When you are so tall that the government will not allow you to enlist to fight in a war because your height makes you a target, what do you do? Ralph Madsen, who had tried to enlist with both the United States and Canada was in that very situation during World War I, but he was not allowed to join because he couldn’t hide easily in the trenches. Luckily for Madsen, he had other possibilities and turned his height into an asset.
Source: (Rare Historical Photos).
Although he was unusually tall, he was not the tallest man in the world; that title belongs to Robert Madlow, who was born in 1918 and had a pituitary gland disorder which caused him to grow to reach a height of 8 feet, 11.1 inches tall. Madsen was also not the only really tall individual to capitalize on his height; around the same time, Jack Earle, who was taller than Madsen, at 8 feet, 6.5 inches, became a silent film actor at a young age and traveled with Ringling Bros. for 14 years. Madsen followed a similar path to Earle’s.
Finding His Niche
Madsen shaking hands with Senator Morris Sheppard in 1919. Source: (Rare Historical Photos/Colorized).
While Madsen may not have been the tallest man in the world or the tallest actor in Hollywood, he was able to become the “tallest cowboy,” and became known as “Tex.”
He Really Was A Cowboy
Madsen shaking hands with Senator Morris Sheppard in 1919. Source: (Rare Historical Photos).
Madsen, who was born on April 19, 1897, in Norfolk, Nebraska, stood taller than 7 feet 6 inches and weighed 228 pounds. Despite his height, his parents and siblings were all medium height. Madsen’s hands and shoes were not proportional to his stature, as he wore a size nine shoe and had average-sized hands; this was unusual for a person of his stature. He lived on a ranch most of his life and spent a good amount of that time in a saddle. He learned veterinary skills during his time on the ranch, and he became an authority on farm animals.
He Attracted Attention Wherever He Went
Madsen greeting Barbara Carlson, in Santa Monica, California. 1932. Source: (Rare Historical Photos).
He found work in sideshows and at fairs for years, and, in 1919, made an appearance on Broadway, although not in the way you might think. The article from September 18, 1919, reported that a “Tall Texan Stops Traffic.” At the time, he was 22, and, according to the Times, he first appeared “shortly after noon in Times Square, and so great was the crowd which gathered to see him that the traffic policeman asked him either to sit down or move on. Madsen moved and the crowd followed.” The Times also indicated that he was a “motion picture actor” and was visiting cities in the East to promote his films. He had also visited President Wilson during the trip.
His Hollywood Career
In Mama's Little Pirate with George "Spanky" McFarland. Source: (IMDb).
The Times got something wrong though: they claimed he was a native of Ranger, Texas, although this claim may have come because his manager, Sam Houston, promoted him as a Texas native, and this may have been where the name "Tex" came from. A flyer from Houston promoting him as he toured, read, “Ask Mr. Madsen anything about a horse, or a domestic animal, he is always ready to talk intelligently on animals or farms. So many people ask him foolish questions in order to appear ridiculous, he is quite witty and goes them one better.”
His Wedding
His wedding. Source: (Rare Historical Photos).
As an actor, he had a few appearances, although it appears he was typecast. In 1928, he was “Tall Man” in The Sideshow with Marie Prevost, Ralph Graves, and Little Billy Rhodes. That same year, he played the role of “Giant” in 3-Ring Marriage with Mary Astor. In 1934, he was cast in the role “Cardiff Giant” in The Mighty Barnum with Wallace Beery. He also appeared as “Giant” in a Little Rascals’ film, Mama’s Little Pirate (1934).
In 1932, he married Verne Marie Rice, who was a mere 5’5” tall. The wedding took place at Romona Village, in Los Angeles. In 1948, he died at the age of 51 in Norfolk, Nebraska.
