
Person
Ralph Clanton
Acting · 1914–2002
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ralph Clanton (September 11, 1914 - December 29, 2002) was an American character actor. Although his name is not familiar to audiences, he did play a significant supporting role in a classic film which is revived regularly. His most often seen performance is as the Comte De Guiche in the 1950 film Cyrano de Bergerac, the first sound version in English of Edmond Rostand's classic play, and the film for which José Ferrer won his only Academy Award for Best Actor. Besides Ferrer as Cyrano, Clanton was the only holdover from the cast of the 1946 Broadway revival of the play, and would play the role of De Guiche opposite him once more, in a New York City Center production in 1953. In addition to playing De Guiche in "Cyrano", Clanton was featured in seven different episodes of Alfred Hitchcock's television show, as well as making several appearances on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. In 1976, he played the role of George Washington in a PBS television production of Sidney Kingsley's The Patriots, a drama that had itself been produced on the Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1963, but without Clanton. He also played the role of Jasper Delaney on the TV soap operas, Another World and its spinoff, Somerset. He played the role of Mr. Ingram in the sci-fi thriller The 27th Day. He played guest star roles on numerous television series, including Perry Mason, in addition to appearing on Broadway in the role of Claude Nau in Robert Bolt's Vivat! Vivat Regina!, as well as in several Shakespeare productions. One of his last roles was a bit part in the hit Dan Aykroyd - Eddie Murphy film Trading Places, in 1983. In a playbill for the 1946 revival of Cyrano de Bergerac he is listed as a direct descendant of members of the infamous Clanton gang, which took part in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral Description above from the Wikipedia article Ralph Clanton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for

Perry Mason
Mervyn Aldritch

Great Performances
George Washington

American Playhouse
Harper

Hazel
Mr. Williams

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Sir Stephen Hurstwood

77 Sunset Strip
Herbert Goelet

Trading Places
Official #1

Behind Closed Doors
Ed Bailey
The Man from Blackhawk
Williamson

The Absent-Minded Professor
O.J. Turnball (uncredited)
Filmography
- 1983Trading PlacesOfficial #1
- 1982The Shady Hill KidnappingHarper
- 1982American PlayhouseHarper
- 1976The PatriotsGeorge Washington
- 1975Death Be Not ProudFrank Boyden
- 1971They Might Be GiantsSupermarket Manager
- 1971Great PerformancesGeorge Washington
- 1962Panic in Year Zero!Radio Announcer (voice / uncredited)
- 1961HazelMr. Williams
- 1961The Absent-Minded ProfessorO.J. Turnball (uncredited)
- 1959The Man from BlackhawkWilliamson
- 1959Zorro, the AvengerSenor George Brighton
- 195877 Sunset StripHerbert Goelet
- 1958Behind Closed DoorsEd Bailey
- 1957Undersea GirlSam Marvin
- 1957Perry MasonMervyn Aldritch
- 1957No Time to Be YoungMr. Parner
- 1957Johnny TremainGeneral Gage
- 1957Pharaoh's CurseCol. Cross
- 1957The 27th DayMr Ingram
- 1956Hot CarsArthur Markel
- 1956The Vagabond KingDuke of Anjou
- 1955Alfred Hitchcock PresentsSir Stephen Hurstwood
- 1954Out of This WorldRed
- 1953San AntoneNarrator (voice)
- 1950Cyrano de BergeracAntoine Comte de Guiche
- 1950They Were Not DividedDavid
- 1949Canadian PacificOpening Narrator (voice)
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