Ralph Yearsley
Encyclopedia
Ralph Yearsley was a British
-born character actor
who worked in Hollywood films.
Born in London, England, he was trained in a medical school, but left to go to the United States
to pursue a career in the film
industry. He made his motion picture debut in 1921 in a secondary but good role in the Samuel Goldwyn Productions silent film
comedy
Pardon My French
directed by Sidney Olcott
. That same year he appeared as Saul "Little Buzzard" Hatburn in Tol'able David
directed by Henry King
for Inspiration Pictures. The acclaimed film was voted a Photoplay Magazine's medal of honor. Over the next eight years, Yearsley appeared in another twenty films, in secondary or minor roles. One of his more notable roles was in Harold Lloyd
's 1927 film The Kid Brother
.
He was married to Grace Yearsley (1895-1967) with whom he had a daughter.
In 1928, Ralph Yearsley committed suicide
and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery
in Hollywood Hills.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
-born character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who worked in Hollywood films.
Born in London, England, he was trained in a medical school, but left to go to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to pursue a career in the film
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...
industry. He made his motion picture debut in 1921 in a secondary but good role in the Samuel Goldwyn Productions silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
Pardon My French
Pardon my French
"Pardon my French" or "Excuse my French" is a common English language phrase ostensibly disguising profanity as French. The phrase is uttered in an attempt to excuse the user of profanity or curses in the presence of those offended by it under the pretense of the words being part of a foreign...
directed by Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Born John Sidney Alcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great directors of the motion picture business...
. That same year he appeared as Saul "Little Buzzard" Hatburn in Tol'able David
Tol'able David
Tol'able David is a 1921 American silent film based on the Joseph Hergesheimer short story. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures....
directed by Henry King
Henry King (director)
Henry King was an American film director.Before coming to film, King worked as an actor in various repertoire theatres, and first started to take small film roles in 1912. He directed for the first time in 1915, and grew to become one of the most commercially successful Hollywood directors of the...
for Inspiration Pictures. The acclaimed film was voted a Photoplay Magazine's medal of honor. Over the next eight years, Yearsley appeared in another twenty films, in secondary or minor roles. One of his more notable roles was in Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. was an American film actor and producer, most famous for his silent comedies....
's 1927 film The Kid Brother
The Kid Brother
The Kid Brother is a 1927 American Classic comedy silent film starring Harold Lloyd. It was successful and popular upon release and today is considered by critics and fans to be one of Lloyd's best films, integrating elements of comedy, romance, drama, and character development...
.
He was married to Grace Yearsley (1895-1967) with whom he had a daughter.
In 1928, Ralph Yearsley committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in Hollywood Hills.