Remembering Richard Widmark

Richard Weedt Widmark was born on December 26, 1914 in Sunrise, Minnesota. He grew up in Illinois and attended Lake Forest College where he studied acting. He made his debut on radio in 1938 on “Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories”. In 1941 he was starring in his own daily radio show “Front Page Farrell” about a newspaper reporter. He then went onto Broadway in 1943 appearing in “Kiss and Tell”. Because of a perforated eardrum he was exempt from serving in the Armed Forces during World War II. In 1947 he made his screen debut in “Kiss of Death” and was nominated for an Academy Award. Widmark would go on to become one of the biggest names and respected actors in Hollywood, appearing in such films as “Night in the City” (1950), “The Alamo” (1960), “Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), “How the West Was Won” (1962), “Cheyenne Autumn” (1964), “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974) to name a few. Among his more than 60 films was one Eurowestern “A Talent for Loving” (aka Gun Crazy) (1969) as Major William Patten. Richard Widmark died on March 24, 2008 as a result of a fall. We remember Richard Widmark today on what would have been his 95th birthday.