Obituary: Richard Widmark
Obituary by Jack Foley
OSCAR nominated actor Richard Widmark has died at the age of 93 following a long illness, his wife, Susan Blanchard, has announced.
The popular star, who landed him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe award for best newcomer for his chilling portrayal of killer Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death [his film debut], passed away at his home in Connecticut on Monday, March 24, 2008.
He went on to appear in a number of classic movies, such as Night & The City, Pickup On South Street and the western Broken Lance. In total, he appeared in over 70 films.
Born in Minnesota on December 26, 1914, Widmark’s father ran a general store, and then became a travelling salesman, which meant the family moved around a lot before settling in Princeton, Illinois.
The first seeds of his acting career were sown while at Lake Forest College, where he became a protege of the drama teacher. Two years later, in 1938, he reached New York during the heyday of radio and, thanks to his mellow Midwest tones, found considerable success in soap operas.
He then turned his attention to theatre after being rejected by the Army because of a punctured eardrum and began appearing on the stage in 1943, where his first was the comedy Broadway hit Kiss & Tell.
His reputation grew that by the time he was appearing in a Chicago production of Dream Girl, movie distributor 20th Century Fox had signed him up for a seven-year contract.
His big breakthrough came in 1947, however, with Kiss Of Death, and Widmark grabbed the opportunity with both hands. His killer, Udo, remains one of the most chilling figures in movie history and is renowned for a scene in which he ties up an old lady in a wheelchair with a piece of cord and then shoves her down the stairs to her death, whilst laughing manically.
Subsequent films included 1952’s Don’t Bother to Knock, in which he co-starred with Marilyn Monroe, and Cold War submarine drama The Bedford Incident, which he also produced.
He’ll also be fondly remembered for Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961, How The West Was Won the following year and Cheyenne Autumn in 1964.
Widmark’s film career slowed in the 1970s, when he appeared in disaster movies including The Swarm and Rollercoaster, but he remained active on TV and, in 1972, starred in his own TV series Madigan, which was based on his 1968 hit movie of the same name. However, only six episodes were made.
Widmark’s last big screen role came in the 1991 thriller True Colors, alongside John Cusack and James Spader, while his final film for TV, Lincoln, about the former US President, was aired in 1992.
The actor did make occasional appearances in TV documentaries for sometime afterwards.
When not working, he and his second wife lived on a horse ranch in California or on their Connecticut farm.
He is survived by his second wife, Blanchard, and a daughter from his first marriage to writer, Jean Hazlewood.