Richard Cromwell

Biography

Richard Cromwell was an American actor, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh in Long Beach, California, in 1910, whose screen career began when he auditioned in 1930 for a remake of the silent Tol'able David and won the part over thousands of hopefuls. It was Harry Cohn who supplied his screen name and started him at Columbia, where the box office success of that first film led to a multi-year contract. The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935), with Gary Cooper and Franchot Tone, may have been the film that first assured his fame, and it earned Paramount a Best Picture nomination. His career reached its peak with Jezebel (1938), opposite Bette Davis and Henry Fonda, and John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), again with Fonda. Other credits included King of Jazz (1930), Emma (1932) and Baby Face Morgan (1942). He died in 1960.

50years old at death

Born January 8, 1910Long Beach
Died October 11, 1960Hollywood
Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Also credited as Roy Radabaugh and LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh

Movie Career

Films: 4
Career span: 7 years1935 to 1942

Every film, newest first

1942Baby Face MorganIMDb rating 5.2
1939Young Mr. LincolnIMDb rating 7.5
1938JezebelIMDb rating 7.4
1935The Lives of a Bengal LancerIMDb rating 7.0

Genres

Did you know?!

Big break
Richard Cromwell won the lead in Tol'able David (1930) after friends urged him to audition on a whim, beating thousands of hopefuls for the role.
Big break
Marie Dressler insisted her studio bosses cast Cromwell opposite her in Emma (1932), a loan-out that helped sustain his rising Hollywood status.
Early training
Richard Cromwell, born Radabaugh, enrolled as a teenager at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, where he attended on a scholarship.
A change of course
Cromwell ran a Hollywood shop selling pictures and making lampshades, and he designed color schemes for houses, which included decorating a bathroom for Colleen Moore.
Getting ready for a role
For This Day and Age (1933), director Cecil B. DeMille had high school student Horace Hahn read the script to ensure Cromwell's character used current slang.