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Richard WidmarkAdd to My CelebsAge 93 (passed away Mar. 24th, 2008) Birthday Dec. 26th, 1914 Born in Sunrise Township, Minnesota, USA Height 5' 10" |
Richard Widmark's Main TV Roles
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Main Movie Roles2002 - The Kid Stays in the Picture1991 - True Colors 1984 - Against All Odds 1982 - Hanky Panky 1982 - Who Dares Wins 1978 - Coma 1978 - The Swarm 1977 - Rollercoaster 1977 - The Domino Principle 1976 - To the Devil a Daughter 1974 - Murder on the Orient Express 1968 - Madigan 1967 - The Way West 1964 - The Long Ships 1964 - Cheyenne Autumn 1962 - How the West Was Won 1961 - The Secret Ways 1961 - Judgment at Nuremberg 1961 - Two Rode Together 1960 - The Alamo 1959 - Warlock 1958 - The Tunnel of Love 1957 - Time Limit 1956 - The Last Wagon 1954 - Garden of Evil 1954 - Broken Lance 1953 - Pickup on South Street 1952 - Don't Bother To Knock 1951 - The Frogmen 1950 - Night and the City 1950 - Panic in the Streets 1950 - No Way Out 1949 - Slattery's Hurricane 1948 - The Street with No Name 1948 - Road House 1948 - Yellow Sky 1947 - Kiss of Death |
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB
Richard Widmark grew up in Princeton, Illinois, and attended Lake Forest (IL) College, where he first began acting. He taught acting at Lake Forest after graduation until 1938, when he made his radio debut in New York in "Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories." Widmark made his Broadway stage debut in 1943 in "Kiss and Tell." He had been rejected as unsuitable for military service because of a perforated eardrum. In 1947, he got his big break, making film history as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death (1947), beginning a seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox. His hand and footprints were cast in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1949.
After his contract with Fox expired, Widmark went independent. He first appeared on TV as himself in an episode of "I Love Lucy" (1951), and began producing films from the late 1950s. His film career slowed in the 1970s, but he remained active in made-for-TV movies. He starred in his own TV series, "Madigan" (1972), based on his 1968 hit movie, but only six episodes were produced before the show was canceled.
TRIVIA:
- His sole Academy Awards nomination was for best actor in a supporting role for _Kiss of Death (1947)_ (qv) in 1948. Though he had won the Golden Globe for the role, he lost the Oscar to 'Edmund Gwenn' (qv) in _Miracle on 34th Street (1947)_ (qv).
- Was honored with a retrospective of his films by the Museum of Modern Art (New York, New York) in May 2001.
- Activist for strengthening gun control laws in the United States.
- When _Kiss of Death (1947)_ (qv) was released to theaters in 1947, 20th Century Fox's publicity department encouraged theater owners to "Sell Richard Widmark!" Fox's publicity manual advised theaters to have a local printer make up "Wanted" with Widmark's face on them to advertise the film, in which he made his debut. The part was small, but Widmark made it one of the most indelible performances in the history of cinema.
- He was the Friday night host for CBS Radio's "Sears Mystery Theater" (1979).
- Born to Carl Widmark, a salesman, and his wife Ethal Mae.
- When his contract at Fox expired in 1954 after seven years, he deliberately went independent in order to have more artistic control over his films. He formed his own company, Heath Productions.
- He has significantly contributed to the preservation of land and nature in his adopted hometown of Roxbury, Connecticut. As one of the founding members of the Roxbury Land Trust, he has tenaciously worked to preserve the pristine character of the Litchfield County town which has been the long-time home of celebrities the likes of 'Arthur Miller (I)' (qv), 'Marilyn Monroe' (qv), and artist 'Alexander Calder' (qv). Actor and Widmark's friend, 'Walter Matthau' (qv) also owned property in bucolic Roxbury and at Widmark's urging, Matthau made a generous contribution of property to the trust shortly before his death.
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