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Post by timshelboy on Aug 9, 2024 21:05:10 GMT
   Arthur Kennedy was never quite a major star - he rarely got top billing in movies, but he enjoyed a 50 year career and bagged 5 Oscar nominations en route. Born in 1914, he spent 6 years on stage before his movie debut supporting James Cagney in CITY FOR CONQUEST 1940  with Bogart in HIGH SIERRA  with Errol flynn in THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON  A rare leading role in a B  DEVOTION (1943) sat on the shelf for 3 years - He was the drunken brother to the Bronte Sisters. With Ida Lupino on set.  He supported Dana Andrews in Kazan's feted BOOMERANG  1949 was a good year - he got his first (suppporting) nomination as Kirk Douglas' brother in CHAMPION  and starred in THE WINDOW and TOO LATE FOR TEARS, both notable noirs. I'm a big fan of THE GLASS MENAGERIE - even the happier ending. Kennedy played the poet son, with Gertrude Lawrence his mother and Jane Wyman his sister. Kirk Douglas was an effective Gentleman caller/ With Gertrude Lawrence  He got his sole Best Actor nomination for BRIGHT VICTORY, playing a blind war veteran  Westerns detained him - RANCHO NOTORIOUS, RED MOUNTAIN and BEND OF THE RIVER  CRASHOUT was an effective jailbreak movie  He got his third Oscar nomination supporting Glenn Ford in TRIAL  THE DESPERATE HOURS and THE MAN FROM LARAMIE both did good business the same year. PEYTON PLACE was a smash hit and he won another support nomination as the abusive Lucas Cross  One of my favourite performances of his as Sinatra's adulterous brother in the florid SOME CAME RUNNING - his final nomination  Another big hit was A SUMMER PLACE (1959) where he looked the other way whilst wife Dorothy McGuire picks up with an old flame. With McGuire and Troy Donahue  He was in the critically admired ELMER GANTRY and also (for my money) stole the show as the journalist in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. With Omar Sharif in the latter.  He was effective as the hero's father in HEMINGWAYS ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG MAN. CHEYENNE AUTUMN and FANTASTIC VOYAGE were the most high profile mid 60s work. He continued working with a will in minor movies through 1980 or so, and hit the European trail with a vengeance - A MINUTE TO PRAY A SECOND TO DIE, THE SENTINEL (all- star Mike Winner horror movie with Ava Gardner et al slumming it), battling zombies in THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE (aka LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE), CYCLONE (with another Hollywood refugee Carroll Baker in this plane crash/cannibalism/ killer shark melange) and (I'm not making this up ) EMANUELLE ON TABOO ISLAND   with Carroll Baker in CYCLONE His last movie was GRANDPA 1990 Thanks for reading  |
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Post by spiderwort on Aug 9, 2024 22:04:01 GMT
Thanks for the wonderful tribute, timshelboy . Kennedy was one fine actor. Even in his less than good films, he really shone. I especially loved him in his 5 Oscar nominated roles, of course, but I also loved him in City for Conquest, A Summer Place, The Lusty Men, The Glass Menagerie (with you on that), Elmer Gantry, and The Window. Believe it or not, I've not yet seen Lawrence of Arabia (long story about that). I wish I could have seen him in some of his Broadway works, especially in "Death of a Salesman," "The Crucible," "Becket," and "All My Sons." What a great career he had and what great work he did. |
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Post by jervistetch on Aug 10, 2024 0:20:14 GMT
Such an excellent tribute, Timshelboy. Thank you.  |
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Post by Teleadm on Aug 10, 2024 17:24:55 GMT
Great appreciation timshelboyArthur Kennedy was the kind of actor you never knew if you could trust him, like Bend of the River 1952. Too Late for Tears was a great noir, playing the honest fellow that has to die. He was great in Lawrence of Arabia, giving it a sort of raw sense. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie 1974 was a nadir, playing an incredible stupid police who don't believe in zombies LOL. |
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Post by timshelboy on Aug 10, 2024 17:38:39 GMT
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie 1974 was a nadir, playing an incredible stupid police who don't believe in zombies LOL.  It was pretty dire stuff. I'd even give EMANUELLE ON TABOO ISLAND a slight edge ![[grin]](http://storage.proboards.com/6870873/images/CBubFSUbXfyoLMZUjeBb.gif) |
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Post by politicidal1 on Aug 10, 2024 17:39:15 GMT
Great appreciation timshelboyArthur Kennedy was the kind of actor you never knew if you could trust him. Good assessment. He just had that way about him like Richard Widmark and Dan Duryea. Even when playing more heroic characters. |
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Post by jervistetch on Aug 10, 2024 18:28:34 GMT
He also seemed born to play an inebriate.
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Post by petrolino on Aug 11, 2024 1:25:11 GMT
Arthur Kennedy made three films with Carroll Baker - John Ford's 'Cheyenne Autumn' (1964), Franz Antel's 'As Of Tomorrow' (1976) and Rene Cardona Jr's 'Cyclone' (1978).
Arthur Kennedy & Carroll Baker : 'Ready For Action'
They both worked regularly in Europe in the 1970s. 'I Kiss The Hand' (1973) I've not yet seen, but big fan of Alberto De Martino's 'The Antichrist' (1974), Jorge Grau's 'Let Sleeping Corpses Lie' (1974), Luciano Ercoli's 'Killer Cop' (1975), Umberto Lenzi's 'Rome Armed To The Teeth' (1976) and Michael Winner's 'The Sentinel' (1977).
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Post by petrolino on Aug 11, 2024 1:32:54 GMT
Great appreciation timshelboy Arthur Kennedy was the kind of actor you never knew if you could trust him. Good assessment. He just had that way about him like Richard Widmark and Dan Duryea. Even when playing more heroic characters.
Good call. Those three fine actors could have played embattled brothers in an epic horse opera.
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Post by politicidal1 on Aug 11, 2024 1:33:34 GMT
Good assessment. He just had that way about him like Richard Widmark and Dan Duryea. Even when playing more heroic characters.
Good call. Those three fine actors could have played embattled brothers in an epic horse opera.
The world was robbed. |
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Post by timshelboy on Aug 11, 2024 13:27:32 GMT
Arthur Kennedy made three films with Carroll Baker - John Ford's 'Cheyenne Autumn' (1964), Franz Antel's 'As Of Tomorrow' (1976) and Rene Cardona Jr's 'Cyclone' (1978).
Arthur Kennedy & Carroll Baker : 'Ready For Action'
They both worked regularly in Europe in the 1970s. 'I Kiss The Hand' (1973) I've not yet seen, but big fan of Alberto De Martino's 'The Antichrist' (1974), Jorge Grau's 'Let Sleeping Corpses Lie' (1974), Luciano Ercoli's 'Killer Cop' (1975), Umberto Lenzi's 'Rome Armed To The Teeth' (1976) and Michael Winner's 'The Sentinel' (1977).
I was hoping you'd weigh in with a robust defense of Arthur's Eurotrash. I have AS OF TOMORROW as BLACKMAIL CHASE, English dubbed. Not a career high point for either Carroll or Arthur. CYCLONE was a lot more fun (even if her name not spelled correctly on poster). Shame Arthur & Carroll never worked for Jess Franco.... ![[smug]](http://storage.proboards.com/6870873/images/nbaYEHtCQTvsJrLOFoyb.gif)  |
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Post by mattgarth on Aug 11, 2024 14:01:17 GMT
Another favorite (and Oscar nominated) role -- opposite Glenn Ford in the 1955 courtroom drama TRIAL as the slick Communist attorney.
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Post by timshelboy on Aug 11, 2024 14:11:48 GMT
Another favorite (and Oscar nominated) role -- opposite Glenn Ford in the 1955 courtroom drama TRIAL as the slick Communist attorney. I think he won a Golden Globe for that one Matt |
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Post by mattgarth on Aug 11, 2024 15:11:57 GMT
Very true, Tim
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Post by drystyx on Aug 13, 2024 15:48:16 GMT
How do you leave out his most famous movie in which he was the lead role? And easily the most exciting one. One of the greatest Westerns ever made.
True, it was a romantic tale of villains, and of a lead villain who was like a Robin Hood, but otherwise a great film.
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