“THE HOLMES ACTING DYNASTY: FROM STAGE TO SCREEN” - 11/24/25  (115)

When we think of the great acting family dynasties of Hollywood, we often think of the Barrymores, the Carradines, or the Fondas, but today we’ll be discussing another acting dynasty that may not be as familiar, but is every bit as interesting. The HOLMES family consisted of prolific character actor TAYLOR HOLMES, whose career spanned from Broadway to film to TV, his actress wife, EDNA PHILLIPS, and their talented children, PHILLIPS HOLMES, a leading man of the early 1930s, MADELEINE TAYLOR HOLMES, a gifted character performer in her own right, and actor RALPH HOLMES, whose early promise was tragically cut short. Joining us is special guest actress/musician MICHELLE HOLMES, who is a cousin of Taylor Holmes. Together, we’ll explore how the Holmes family helped shape the Golden Age of Hollywood — and how their influence still lingers today.

SHOW NOTES: 

Sources:

Wikipedia.com;

TCM.com;

IBDB.com;

IMDBPro.com;

Movies Mentioned:

Fool For Luck (1917);

Ruggles of Red Gap (1918);

Kiss of Death (1947);

Nightmare Alley (1947);

Joan of Arc (1948);

A Christmas Carol (1949);

Father of the Bride (1950);

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953);

Sleeping Beauty (1959);

An American Tragedy (1931);

Broken Lullaby (1932);

Dinner at Eight (1933);

Nana (1934);

Great Expectations (1934); 

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976);

Fatso (1980);

Undersea Kingdom (1936);

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