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Grant Richards (actor)

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Grant Richards
Richards in Isle of Destiny (1940)
Born
Irwin Jaffe[1]

(1911-12-12)December 12, 1911
DiedJuly 4, 1963(1963-07-04) (aged 51)/
OccupationFilm/TV actor
Years active1936–1963
Spouse(s)Joan Valerie (? – 1943)[1]
Jean Stevens (? – 1945)[2]

Grant Richards (born Irwin Jaffe, December 21, 1911 – July 4, 1963) was an American actor and voice actor, who appeared mainly in movies in the late 1930s through to the late 1950s.

Career

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In 1937, he became the first actor in the Federal Theatre Project to gain a film contract, signing with the Major Pictures company.[3]

His films include On Such a Night (1937) and Guns, Girls, and Gangsters (1959). Richards made three guest appearances on Perry Mason: as Jerry Haywood in the 1958 episodes "The Case of the Haunted Husband," and as Captain Kennedy in "The Case of the Sardonic Sargeant"; followed by the role of murder victim George Sherwin in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Missing Melody". He also appeared in several episodes of ABC's The Untouchables.

In 1958, he played the gunfighter and saloon owner Luke Short in an episode of western series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. In 1962 he played Keeler, a crooked gambler, in The Rifleman episode “Tinhorn”.

Personal life and death

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During the 1940s, Richards was briefly married to actresses Joan Valerie–with whom he had one daughter–and Jean Stevens, both marriages ending in divorce.[1][2]

On July 4, 1963, Richards died of leukemia in Hollywood.[4]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1936 Hopalong Cassidy Returns Bob Claiborne
1937 Night of Mystery Philo Vance
On Such a Night Nicky Last
Love on Toast Clark 'Sandy' Sanford
1938 My Old Kentucky Home Larry Blair
Under the Big Top Pablo Le Grande
1939 Risky Business Jack Norman
Inside Information Charles Bixby
1940 Isle of Destiny Lt. George Allerton
1942 Just Off Broadway John F. McGonagle - Asst. District Attorney
1959 Guns Girls and Gangsters Joe Darren
Inside the Mafia Johnny Lucero
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Police Lt. Jeff Rowan
1960 Oklahoma Territory Bigelow
Twelve Hours to Kill Detective Lt. Jim Carnevan
The Music Box Kid Chesty Miller
1961 You Have to Run Fast 'Big Jim' Craven
Secret of Deep Harbor Rick Correll

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Joan Valerie Gets Second Divorce". The Rhinelander Daily News. February 6, 1943. p. 2. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Actress Wins Divorce As Result of Surprise Party". The Scranton Times. October 22, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Federal Actor Signed". Lincoln Journal Star. Nebraska, Lincoln. United Press. January 20, 1937. p. 2. Retrieved January 16, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "Obituaries: Grant Richards". Variety. July 10, 1963. p. 79. ProQuest 1017103368. Grant Richards, 47, radio-tv-film-legit actor, died of leukemia July 4 in Hollywood.
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