![]() ![]() He giggles manically as he pushes an old woman in her wheelchair down a steep flight of steps and wickedly boasts: "You know what I do to squealers? I let 'em have it in the belly, so they can roll around for a long time thinkin' it over." Audiences of the time were stunned by the gusto with which Widmark's character indulges in sheer malevolence. In 1947, he made his screen debut as the relentlessly cruel Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death. When he remarried in 1999, he chose as his bride an old family friend, Susan Blanchard, now 74. And, unlike so many other wealthy, famous men, he has refrained from seeking sympathy in the arms of a woman half his age. He is a tough guy of the old school who takes his knocks and moves on. There is no trace of bitterness in Widmark's voice. ![]() It was painful to watch, and I wouldn't wish that kind of suffering on anyone." "She suffered from Alzheimer's and gradually lost the ability to do the things she most enjoyed – reading and writing. But that's why the last five years of her life were so tragic. The marriage ended with Jean's death in 1997. They had one daughter, Anne, who is now in her fifties. In an industry rife with divorce, he stayed married to the same woman, Jean Hazlewood, for 55 years. He was never fond of big cities, so he bought a ranch and spent his weekends enjoying the outdoors. He was the star of John Ford's last Western, Cheyenne Autumn, the anti-hero in several film noir classics and the object of Marilyn Monroe's romantic obsession in one of her first major parts.Īlthough his friends included such rough-and-tumble characters as Robert Mitchum, Widmark always preferred to live in the slow lane, keeping clear of scandal. He appeared in more than 70 films and shared the screen with Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, James Stewart and Henry Fonda. Women of a certain age swoon whenever they spot this matinee idol of their younger days, and film buffs of all ages regard him with awe.Īt 87, he is one of the few surviving giants of Hollywood's golden era, and still looks every inch the movie star. With his silky white hair, handsome brow and lean, stately figure, Richard Widmark easily attracts attention. In this interview with Michael Shelden, conducted when the NFT were hosting a Widmark retrospective and first published in 2002, the actor talked working with Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan and the great Spencer Tracy. He started his career on radio and appeared in television shows such as I Love Lucy but was best known as a film actor in more than 90 movies. Richard Widmark, who died on Maaged 93, was nominated for an Oscar for his first film, Kiss of Death. ![]()
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