .... Brad Collins aka Frank Johnson
... aka The Woman on Pier 13 (UK)
69. The Set-Up (1949) .... Bill "Stoker" Thompson
70. Caught (1949) .... Smith Ohlrig
71. Act of Violence (1948) .... Joe Parkson
72. The Boy with Green Hair (1948) .... Dr. Evans
73. Return of the Bad Men (1948) .... Sundance Kid
... aka Return of the Badmen (International: English title)
74. Berlin Express (1948) .... Robert Lindley
75. Crossfire (1947) .... Montgomery
76. The Woman on the Beach (1947) .... Scott
77. Trail Street (1947) .... Allen
78. Marine Raiders (1944) .... Capt. Dan Craig
79. Golden Gloves (1944)
80. Tender Comrade (1943) .... Chris Jones
81. Gangway for Tomorrow (1943) .... Joe Dunham
82. The Iron Major (1943) .... Father Timothy 'Tim' Donovan
83. Behind the Rising Sun (1943) .... Lefty O'Doyle
84. The Sky's the Limit (1943) .... Reginald Fenton
85. Bombardier (1943) .... Joe Connors
86. The Feminine Touch (1941) (uncredited) .... Bit Part
87. The Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940) (uncredited) .... Eddie
88. North West Mounted Police (1940) .... Const. Dumont
... aka Northwest Mounted Police
... aka The Scarlet Riders
89. Golden Gloves (1940) .... Pete Wells
90. Queen of the Mob (1940) (uncredited) .... Jim
91. The Ghost Breakers (1940) (uncredited) .... Intern

Soundtrack - filmography

1. Tender Comrade (1943) ("You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" (1913))

Self - filmography

1. The Moviemakers (1973) .... Himself
2. "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" .... Himself (1 episode, 1970)
... aka The Best of Carson (USA: rerun title)
- Episode dated 26 January 1970 (1970) TV Episode .... Himself

3. "World War One" .... Narrator (26 episodes, 1964-1965)
- Heritage of War (1965) TV Episode (voice) .... Narrator
- The Allies in Russia (1965) TV Episode (voice) .... Narrator
- Wilson and Peace (1965) TV Episode (voice) .... Narrator
- The Day the Guns Stopped Firing (1965) TV Episode (voice) .... Narrator
- The Battle of Argonne (1965) TV Episode (voice) .... Narrator
(21 more)
4. The Inheritance (1964/I) .... Narrator
5. "What's My Line?" .... Guest Panelist / ... (2 episodes, 1958-1962)
- Episode dated 21 October 1962 (1962) TV Episode .... Mystery Guest
- Episode dated 11 May 1958 (1958) TV Episode .... Guest Panelist
6. "The New Steve Allen Show" .... Himself - Guest (1 episode, 1961)
- UCLA (1961) TV Episode .... Himself - Guest
7. "Here's Hollywood" .... Himself (1 episode, 1961)
- Episode dated 25 January 1961 (1961) TV Episode .... Himself

8. The 30th Annual Academy Awards (1958) (TV) .... Himself - Co-Presenter: Costume Design Awards
9. "The Steve Allen Show" .... Himself - Men In War (1 episode, 1957)
... aka The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (USA: new title)
- Episode #2.20 (1957) TV Episode .... Himself - Men In War
10. Eight Steps to Peace (1957) .... Narrator

Archive Footage

1. Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005) (TV) .... Brad Carlton/Dan Hammond
2. Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004) (TV) .... Himself

Robert Ryan often played stern types, much different
from his real life persona!

He made 2 films with Duke

The Longest Day ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) (1962) .... Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin
Flying Leathernecks ([Only registered and activated users can see links])(1951) .... Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin

It was during the making of Flying Leathernecks,
that he became a friend of Duke's,
despite their opposite, political views!

I alway thought Ryan would have been good in a western with John Wayne
as they seem to have good chemistry on screen.

Mike

I alway thought Ryan would have been good in a western with John Wayne
as they seem to have good chemistry on screen.

Mike

When you consider some of the westerns he did make,
it would indeed, have been an interesting partnership

When I watched him in "The Naked Spur", it was very odd for me to see cause I had never saw him play a bad guy before. I liked him in that film and I have always liked him on his movies, particularly in "The Battle of the Bulge" and "The Proffesionals".

What a wonderful acting talent this man has.

For me I always associate him as the heavy as in such movies as 'The Naked Spur' and 'Bad day at black rock'. This man has been in so many movies its hard to keep track of them all, I only wish that Duke and Ryan had teamed together for a better movie than 'Leathernecks'.

:agent:

Another interesting little bit of trivia about Ryan is that in the film, Crossfire, the three main stars were all Roberts. Robert Ryan, Robert Young and, Robert Mitchum. Offhand, I can't think of another movie where the top three stars all had the same first name.

Hi

I liked him in The Proud Ones where he gets wounded and as a result suffers from periods of blindness, and inevitably when he is facing the final showdown is struck blind again, but manages to prevail.

Also as sergeant ulligan with an Irish accent in Custer of the West.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

[Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

Heres a photo of him in civilian gear

Regards

Arthur

I found it very interesting that he was slated to be in a Star Trek episode, as the Captain of the USS Constellation. William Windom did an excellent job in the role but, it sure would have been quite interesting to have seen Robert Ryan in Star Trek.

Like Todd says, I really liked him in: Battle of the Bulge and The Professionals. I might add that I thought he was great in: The Dirty Dozen and Bad Day At Black Rock.

Ryan was a brilliant, underrated actor who should have won an Oscar for "The Set Up", which is almost as good as "Raging Bull". It's ironic that a man who played so many villains and authority figures was in fact a great activist liberal. He was too old to play Lt. Gen. Gavin in "The Longest Day", but then most of the cast were too old for their parts, including Duke. I only wish they had made a better film together than "Flying Leathernecks".

interesting that he was not the recipiant of more attention from the HUAC. His charachter in Flying Leathernecks was not my fav but I think he played it well. Someone has to be the bad guy but it sounds like he might have prefered other roles.