Ralph Byrd
Encyclopedia
Ralph Byrd was an American
actor
. He was most famous for playing the comic strip
character Dick Tracy
on screen, in serial
s, movies
and television
.
' Dick Tracy serials (beginning in 1937), he was usually cast in action features (as a truck driver
, lumberjack
, cowboy, etc.), despite not having the usual brawny frame that went with these roles. He had a strong, resolute jaw, however, which gave him a heroic presence.
Byrd married actress and model Virginia Carroll
in 1936. The couple remained together until Byrd's death in 1952.
of the same name. The film was so successful that it spawned three sequels (unheard of in serials): Dick Tracy Returns
, Dick Tracy's G-Men
(featuring a young Jennifer Jones, under her real name of Phylis Isley), and Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. (reissued in 1952 as Dick Tracy vs. Phantom Empire).
RKO Radio Pictures made a feature film, Dick Tracy
, in 1945, but not with Ralph Byrd (see the Wikipedia entry for Morgan Conway
). After two films, exhibitors complained. To them, Ralph Byrd was Dick Tracy, and only Ralph Byrd would do. RKO accepted this and hired Byrd to finish the series. Dick Tracy's Dilemma
and Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
(with Boris Karloff
as Gruesome) were both released in 1947.
Ralph Byrd died of a heart attack in Tarzana, California on August 18, 1952. He was 43 years, 3 months and 27 days old.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was most famous for playing the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
character Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
on screen, in serial
Dick Tracy (serial)
Dick Tracy is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial starring Ralph Byrd based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by Alan James and Ray Taylor.-Synopsis:...
s, movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
.
Early life and career
Byrd was a good, all-purpose actor with a gift for delivering dialogue in a natural, ingratiating way. Once established in Republic PicturesRepublic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
' Dick Tracy serials (beginning in 1937), he was usually cast in action features (as a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
, lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
, cowboy, etc.), despite not having the usual brawny frame that went with these roles. He had a strong, resolute jaw, however, which gave him a heroic presence.
Byrd married actress and model Virginia Carroll
Virginia Carroll
Virginia Carroll was an American actress. She was best known for her appearance in a number of western films...
in 1936. The couple remained together until Byrd's death in 1952.
Dick Tracy
Republic cast Byrd as Chester Gould's comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in the 1937 serialDick Tracy (serial)
Dick Tracy is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial starring Ralph Byrd based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by Alan James and Ray Taylor.-Synopsis:...
of the same name. The film was so successful that it spawned three sequels (unheard of in serials): Dick Tracy Returns
Dick Tracy Returns
Dick Tracy Returns is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial Dick Tracy, with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the title character...
, Dick Tracy's G-Men
Dick Tracy's G-Men
Dick Tracy's G-Men is a 15-Chapter Republic Movie Serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by William Witney and John English....
(featuring a young Jennifer Jones, under her real name of Phylis Isley), and Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. (reissued in 1952 as Dick Tracy vs. Phantom Empire).
RKO Radio Pictures made a feature film, Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy (1945 film)
Dick Tracy is a 1945 film based on the Dick Tracy comic strip created by Chester Gould. It is the first feature film adaptation of the comic strip, and the first part of a quadrilogy...
, in 1945, but not with Ralph Byrd (see the Wikipedia entry for Morgan Conway
Morgan Conway
Morgan Conway was an American actor, best known for his portrayals of Dick Tracy.-Early life and career:...
). After two films, exhibitors complained. To them, Ralph Byrd was Dick Tracy, and only Ralph Byrd would do. RKO accepted this and hired Byrd to finish the series. Dick Tracy's Dilemma
Dick Tracy's Dilemma
Dick Tracy's Dilemma is a 1947 film starring Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy. It is the third part of the Dick Tracy quadrilogy.-Plot summary:...
and Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome is a 1947 thriller film starring Ralph Byrd, Anne Gwynne, and Boris Karloff. It is the fourth and last movie in the Dick Tracy series.-Synopsis:A gang of criminals discover a nerve gas, which freezes people and can make them appear dead...
(with Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
as Gruesome) were both released in 1947.
Later life and death
Ralph Byrd's screen characters could be breezy and affable, or tough and authoritative as the role required. Yet he is most often remembered for one comic-strip role, which he played in four serials, two feature films, and a television series that he did not survive.Ralph Byrd died of a heart attack in Tarzana, California on August 18, 1952. He was 43 years, 3 months and 27 days old.