Richard Theodore "Ted" Adams, the son of vaudeville performers, began his career as a performer in his parents' troupe at a young age. He attended Cornell University at 18, followed by three years of stock work before moving to New York City to pursue stage work. Adams spent over half his life on the stage, performing in various productions, including Porter Emerson Browne's play "The Bad Man" alongside his friend Leo Carrillo, and the Broadway production of "Kongo" starring Walter Huston.
Adams made his transition to films around 1926, with his earliest documented role being that of a doctor in Rayart's "The Road Agent" (1926),starring Al Hoxie. He made his sound-film debut in 1930's "Under Texas Skies" (1930),starring Bob Custer. Adams quickly established himself in westerns, working almost exclusively in over 200 films for 25 years. He became a mainstay performer, often playing lead villains, for low-budget film studios such as Supreme, Metropolitan, Puritan, Colony, and Victory in the 1930s, and PRC and Monogram in the 1940s. He also appeared in films from Republic, Columbia, Paramount, and Universal.
Adams continued to work in films until his role in Bill Elliott's "Kansas Territory" (1952) for Monogram Pictures, and some TV work on Russell Hayden's "Cowboy G-Men" (1952) TV series. He eventually retired from acting at the age of 62, living quietly in retirement until his death from heart disease at the age of 83. At the time of his death, September 24, 1973, Adams was a widower and residing at Braewood Convalescence Hospital in South Pasadena. His cremated remains were placed at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.
