Ralph Truman
Birthday: 1900-05-07 | Place of Birth: London, England, UKVeteran British character player Ralph Truman was a pioneer radio actor and appeared in over 5000 broadcasts during his career. Born in London at the turn of the century, his overall film career was commendable but less enviable than his voice work on the airwaves. Originally from the stage, he had just finished a run of "Josef Suss" in 1930 when he moved directly into films, making his unbilled debut in the early talkie Farewell to Love (1931). Throughout the 1930s he would be found steadily in "B" films including The Bells (1931), That's My Uncle (1935), The Lad (1935), Mr. Cohen Takes a Walk (1935), Under the Red Robe (1937) and Dinner at the Ritz (1937). In the 1940s the distinctively balding, hook-nosed actor found featured work in more important films such as his Mountjoy in Laurence Olivier's stellar Shakespearean piece Henry V (1944). A natural for period settings, Truman played the nefarious Monks in Oliver Twist (1948), and was part of the large-scale proceedings in Christopher Columbus (1949) and Treasure Island (1950), giving animated Robert Newton a run for the money in the latter with a ripe, over-the-top pirate performance as George Merry. Married to fellow radio artist Ellis Powell, he was best known in later years for playing men of high ranking or position (lords, captains, admirals, governors, etc.). He retired after appearing in two final period epics: Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Lady Caroline Lamb (1972). He passed away a few years later. - IMDb mini biography by: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
Known For
Acting
Role
as Admiral Bensen
as Sir Robert Wyvern
as John Dowling
as Buchanan
as Major Cross
as Sir Richard
as Wainwright
as Clarendon
as Duc de Castro
as Monks
as George Merry
as Richard Brinsley Sheridan
as Scowler
as Gov. Hotham
as Inspector Waterson
as Maj. Sandor Balinkay
as Merryvale
as Lord Mandeville
as Mountjoy - The French Herald
as Captain
as Horace Chandler
as Sir Nathan Israel
