Richard Cromwell

Richard Cromwell, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh on January 8, 1910, in Long Beach, California, was an American actor and artist who became a popular leading man during Hollywood’s early sound-film era. The second of five children, he experienced hardship when his father died during the 1918 influenza pandemic. As a teenager, Cromwell earned a scholarship to the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, where he developed his artistic talents. Before achieving success in acting, he worked as an artist, creating paintings, decorative designs, and masks modeled after Hollywood stars. His film career began around 1930, and his youthful appearance and gentle screen presence quickly attracted attention. He gained wider recognition in The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935), alongside Gary Cooper and Franchot Tone, and later appeared in several notable films, including Jezebel (1938), starring Bette Davis, and John Ford’s Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), with Henry Fonda. Although Cromwell enjoyed considerable popularity during the 1930s, his acting career gradually declined, and he made his final film appearances in the late 1940s. In 1945, he married the young actress Angela Lansbury, who would later become famous for her work in film, theater, and television; the marriage ended in divorce in 1946, although they reportedly remained friends. After stepping away from Hollywood, Cromwell devoted more attention to his artistic interests, particularly painting and sculpting decorative masks. In 1960, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and died at his home in Hollywood at the age of 50.