Born June 17, 1904 in Chicago, Illinois, Ralph Bellamy’s father was from New England, his mother was from Canada. He ran away from home at 15 to become an actor. He traveled with numerous road shows, and by 1927 had his own theatre company. He made his film debut in 1931’s The Secret Six starring Wallace Beery.

The affable Bellamy worked in films throughout the 1930s, peaking with 1937’s The Awful Truth for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1940, the prolific actor had major supporting roles in His Girl Friday, Brother Orchid, and Dance, Girl, Dance among others, and then starred in the first of a series of films based on the Ellery Queen detective novels. His 1941 output included three more Ellery Queen films and a major role in the classic horror film, The Wolf Man. He then appeared in such films as 1942’s Lady in a Jam, 1943’s Stage Door Canteen, 1944’s Guest in the House, and 1945’s Delightfully Dangerous and Lady on a Train.

Bellamy was off the screen for ten years from 1945-1955. In 1945 starred in the Broadway hit State of the Union in the role that Spencer Tracy would play in the 1948 film version. In 1949 he starred in Detective Story in the role that Kirk Douglas would play in the 1951 film version. From 1949-1954 he starred in the TV detective series, Man Against Crime and in guest starring roles in various TV dramas. He returned to the screen in 1955’s The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell in support of Gary Cooper.

In 1956, Bellamy played Franklin Delano Roosevelt pre-presidency in Sunrise at Campobello for which he won a Tony for Best Actor. He reprised the role in the 1960 film version.

TV took up much of Bellamy’s time in the 1960s, but he did have memorable big screen roles in 1966’s The Professionals and 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby. His most memorable role in the 1970s was in 1977’s Oh, God! . In the 1980s, he and Don Ameche enlivened the 1983 hit, Trading Places and he played FDR again in two miniseries, 1984’s The Winds of War and 1986’s War and Remembrance. At the 1986 Oscars, he was given an honorary award for his distinguished service to acting.

In two films in 1988, Coming to America and The Good Mother, Bellamy’s last film was 1990’s Pretty Woman.

Bellamy married four times, the last was in 1949 to Alice Murphy who survived him.

Ralph Bellamy died November 29, 1991. He was 87.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937), directed by Leo McCarey

Nominated for 6 Oscars and winner of one – Best Director Leo McCarey, this beloved classic comedy also earned nominations for Best Picture, Actress (Irene Dunne), Supporting Actor (Bellamy), Screenplay, and Editing. Dunne and Cary Grant, in the role that made him a superstar, play a newly divorced couple with Bellamy heading the supporting cast as the oil-rich bumpkin Dunne becomes engaged to while still having feelings for Grant. Bellamy’s scenes with Dunne, Grant, Esther Dale as his mother, and Cecil Cunningham as Dunne’s aunt are pure comic gold, as is the rest of the film.

HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940), directed by Howard Hawks

Hawks’ rapid-fire remake of The Front Page turns the ace reporter played by Pat O’Brien in the earlier version to Rosalind Russell in a legendary performance opposite Cary Grant in the Adolfe Menjou role as the editor who will do anything to keep her from leaving to marry straitlaced insurance salesman Bellamy. The strong supporting cast also includes Gene Lockhart, John Qualen, Helen Mack, and the formidable Alma Kruger as Bellamy’s mother. Bellamy’s next film was the equally fine Dance, Girl, Dance in which he co-starred with Maureen O’Hara and Lucille Ball.

SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO (1960), directed by Vincent J. Donehue

Bellamy had the role of his career reprising his Tony award-winning role of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his pre-presidential bought with polio. It was nominated for 4 Oscars including one for Best Actress contender Greer Garson in her late career triumph as Eleanor Roosevelt. Garson had won both the National Board of Review award and a Golden Globe for her performance while losing the New York Film Critics award to Deborah Kerr in The Sundowners and the Oscar to Elizabeth Taylor in BUtterfield 8. Bellamy sadly failed to be nominated for any of the major awards.

ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968), directed by Roman Polanski

In a rare villainous role, Bellamy was the nefarious doctor in league with devil who oversees Mia Farrow’s pregnancy in this modern horror film based on Ira Levin’s bestseller. He is as terrifying in his role as Oscar winner Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer are in their lowkey way as Farrow’s neighbors. A huge hit at the time, it was underappreciated by the Oscars where its only other nomination was for adapted screenplay, Polanski’s consolation prize for not being nominated for his astute direction. Star Mia Farrow was also shockingly overlooked although she was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

TRADING PLACES (1983), directed by John Landis

Bellamy and fellow veteran Don Ameche re-emerged as callous millionaires whose bet sets off the action between Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd in this classic comedy in which the two characters switch lives. Co-starring Denholm Elliott and Jamie Lee Curtis, this box-office smash hit led to the resurrection of their careers for both Bellamy and Ameche, with Ameche winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar two leaders later for Cocoon and Bellamy winning an honorary Oscar the year after that for his unique artistry and distinguished service to the acting profession.

RALPH BELAMY AND OSCAR

• The Awful Truth (1937) – nominated – Best Supporting Actor
• Honorary Award (1986) – Oscar –
  For his unique artistry and his distinguished service to the profession of acting. < /li>