Cousins Cecil Kellaway and Edmund Gwenn…
Yes, Hollywood’s favorite Leprechaun, Cecil Kellaway, was Santa Claus’ (Edmund Gwenn’s) cousin!
Cecil and his elder cousin Edmund
Cecil Kellaway was born Cecil Lauriston Kellaway on August 22, 1890 (or 1893?) in Cape Town, South Africa. Edmund Gwenn was born Edmund John Kellaway on September 26, 1877 in Wandsworth, London England.
Interestingly enough, Kellaway was originally offered the role of Santa Claus in the 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, but turned it down. The role instead went to his cousin, Edmund Gwenn, and the film, of course, has since become a Christmas classic.
Also of note, Edmund Gwenn’s brother was actor Arthur Chesney, who appeared in The Lodger (1927) as well as 25+ more films. Chesney was born Arthur Kellaway in 1882 in London, England.
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–Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub
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If Cecil Kellaway had any regrets about turning down the role of Santa Claus, he made up for it in a 1964 episode of “Bewitched” entitled “A Vision of Sugarplums”.
Thanks for sharing ! That is something I didn’t ever know and it’s very interesting! l always thought both of them were really fantastic character actors.
Wonderful tribute to a wonderful Actor ♥ Thank you for sharing ♥
All the times you saw him but didn’t recognize the name: See the filmography http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445523/
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I’m not surprised Fox offered Kellaway both THE LUCK OF THE IRISH and MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, but I’m surprised he turned down the latter. Do we know why?
Is Roger Kellaway, who wrote the closing theme for “All In The Family” (“Remembering You”) along with Carroll O’Connor, a distant relation of the British Kellaways?
That’s a great question. It doesn’t seem to be a topic of conversation in online sources, so I really can’t say for sure.