Ralph Foody

Ralph Wesley Foody (November 13, 1928 – November 21, 1999)[1] was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Johnny in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Ralph Foody
Born
Ralph Wesley Foody

(1928-11-13)November 13, 1928
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 1999(1999-11-21) (aged 71)
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Resting placeLexington Cemetery, Lexington
OccupationActor
Years active1965–1992
Notable workHome Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Early life

Foody was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 13, 1928.

Career

Foody had several screen credits from the 1980s, including the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Raw Deal and 1991's Dillinger, which featured fellow gangster actor Lawrence Tierney.

In 1990, Foody played 1930s mobster Johnny in the 1990 film Home Alone and its 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.[2] As Johnny, Foody appears in two black-and-white gangster films-within-the-films Angels with Filthy Souls and its sequel Angels with Even Filthier Souls (both are a parody of the 1938 film Angels with Dirty Faces by Warner Bros.).[3] His appearances are notable for the famous catchphrases 'Keep the change ya filthy animal' and 'Merry Christmas ya filthy animal — and a Happy New Year'.[4] His appearance in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was also his final film role. Originally, he was intended to play Snakes, the character whom Johnny kills in the first Angels with Filthy Souls and Michael Guido was to play Johnny. However, having just undergone a knee replacement surgery, he was unable to do the death scene where Snakes drops to his knees, leading to the roles being reversed.[5]

Foody also played Det. Cragie, the alcoholic and the negligent Chicago cop in Code of Silence, as well as the police dispatcher in The Blues Brothers. He was also known for his incredible wit and was often referred to as "The Witster" on set.

After filming Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Foody retired from acting. He moved to Lexington, Kentucky where he remained until his death.

Death

Foody died of cancer in 1999 at age 71.[6]

Filmography
Year Title Role Director Notes
1965 Mickey One Police Captain Arthur Penn
1980 The Blues Brothers Chicago Police Dispatcher John Landis
1981 Chicago Story Sergeant Hesper Harvey S. Laidman & Jerry London Made-for-TV movie
1984 The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck Bit Role Simon Langton Made-for-TV movie
1985 Lady Blue Howe Gary Nelson Made into TV series
Lady Blue Captain Flynn Various 14 episodes
Code of Silence Detective Cragie Andrew Davis Chuck Norris film
1986 Raw Deal Captain Sam Joyce John Irvin
Vice Versa Doorman Brian Gilbert
1988 Above the Law Federal Clerk Andrew Davis
Betrayed Lyle Costa-Gavras
1989 The Package Building Manager Andrew Davis
Music Box Pawn Broker Costa-Gavras
Cold Justice Ernie Terry Green
1990 Gabriel's Fire Hot Dog Vendor Robert Lieberman Episode; "Gabriel's Fire"
Home Alone Gangster Johnny Chris Columbus In the scene from a film on TV "Angels with Filthy Souls"
1991 Curly Sue Drifter John Hughes
1992 Straight Talk Desk Clerk Barnet Kellman
The Babe Pittsburgh Man Arthur Hiller Bit role
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Gangster Johnny Chris Columbus In the scene from a film on TV "Angels with Even Filthier Souls" (final acting role)

References
  1. "Ralph Foody". ancestry.com. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  2. King, Darryn (December 21, 2015). ""Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal": Inside the Making of Home Alone's Fake Gangster Movie". Vanity Fair.
  3. Parker, Ryan (November 23, 2020). "'Home Alone' Film 'Angels with Filthy Souls' Turns 82 — Kind Of". The Hollywood Reporter.
  4. Tisdale, Jennifer (December 24, 2021). "We're Gonna Give You Till the Count of 10 to Tell Us if 'Angels With Filthy Souls' Is Real". Distractify.
  5. ""Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal": Inside the Making of Home Alone's Fake Gangster Movie". Vanity Fair. 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  6. "Ex-actor, arts patron Ralph Foody dies at 71". Kentucky Room. Archived from the original on 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
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