Morgan, Ralph

(1883-1956)

   Born Ralph Wupperman in New York, Ralph Morgan worked as a lawyer before turning to the stage in 1908. He appeared in Clyde Fitch's The Bachelor (1909), but his first notable Broadway success came in Avery Hopwood's comedy Fair and Warmer (1915), which was followed by a succession of roles demonstrating his versatility, including Lightnin' (1918) and Cobra (1924). He replaced Tom Powers in the important role of Charlie Marsden in Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer PRizE-winning drama Strange Interlude (1928). Much of the rest of Morgan's career was spent in character roles in motion pictures. He occasionally returned to the stage as late as 1952 in the musical Three Wishes for Jamie, but he was somewhat less celebrated than his younger brother, Frank Morgan.