Grant Richards

Career In 1937, he became the first actor in the Federal Theatre Project to gain a film contract, signing with the Major Pictures company.

His films include On Such a Night (1937) and Guns, Girls, and Gangsters (1959). Richards made three guest appearances on Perry Mason: as Jerry Haywood in the 1958 episodes "The Case of the Haunted Husband," and as Captain Kennedy in "The Case of the Sardonic Sargeant"; followed by the role of murder victim George Sherwin in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Missing Melody". He also appeared in several episodes of ABC's The Untouchables.

In 1958, he played the gunfighter and saloon owner Luke Short in an episode of the western series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. In 1962 he played Keeler, a crooked gambler, in The Rifleman episode “Tinhorn”.

Personal life and death During the 1940s, Richards was briefly married to actresses Joan Valerie–with whom he had one daughter–and Jean Stevens, both marriages ending in divorce.

On July 4, 1963, Richards died of leukemia in Hollywood.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1936 Hopalong Cassidy Returns Bob Claiborne 1937 Night of Mystery Philo Vance On Such a Night Nicky Last Love on Toast Clark 'Sandy' Sanford 1938 My Old Kentucky Home Larry Blair Under the Big Top Pablo Le Grande 1939 Risky Business Jack Norman Inside Information Charles Bixby 1940 Isle of Destiny Lt. George Allerton 1942 Just Off Broadway John F. McGonagle - Asst. District Attorney 1959 Guns Girls and Gangsters Joe Darren Inside the Mafia Johnny Lucero The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Police Lt. Jeff Rowan 1960 Oklahoma Territory Bigelow Twelve Hours to Kill Detective Lt. Jim Carnevan The Music Box Kid Chesty Miller 1961 You Have to Run Fast 'Big Jim' Craven Secret of Deep Harbor Rick Correll