Editing Arthur Kennedy

{{Short description|American actor (1914{{ndash}}1990)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Arthur Kennedy
| image         = Brandon deWilde Arthur Kennedy Stage 67 1966.JPG
| caption       = Kennedy (right) in ''Stage 67'' (1966)
| birth_name    = John Arthur Kennedy
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1914|2|17}}
| birth_place   = [[Worcester, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1990|1|5|1914|2|17}}
| death_place   = [[Branford, Connecticut]], U.S.
| education     = [[Carnegie Mellon University]] ([[Bachelor of Fine Arts|BFA]])
| occupation    = Actor
| years_active  = 1937–1990
| spouse        = {{marriage|Mary Cheffey|1938|1975|end=died}}
| children      = 2
}}

'''John Arthur Kennedy''' (February 17, 1914{{spaced ndash}}January 5, 1990) was an American stage and film 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.<ref name=NYTObit>James C. McKinley Jr., "Arthur Kennedy, Actor, 75, Dies; Was Versatile in Supporting Roles", ''The New York Times'', 7 Jan 1990, p. 30,  The New York Times (1851–2007)</ref> He won the 1949 [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]] for Miller's ''[[Death of a Salesman]]''. He also won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor]] for the 1955 film ''[[Trial (film)|Trial]]'', and was a five-time [[Academy Award]] nominee.

== 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 Mellon University|Carnegie Institute of Technology]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], graduating with a B.A. in 1934.<ref name=ANB>Melissa Vickery-Bareford, [http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-01923.html "Kennedy, John Arthur"], ''American National Biography Online'', (Feb. 2000), accessed 13 Nov 13 2011.</ref>

==Career==
Kennedy moved to New York City and, billed as John Kennedy, joined the [[Group Theatre (New York)|Group Theatre]]. He then toured with a classical repertory company. In September 1937, he made his Broadway debut as Bushy in [[Maurice Evans (actor)|Maurice Evans']] ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'' at the [[St. James Theatre]]. In 1939 he played Sir Richard Vernon in Evans' ''[[Henry IV, Part 1]]''.<ref name=ANB/>

Kennedy's first film role was of [[James Cagney]]'s younger brother in ''[[City for Conquest]]'' in 1940. He appeared in many [[Western film]]s and police dramas.

Kennedy appeared in many notable films from the early 1940s through mid-1960s, including ''[[High Sierra (film)|High Sierra]]'', ''[[Champion (1949 film)|Champion]]'', ''[[They Died with Their Boots On]]'', ''[[The Glass Menagerie (1950 film)|The Glass Menagerie]]'', ''[[The Desperate Hours (1955 film)|The Desperate Hours]]'', ''[[Trial (1955 film)|Trial]]'', ''[[Peyton Place (film)|Peyton Place]]'', ''[[Some Came Running (film)|Some Came Running]]'', ''[[A Summer Place (film)|A Summer Place]]'', ''[[Elmer Gantry (film)|Elmer Gantry]]'', ''[[The Man from Laramie]]'', ''[[Barabbas (1961 film)|Barabbas]]'', ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'', ''[[Nevada Smith]]'' and ''[[Fantastic Voyage]]''.

Of Kennedy's film work, he is perhaps best-remembered for his collaborations with director [[Anthony Mann]] and co-star [[James Stewart]] on ''[[Bend of the River]]'' (1952) and ''[[The Man from Laramie]]'' (1955), in both of which he played sympathetic villains.

He also enjoyed a distinguished stage career over the same period, receiving a [[Tony Award]] for his role of [[Biff Loman]] in [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' (1949). He inaugurated three other major characters in Miller plays: Chris Keller in ''[[All My Sons]]'' (1947), [[John Proctor (convicted witch)|John Proctor]] in ''[[The Crucible]]'' (1953) and [[Walter Franz]] in ''[[The Price (play)|The Price]]'' (1968). In 1961 he played the title role in ''[[Becket]]'', opposite [[Laurence Olivier]] as Henry II.

On February 5, 1959, Kennedy appeared on the episode "Make It Look Good" of [[CBS]]'s ''[[Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre]]''.{{Citation needed |date=January 2021}}

In 1974, Kennedy was a regular on the short-lived [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[police drama]] ''[[Nakia (TV series)|Nakia]]'', as Sheriff Sam Jericho.

=== Waning interest, ill-health, then comeback ===

With the death of his wife in 1975, failing eyesight, alcoholism, and thyroid cancer, Kennedy was reported as having lost interest in filmmaking. After ''[[Covert Action (film)|Covert Action]]'' (1978), his next films were ''[[The Humanoid (1979 film)|The Humanoid]]'' (1979) and ''[[Signs of Life (1989 film)|Signs of Life]]'' (1989).<ref name=NYT1989>Glenn Collins, "Arthur Kennedy: Comeback for a Curmudgeon", ''The New York Times'', 30 Apr 1989, p H24, The New York Times (1851–2007).</ref>

== Awards and honors ==

In 1949, Kennedy won a [[Tony Award]] for best supporting actor as Biff in Arthur Miller's ''Death of a Salesman'' at the [[Morosco Theatre]].<ref name=ANB/>

The New York Film Critics named him Best Actor for ''[[Bright Victory]]'' (1951).<ref name=ANB/>

His performance in ''[[Trial (1955 film)|Trial]]'' won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.<ref name=ANB/>

His portrayal of the newspaper reporter in ''[[Elmer Gantry (film)|Elmer Gantry]]'' (1960) gained him a Film Daily Award and a Limelight Award.<ref name=ANB/>

=== Oscar nominations ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Film
! Winner
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor#1940s|1949]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| ''[[Champion (1949 film)|Champion]]''
| [[Dean Jagger]] – ''[[Twelve O'Clock High]]''
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor#1950s|1951]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| ''[[Bright Victory]]''
| [[Humphrey Bogart]] – ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]''
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor#1950s|1955]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| ''[[Trial (1955 film)|Trial]]''
| [[Jack Lemmon]] – ''[[Mister Roberts (1955 film)|Mister Roberts]]''
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor#1950s|1957]]
| ''[[Peyton Place (film)|Peyton Place]]''
| [[Red Buttons]] – ''[[Sayonara]]''
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor#1950s|1958]]
| ''[[Some Came Running (film)|Some Came Running]]''
| [[Burl Ives]] – ''[[The Big Country]]''
|-
|}

==Personal life==
Kennedy married Mary Cheffey in March 1938. They had two children: actress Laurie Kennedy and Terence.<ref name=ANB/><ref name="film reference">{{cite web|title=Arthur Kennedy Biography (1914–1990)|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/Arthur-Kennedy.html|work=Film Reference, Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies|publisher=Advameg, Inc.|access-date=13 November 2011}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/arthurkennedyman00mack|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/arthurkennedyman00mack/page/142 142]|title=Arthur Kennedy, Man of Characters: A Stage and Cinema Biography|first1=Meredith C.|last1=Macksoud|first2=Craig R.|last2=Smith|first3=Jackie|last3=Lohrke|date=25 November 2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786413843 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[City for Conquest]]'' (1940) as Eddie Kenny
* ''[[High Sierra (film)|High Sierra]]'' (1941) as Red
* ''[[Knockout (1941 film)|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 film)|Devotion]]'' (1946) as Branwell Brontë
* ''It's Your America'' (1946, Short) as Soldier (uncredited)
* ''[[Boomerang (1947 film)|Boomerang]]'' (1947) as John Waldron
* ''[[Cheyenne (1947 film)|Cheyenne]]'' (1947) as Chalk
* ''[[The Walking Hills]]'' (1949) as Chalk
* ''[[Champion (1949 film)|Champion]]'' (1949) as Connie
* ''[[The Window (1949 film)|The Window]]'' (1949) as Ed Woodry
* ''[[Too Late for Tears]]'' (1949) as Alan Palmer
* ''[[Chicago Deadline]]'' (1949) as Tommy Ditman
* ''[[The Glass Menagerie (1950 film)|The Glass Menagerie]]'' (1950) as Tom Wingfield
* ''[[Bright Victory]]'' (1951) as Larry Nevins
* ''[[Red Mountain (film)|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 (film)|The Lusty Men]]'' (1952) as Wes Merritt
* ''[[Impulse (1954 film)|Impulse]]'' (1954) as Alan Curtis
* ''[[Crashout]]'' (1955) as Joe Quinn
* ''[[The Man From Laramie]]'' (1955) as Vic Hansbro
* ''[[The Desperate Hours (1955 film)|The Desperate Hours]]'' (1955) as Deputy Sheriff Jesse Bard
* ''[[Trial (1955 film)|Trial]]'' (1955) as Barney
* ''[[The Naked Dawn]]'' (1955) as Santiago
* ''[[The Rawhide Years]]'' (1956) as Rick Harper
* ''[[Peyton Place (film)|Peyton Place]]'' (1957) as Lucas Cross
* ''[[Twilight for the Gods]]'' (1958) as First Mate Ramsay
* ''[[Some Came Running (film)|Some Came Running]]'' (1958) as Frank Hirsh
* ''The Ten Commandments'' (1959, TV Movie)
* ''[[Home Is the Hero]]'' (1959) as Willie O'Reilly
* ''[[A Summer Place (film)|A Summer Place]]'' (1959) as Bart Hunter
* ''[[Elmer Gantry (film)|Elmer Gantry]]'' (1960) as Jim Lefferts
* ''[[Claudelle Inglish]]'' (1961) as Clyde Inglish
* ''[[Murder, She Said]]'' (1961) as Dr. Quimper
* ''[[Barabbas (1961 film)|Barabbas]]'' (1961) as Pontius Pilate
* ''[[Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man]]'' (1962) as Dr. Adams
* ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962) as Jackson Bentley (a character based on the writer [[Lowell Thomas]])
* ''[[Attack and Retreat]]'' (1964) as Ferro Maria Ferri
* ''[[Cheyenne Autumn]]'' (1964) as Doc Holliday
* ''[[Murieta (film)|Murieta]]'' (1965) as Capt. Love
* ''[[Joy in the Morning (film)|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 (film)|A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die]]'' (1968) as Tuscosa Marshal Roy W. Colby
* ''[[Anzio (film)|Anzio]]'' (1968) as Maj. Gen. Jack Lesley
* ''[[Hail, Hero!]]'' (1969) as Albert Dixon
* ''[[Shark!]]'' (1969) as Doc
* ''The Movie Murderer'' (1970, TV Movie) as Angus MacGregor
* ''[[My Old Man's Place]]'' (1971) as Walter Pell
* ''A Death of Innocence'' (1971, TV Movie) as Mark Hirsch
* ''Crawlspace'' (1972, TV Movie) as Albert Graves
* ''[[I Kiss the Hand]]'' (1973) as Don Angelino Ferrante
* ''[[Ricco the Mean Machine]]'' (1973) as Don Vito
* ''[[The President's Plane Is Missing (film)|The President's Plane Is Missing]]'' (1973, TV Movie) as Gunther Damon
* ''[[The Man from Independence]]'' (1974) as Tom Pendergast
* ''[[Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (film)|Let Sleeping Corpses Lie]]'' (1974) as The Inspector
* ''[[The Antichrist (film)|The Antichrist]]'' (1974) as Bishop Ascanio Oderisi
* ''[[Killer Cop]]'' (1975) as Armando Di Federico
* ''[[The Tough Ones (1976 film)|The Tough Ones]]'' (1976) as Ruini
* ''[[As of Tomorrow]]'' (1976) as Mike Jannacone
* ''La spiaggia del desiderio'' (1976) as Antonio
* ''[[The Sentinel (1977 film)|The Sentinel]]'' (1977) as Monsignor Franchino
* ''[[Nine Guests for a Crime]]'' (1977) as Uberto
* ''Gli ultimi angeli'' (1978) as Il nonno
* ''[[Bermuda: Cave of the Sharks]]'' (1978) as Mr. Jackson
* ''[[Cyclone (1978 film)|Cyclone]]'' (1978) as The Priest
* ''Porco mondo'' (1978) as Senator Merelli
* ''[[Covert Action (1978 film)|Covert Action]]'' (1978) as CIA Chief of Station, Athens
* ''[[The Humanoid (1979 film)|The Humanoid]]'' (1979) as Dr. Kraspin
* ''[[Signs of Life (1989 film)|Signs of Life]]'' (1989) as Owen Coughlin
* ''I figli del vento'' (1989, TV Movie)
* ''Grandpa'' (1990) (final film role)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Arthur Kennedy (actor)}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name|0447913|Arthur Kennedy}}
* [https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/100730%7C16013/Arthur-Kennedy#overview Arthur Kennedy] at [[Turner Classic Movies]]
* {{find a Grave|5555}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070221032609/http://ns1763.ca/annapco/kennedyja.html Photographs] of Arthur Kennedy tombstone, Nova Scotia.
* [http://www.virtual-history.com/movie/person/1684/arthur-kennedy Literature on Arthur Kennedy]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Arthur Kennedy
|list =
{{GoldenGlobeBestSuppActorMotionPicture 1943-1960}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActor 1947-1975}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Arthur}}
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1990 deaths]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
[[Category:Male actors from Worcester, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Worcester Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]
[[Category:First Motion Picture Unit personnel]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni]]
[[Category:South High Community School alumni]]