| Arthur Kennedy | |
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 Kennedy in Champion (1949) |
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| Born | John Arthur Kennedy February 17, 1914 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 5, 1990 (aged 75) Branford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1940–1990 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Cheffrey (1938-1975; her death) |
Arthur Kennedy (February 17, 1914 – January 5, 1990) was an American stage and film actor best known for his performances in Westerns.
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Kennedy was born John Arthur Kennedy in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Helen (née Thompson) and J.T. Kennedy, a doctor. [1] Kennedy graduated from Worcester Academy and Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. An award in Kennedy's honor is now presented every year to a deserving actor at Carnegie Mellon.
Kennedy got his break when he was discovered by James Cagney. His first film role was of Cagney's younger brother in City for Conquest in 1940. He portrayed heroic and villainous characters equally, appearing in Western films and police dramas. He also portrayed a surgeon in 1966's Fantastic Voyage.
He starred in several well-received films from the late 1940s to the 1960s, including High Sierra, They Died with Their Boots On, Boomerang, Champion, The Window, The Glass Menagerie, Bright Victory, Bend of the River, The Lusty Men, Rancho Notorious, The Desperate Hours, Lawrence of Arabia, The Man from Laramie, Trial, Peyton Place, Some Came Running, A Summer Place and Elmer Gantry.[2]
He appeared both on the stage and screen, receiving a Tony Award for the role of Biff Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (1949). Kennedy also inaugurated three other major characters in Miller plays: Chris Keller in All My Sons (1947), John Proctor in The Crucible (1953), and Walter Franz in The Price (1968).
He and Claude Rains share the record of four losing nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[2] He also received a nomination for Best Actor, in Bright Victory (1951).
Kennedy was married to Mary Cheffrey from 1938 until her death in 1975. They had two children, Terrence Kennedy and Laurie Kennedy. Laurie followed in the footsteps of her parents and became an actress. Both Mary and Arthur Kennedy are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Nova Scotia, Canada.
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   | Photographs of Arthur Kennedy tombstone, Nova Scotia - Arthur Kennedy Tombstone |
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