Born Dec. 26, 1914, in Sunrise, Minn., Richard Widmark was a stage actor who taught drama before skyrocketing to fame and copping an Oscar nod as a giggling maniacal killer in Kiss of Death (1947).Though Widmark memorably portrayed the villain again in Road House (1948), he played an impressive range of parts throughout his career. Among his most notable movies are the Westerns Two Rode Together (1961), How the West Was Won (1962) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964); Judgment at Nuremberg (1961); The Bedford Incident (1965); and Madigan (1968). In subsequent years, his roles ebbed, but he remained prominent in films such as Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Coma (1978) and Against All Odds (1984).
Widmark earned considerable buzz for his performance in the 1989 made-for-cable movie Cold Sassy Tree (opposite Faye Dunaway) and later appeared as a powerful senator in True Colors (1991). He died at age 93 on March 24, 2008.
Pickup on South StreetA routine subway ride turns out to be anything but when Candy (Jean Peters) is mugged by a man named Skip McCoy (Richard Widmark), who's in search of valuable microfilm that Candy is carrying. Aware of the film's important nature but not its exact contents (government secrets intended for Communist... Read More
Don't Bother to KnockAfter Lyn (Anne Bancroft) dumps him, Jed (Richard Widmark) sulks until he spots gorgeous Nell Forbes (Marilyn Monroe), who recently moved to New York City. But Jed soon realizes that Nell harbors a dark past when her mental instability becomes apparent. While she babysits the daughter (Donna... Read More
Night and the CityShot in London, Jules Dassin's film noir centers on grifter Harry (Richard Widmark), who schemes to take over wrestling promoter Kristo's (Herbert Lom) racket. Harry pits Kristo's father, Gregorius, against his own son and convinces nightclub owner Phil (Francis L. Sullivan) to invest in his scheme.... Read More
The Bedford IncidentAt the peak of Cold War tensions, a U.S. naval ship discovers a Soviet submarine in the North Atlantic and scrutinizes its every move. As the ship's commander, Capt. Findlander (Richard Widmark), pushes forward, relations between crew members become strained, and a battle of wits ensues. Sidney... Read More
Cheyenne AutumnDirector John Ford's last Western chronicles the 1878 migration of a band of Cheyenne, who -- in defiance of the U.S. government -- leave their barren Oklahoma reservation to return to their ancestral home in Wyoming. As chiefs Little Wolf (Ricardo Montalban) and Dull Knife (Gilbert Roland) lead the... Read More
