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Please Help Me Classic Movie Buffs

March 12, 2021

I have had a photo in my possession for decades that shows my father with four other actors. My father, Gene Rizzi, is in the light colored suit at the top of the photo. On the back of the photo, the three other actors below my father are identified as three brothers, Bill, Joe and Ralph. The man at the bottom of the photo is identified as Barry. They were all actors in the late 1930s and early 1940s. That’s all I knew for some time.

I then posted the photo on Facebook and got immense help from two of my high school classmates, Susan Peran and Judy Davis Gibson. Both contributed to my eventually solving part of the mystery. It turns out that the three gentlemen in the second row were brothers William, Joseph and Ralph Bowman. What was confusing was that Ralph Bowman later had his name changed to John Archer through a radio renaming contest before being signed with RKO Pictures. Ralph (John) was associated with Ben Bard Drama, one of the largest and most respected acting schools in Hollywood, California. This is undoubtedly where my father and he met as my father also attended this school at the same time. Ben Bard Drama is also where my father met his first wife, Eve McVeagh.

If you have any information as to who the man in the bottom of the photo is, I would truly appreciate your input. He only is identified as Barry, although he could be Barry Sullivan.

Thanks,

Allen

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12 Comments
  1. DiosRaw permalink

    ♥️

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I wish you all the best with your special researches! Buona serata.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Unfortunately I Can’t Be of Help to you!
    Shera

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Good luck with this one. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  5. The smile reminds me of Barry Fitzsgerald’s. https://www.bing.com/images?FORM=HDRSC2

    Liked by 2 people

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