Ross Alexander
Encyclopedia
Ross Alexander was an American
stage and film actor
.
productions during the 1920s. By 1926 he was regarded as a promising leading man, with good looks and an easy and charming style and began appearing in more substantial roles. He was signed to a film contract by Paramount Pictures
but his film debut in The Wiser Sex
(1932) was not a success, so he returned to Broadway. In 1934 he was signed to another film contract, this time by Warner Bros.
and Captain Blood (both 1935). He married actress Aleta Freel
in 1934. The marriage ended the following year when Freel committed suicide on December 7, 1935.
Alexander soon after married another actress, Anne Nagel
with whom he had appeared in the films China Clipper and Here Comes Carter (both 1936). In 1936 he starred in an under-rated Warner comedy that was well written as a business venture type of film, Hot Money. It was a defining role in his persona as a glamorous, wore-clothes-well leading man, not in the usual Warner gangster mold of rough hewn stars like Edward G. Robinson
or Paul Muni
. Warner Bros. had decided by this time that Alexander's potential as an actor was limited, and that his personal problems did not allow him to focus completely on his career. Although they continued casting him in films, the importance of his roles was greatly diminished.
shot herself with two years earlier. His final film, Ready, Willing and Able, was released posthumously.
Lou Cannon
wrote in his book Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power that a young Ronald Reagan
, then working as a radio broadcaster in Iowa, was hired in part by Warner Brothers to replace the recently deceased Alexander.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage and film actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Early life
Born Alexander Ross Smith in Brooklyn, New York, Alexander began his acting career in BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions during the 1920s. By 1926 he was regarded as a promising leading man, with good looks and an easy and charming style and began appearing in more substantial roles. He was signed to a film contract by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
but his film debut in The Wiser Sex
The Wiser Sex
The Wiser Sex is a 1932 crime drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Berthold Viertel and Victor Viertel, and starring Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, Lilyan Tashman, William Boyd and Ross Alexander....
(1932) was not a success, so he returned to Broadway. In 1934 he was signed to another film contract, this time by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Career
Alexander was better suited to the Warner Bros. style of film, and the studio persevered with him, gradually increasing the stature of his roles commensurate with his growing popularity with film audiences. His biggest successes of the period were A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1935 film directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, produced by Henry Blanke and Hal Wallis, and adapted by Charles Kenyon and Mary C. McCall Jr...
and Captain Blood (both 1935). He married actress Aleta Freel
Aleta Freel
Aleta Freel was an American stage actress.- Life and career :Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the daughter of a physician, Freel was educated at the Bergen School for Girls in Jersey City. She graduated from Smith College....
in 1934. The marriage ended the following year when Freel committed suicide on December 7, 1935.
Alexander soon after married another actress, Anne Nagel
Anne Nagel
Anne Nagel was an American actress. She played in adventures, mysteries, and comedies for twenty-five years. She also appeared in television series in the 1950s.-Career:...
with whom he had appeared in the films China Clipper and Here Comes Carter (both 1936). In 1936 he starred in an under-rated Warner comedy that was well written as a business venture type of film, Hot Money. It was a defining role in his persona as a glamorous, wore-clothes-well leading man, not in the usual Warner gangster mold of rough hewn stars like Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
or Paul Muni
Paul Muni
Paul Muni was an Austrian-Hungarian-born American stage and film actor...
. Warner Bros. had decided by this time that Alexander's potential as an actor was limited, and that his personal problems did not allow him to focus completely on his career. Although they continued casting him in films, the importance of his roles was greatly diminished.
Death
With his professional and personal lives in disarray, and deeply in debt, Alexander shot himself in the head in the barn behind his home. Alexander used the same gun his wife Aleta FreelAleta Freel
Aleta Freel was an American stage actress.- Life and career :Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the daughter of a physician, Freel was educated at the Bergen School for Girls in Jersey City. She graduated from Smith College....
shot herself with two years earlier. His final film, Ready, Willing and Able, was released posthumously.
Lou Cannon
Lou Cannon
Louis Cannon is an American journalist, non-fiction author, and biographer. He was state bureau chief for the San Jose Mercury News in the late 1960s, and later senior White House correspondent of the Washington Post during the Reagan administration...
wrote in his book Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power that a young Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, then working as a radio broadcaster in Iowa, was hired in part by Warner Brothers to replace the recently deceased Alexander.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | The Wiser Sex The Wiser Sex The Wiser Sex is a 1932 crime drama film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Berthold Viertel and Victor Viertel, and starring Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, Lilyan Tashman, William Boyd and Ross Alexander.... |
Jimmy O'Neill | |
| 1934 | Social Register Social Register (1934 film) Social Register is a 1934 musical comedy-drama film starring Colleen Moore. The film re-united her with her old friend and one of the first directors to give her film career a start, Marshall Neilan. The film was based on the 1931 play of the same name by Anita Loos and John Emerson.-Story:Patsy... |
Lester Trout | |
| 1934 | Gentlemen Are Born Gentlemen Are Born Gentlemen Are Born is a 1934 drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Franchot Tone.The film's pre-release title was Just Out of College. A news item in Daily Variety notes that Warner Bros. was sued for $250,000 by Ronald Wagoner and James F... |
Tom Martin | |
| 1934 | Flirtation Walk Flirtation Walk Flirtation Walk is a 1934 romantic musical film written by Delmer Daves and Lou Edelman, and directed by Frank Borzage. It focuses on a soldier who falls in love with a general's daughter during the general's brief stop in Hawaii, but she leaves with her father for the Philippines before their... |
Oskie | |
| 1935 | Maybe It's Love | Rims O'Neil | |
| 1935 | Going Highbrow | Harley Marsh | |
| 1935 | We're in the Money | C. Richard Courtney, aka Carter | |
| 1935 | A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film) A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1935 film directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, produced by Henry Blanke and Hal Wallis, and adapted by Charles Kenyon and Mary C. McCall Jr... |
Demetrius - In love with Hermia | |
| 1935 | Shipmates Forever | Lafayette "Sparks" Brown | |
| 1935 | Captain Blood | Jeremy Pitt | |
| 1936 | Boulder Dam | Rusty Noonan | |
| 1936 | Brides Are Like That | Bill McAllister | |
| 1936 | I Married a Doctor | Erik Valborg | |
| 1936 | Hot Money | Chick Randall | |
| 1936 | China Clipper | Tom Collins | |
| 1936 | Here Comes Carter | Kent Carter | Alternative title: The Voice of Scandal |
| 1937 | Ready, Willing, and Able Ready, Willing, and Able (film) Ready, Willing, and Able is a 1937 musical film starring Ruby Keeler and Ross Alexander. It also featured Lee Dixon, Allen Jenkins, Winifred Shaw, Louise Fazenda, and Carolyn Hughes. The director was Ray Enright.... |
Barry Granville | Released posthumously |