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Richard Widmark

Richard Widmark

President of his high school class.

Resided on his mansion in Roxbury, Connecticut from the 1950s until his death.

Spent his later years divided between a ranch in Hidden Valley, California, and a farm in Connecticut.

Unforgettable in his screen debut in Kiss of Death (1947) as Tommy Udo, a psychopathic mob hit-man, who giggles gleefully even as he shoves a wheelchair-bound old woman, portrayed by Mildred Dunnock, tumbling down a long stairway to her demise.

Was honored with a retrospective of his films by the Museum of Modern Art (New York, New York) in May 2001.



Was not able to see active duty during WWII due to a perforated eardrum, but did serve as an air raid warden and entertained servicemen as a member of the American Theatre Wing.

Was on the first cover of German teen magazine "Bravo" together with Marilyn Monroe (1956).

When Kiss of Death (1947) was released to theaters in 1947, 20th Century Fox's publicity department encouraged theater owners to "Sell Richard Widmark!" Fox's publicity manual advised theaters to have a local printer make up "Wanted" with Widmark's face on them to advertise the film, in which he made his debut. The part was small, but Widmark made it one of the most indelible performances in the history of cinema.

When his contract at Fox expired in 1954 after seven years, he deliberately went independent in order to have more artistic control over his films. He formed his own company, Heath Productions.

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