John Arthur Kennedy (February 17, 1914January 5, 1990) was an American actor, known for his versatility in supporting film roles and his ability to create "an exceptional honesty and naturalness on stage", especially in the original casts of Arthur Miller plays on Broadway.
Over his career, Kennedy was nominated for five Academy Awards (four for Best Supporting Actor, once for Best Actor). He won the 1949 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Miller's Death of a Salesman, and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the 1955 film Trial.
Early life and education
Kennedy was born on February 17, 1914, in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Helen (née Thompson) and John Timothy "J.T." Kennedy, a dentist. He attended South High School, Worcester, and graduated from Worcester Academy. He studied drama at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduating with a B.A. in 1934.
Career
Kennedy moved to New York City and, billed as John Kennedy, joined the Group Theatre. He then toured with a classical repertory company. In September 1937, he made his Broadway debut as Bushy in Maurice Evans' Richard II at the St. James Theatre. In 1939 he played Sir Richard Vernon in Evans' Henry IV, Part 1.
Honors
Kennedy has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for Motion Pictures and one for Television, at 6681 Hollywood Blvd. and 1620 Vine St., respectively.
Personal life
Kennedy married Mary Cheffey in March 1938. They had two children: actress Laurie Kennedy and Terence.
Death
During the last years of his life, Kennedy had thyroid cancer and eye disease. He spent much of his later life in Savannah, Georgia, out of the public eye. He died of cancer on January 5, 1990 at age 75.
Filmography
Film
- City for Conquest (1940) as Eddie Kenny
- High Sierra (1941) as Red
- Knockout (1941) as Johnny Rocket
- Strange Alibi (1941) as Joe Geary
- Bad Men of Missouri (1941) as Jim Younger
- Highway West (1941) as George Foster
- They Died with Their Boots On (1941) as Ned Sharp
- Desperate Journey (1942) as Flying Officer Jed Forrest
- Reconnaissance Pilot (1943, documentary short) as Decoration Announcer (voice, uncredited)
- Resisting Enemy Interrogation (1944) as Sgt. Alfred Mason (uncredited)
- Ditch and Live (1944, Short) as Captain Scott H. Reynolds (uncredited)
- Time to Kill (1945, Short) as Narrator (uncredited)
- Target – Invisible (1945, documentary short) as Narrator (uncredited)
- Devotion (1946) as Branwell Brontë
- It's Your America (1946, Short) as Soldier (uncredited)
- Boomerang (1947) as John Waldron
- Cheyenne (1947) as Chalk
- The Walking Hills (1949) as Chalk
- Champion (1949) as Connie
- The Window (1949) as Ed Woodry
- Too Late for Tears (1949) as Alan Palmer
- Chicago Deadline (1949) as Tommy Ditman
- The Glass Menagerie (1950) as Tom Wingfield
- Bright Victory (1951) as Larry Nevins
- Red Mountain (1951) as Lane Waldron
- Bend of the River (1952) as Emerson Cole
- Rancho Notorious (1952) as Vern Haskell
- The Girl in White (1952) as Dr. Ben Barringer
- The Lusty Men (1952) as Wes Merritt
- Impulse (1954) as Alan Curtis
- Crashout (1955) as Joe Quinn
- The Man From Laramie (1955) as Vic Hansbro
- The Desperate Hours (1955) as Deputy Sheriff Jesse Bard
- Trial (1955) as Barney
- The Naked Dawn (1955) as Santiago
- The Rawhide Years (1956) as Rick Harper
- Peyton Place (1957) as Lucas Cross
- Twilight for the Gods (1958) as First Mate Ramsay
- Some Came Running (1958) as Frank Hirsh
- Home Is the Hero (1959) as Willie O'Reilly
- A Summer Place (1959) as Bart Hunter
- Elmer Gantry (1960) as Jim Lefferts
- Claudelle Inglish (1961) as Clyde Inglish
