Ralph M. Like Biography

A Hollywood sound engineer, Ralph Martin Like purchased the Charles Ray studio at Hollywood's Sunset Drive in 1927, renaming it International Film Corp. and renting the stages to Poverty Row company Sono Art-World Wide. While still performing sound technician duties for Sono Art, Like founded Action Pictures in 1931 to produce low-budget vehicles for his then-wife, the pretty if somewhat talent-challenged Blanche Mehaffey. The company changed its name to Mayfair Pictures Corp. the following year, but the fare stayed the same: very low-budget action thrillers featuring either former silent luminaries then down on their luck or hopeful newcomers. The company folded in late 1934, and Like returned to sound engineering. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi