Biography
A protégé of musical comedy star
Beatrice Lillie in his native England, actor Stanley Ridges made his London stage debut in O' Boy. He went on to star as a romantic lead in several Broadway plays, and was cast in a similar capacity in his first film, the New York-lensed
Crime of Passion (1934). Thereafter, the grey-templed Ridges excelled in dignified, underplayed, and distinctly non-British character roles. His best film assignments included the schizophrenic professor-turned-criminal in
Black Friday (1940) (it would be unfair to say that he "stole" the picture from official star
Boris Karloff, but he
did have the best part), and the treacherous Professor Seletzky in
Ernst Lubitsch's matchless black comedy
To Be or Not to Be (1942). One of Stanley Ridges' last movie performances was as the kindly mentor of young doctor
Sidney Poitier in the race-relations melodrama
No Way Out (1950). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide