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Arthur Kennedy

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Arthur Kennedy
Kennedy (right) in Stage 67 (1966)
Born
John Arthur Kennedy

(1914-02-17)February 17, 1914
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 5, 1990(1990-01-05) (aged 75)
Branford, Connecticut, U.S.
EducationCarnegie Mellon University (BFA)
OccupationActor
Years active1937–1990
Spouse
Mary Cheffey
​
​
(m. 1938; died 1975)​
Children2, including Laurie
AwardsSee below

John Arthur Kennedy (February 17, 1914 – January 5, 1990) was an American 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.[1]

Over his career, Kennedy was nominated for five Academy Awards (four for Best Supporting Actor, once for Best Actor). He won the 1949 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Miller's Death of a Salesman, and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the 1955 film Trial.

Early life and education

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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 Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduating with a B.A. in 1934.[2]

Career

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Kennedy moved to New York City and, billed as John Kennedy, joined the Group Theatre. He then toured with a classical repertory company. In September 1937, he made his Broadway debut as Bushy in Maurice Evans' Richard II at the St. James Theatre. In 1939 he played Sir Richard Vernon in Evans' Henry IV, Part 1.[2]

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

Kennedy appeared in many notable films from the early 1940s through mid-1960s, including High Sierra, Champion, They Died with Their Boots On, The Glass Menagerie, The Desperate Hours, Trial, Peyton Place, Some Came Running, A Summer Place, Elmer Gantry, The Man from Laramie, Barabbas, 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 in The Crucible (1953) and Walter Franz in 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]

In 1974, Kennedy was a regular on the short-lived ABC police drama Nakia, as Sheriff Sam Jericho.

With the death of his wife in 1975, failing eyesight, alcoholism, and thyroid cancer, Kennedy was reported as having lost interest in acting. After 1979's The Humanoid, Kennedy retired from acting for a decade, until 1989's Signs of Life.[3]

Honors

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Kennedy has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for Motion Pictures at 6681 Hollywood Boulevard and one for Television at 1620 Vine Street.[4]

Personal life

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Kennedy married Mary Cheffey in March 1938. They had two children: actress Laurie Kennedy and Terence.[2][5]

Death

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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.[6]

Filmography

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Film

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Television

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Awards and nominations

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Institution Year Category Work Result Refs.
Academy Awards 1950 Best Supporting Actor Champion Nominated [7]
1952 Best Actor Bright Victory Nominated [8]
1956 Best Supporting Actor Trial Nominated [9]
1958 Peyton Place Nominated [10]
1959 Some Came Running Nominated [11]
Golden Globes 1952 Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Bright Victory Nominated [12]
1956 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Trial Won [2][12]
Laurel Awards 1958 Top Male Supporting Performance Peyton Place Nominated
1959 Some Came Running Nominated
1960 A Summer Place Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle 1951 Best Actor Bright Victory Won [2]
Tony Awards 1949 Best Featured Actor in a Play Death of a Salesman Won [2][13]

References

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  1. ↑ James C. McKinley Jr., "Arthur Kennedy, Actor, 75, Dies; Was Versatile in Supporting Roles", The New York Times, 7 Jan 1990, p. 30
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Melissa Vickery-Bareford, "Kennedy, John Arthur", American National Biography Online, (Feb. 2000), accessed 13 Nov 13 2011.
  3. ↑ Glenn Collins, "Arthur Kennedy: Comeback for a Curmudgeon", The New York Times, 30 Apr 1989, p H24, The New York Times (1851–2007).
  4. ↑ "Arthur Kennedy". Hollywood Walk of Fame. October 25, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Arthur Kennedy Biography (1914–1990)". Film Reference, Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  6. ↑ Macksoud, Meredith C.; Smith, Craig R.; Lohrke, Jackie (November 25, 2002). Arthur Kennedy, Man of Characters: A Stage and Cinema Biography. McFarland. p. 142. ISBN 9780786413843 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ↑ "The 22nd Academy Awards | 1950". www.oscars.org. October 3, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  8. ↑ "The 24th Academy Awards | 1952". www.oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ "The 28th Academy Awards | 1956". www.oscars.org. February 19, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ "The 30th Academy Awards | 1958". www.oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  11. ↑ "The 31st Academy Awards | 1959". www.oscars.org. March 19, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Arthur Kennedy". Golden Globes. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Arthur Kennedy – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
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