- Murder, She Said (1961) as Dr. Quimper
- Barabbas (1961) as Pontius Pilate
- Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962) as Dr. Adams
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962) as Jackson Bentley
- Attack and Retreat (1964) as Ferro Maria Ferri
- Cheyenne Autumn (1964) as Doc Holliday
- Murieta (1965) as Capt. Love
- Joy in the Morning (1965) as Patrick Brown
- Nevada Smith (1966) as Bill Bowdre
- Fantastic Voyage (1966) as Dr. Duval
- Monday's Child (1967) as Peter Richardson
- Day of the Evil Gun (1968) as Owen Forbes
- A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die (1968) as Tuscosa Marshal Roy W. Colby
- Anzio (1968) as Maj. Gen. Jack Lesley
- Hail, Hero! (1969) as Albert Dixon
- Shark! (1969) as Doc
- My Old Man's Place (1971) as Walter Pell
- I Kiss the Hand (1973) as Don Angelino Ferrante
- Ricco the Mean Machine (1973) as Don Vito
- Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) as The Inspector
- The Antichrist (1974) as Bishop Ascanio Oderisi
- Killer Cop (1975) as Armando Di Federico
- The Tough Ones (1976) as Ruini
- As of Tomorrow (1976) as Mike Jannacone
- La spiaggia del desiderio (1976) as Antonio
- The Sentinel (1977) as Monsignor Franchino
- Nine Guests for a Crime (1977) as Uberto
- Gli ultimi angeli (1978) as Uncle
- Bermuda: Cave of the Sharks (1978) as Mr. Jackson
- Cyclone (1978) as The Priest
- Porco mondo (1978) as Senator Merelli
- Covert Action (1978) as Maxwell
- The Humanoid (1979) as Dr. Kraspin
- Signs of Life (1989) as Owen Coughlin
- Grandpa (1990) (final film role)
Television
- Ford Theatre (1954, 1 episode) as Larry Morton
- Ethel Barrymore Theatre (1956, 1 episode)
- Schilling Playhouse (1958, 1 episode)
- The Ten Commandments (1959, TV Movie)
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1959, 1 episode) as Sam Carter
- Our American Heritage (1959-60, 2 episodes) as Alexander Hamilton
- General Electric Theater (1960, 1 episode) as Whitney Barton)
- Playhouse 90 (1960, 1 episode) as Paul Heller
- NBC Sunday Showcase (1960, 1 episode) as Alexander Hamilton
- Alcoa Premiere (1961, 1 episode) as Dr. Harry A. Wilmer
- The DuPont Show of the Week (1962-64, 2 episodes) as Hans Maasdijk, Colin Ryan
- Espionage (1963, 1 episode) as Ed Pierce
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1964, 1 episode) as Dr. Walter Meade Taylor
- Suspense (1964, 1 episode) as Sgt. Mike Kenny
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1964, 1 episode) as Keith Hollands
- ABC Stage 67 (1966, 2 episodes) as Lt. Hammond, Narrator
- CBS Playhouse (1969, 1 episode) as Rome
- The Movie Murderer (1970, TV Movie) as Angus MacGregor
- A Death of Innocence (1971, TV Movie) as Mark Hirsch
- Crawlspace (1972, TV Movie) as Albert Graves
- The Man from Independence (1974, TV Movie) as Tom Pendergast
- The President's Plane Is Missing (1973, TV Movie) as Gunther Damon
- Nakia (1974, 14 episodes) as Sheriff Sam Jericho
- I figli del vento (1989, TV Movie)
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Institution
!Year
!Category
!Work
!Result
!
|-
| rowspan="5" |Academy Awards
|1950
|Best Supporting Actor
|Champion
|
|
|-
|1952
|Best Actor
|Bright Victory
|
|
|-
|1956
| rowspan="3" |Best Supporting Actor
|Trial
|
|
|-
|1958
|Peyton Place
|
|
|-
|1959
|Some Came Running
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Golden Globes
|1952
|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
|Bright Victory
|
|
|-
|1956
|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
|Trial
|
|
|}
References
External links
- Arthur Kennedy at Turner Classic Movies
- Photographs of Arthur Kennedy tombstone, Nova Scotia.
- Literature on Arthur Kennedy