Birth name Richard Weedt Widmark NationalityUSA Birth 26 december 1914 at Sunrise Township, Chisago County (USA) Death 24 march 2008 (at 93 years) at Roxbury (USA)
Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914 – March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage and television actor.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death, for which he also won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Early in his career Widmark was typecast in similar villainous or anti-hero roles in film noirs, but he later branched out into more heroic leading and support roles in westerns, mainstream dramas and horror films, among others.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Widmark has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6800 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2002, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Biography
Enfance et formation
Richard Widmark est né à Sunrise dans le Minnesota, a grandi à Princeton, et vécut également quelque temps à Henry (Illinois). Son père est Carl Henry Widmark (1892-1968), fils d'immigrés suédois, sa mère Mae Ethel Barr Nelson (1897-1956).
Il fut élève au Lake Forest College, où il étudia le métier d'acteur avant d'y enseigner une fois diplômé.
Carrière
Richard Widmark débute à la radio en 1937 dans Les Misérables sur MBS avec Orson Welles. Licencié en sciences politiques, au début des années 1940 il tente sa chance à Broadway où il joue Kiss and Tell de F. Hugh Herbert. Il joue en 1946 à Chicago Dream girl lorsqu'il signe un contrat avec 20th Century Fox. Au cinéma le grand public le découvre en 1947 dans le film Le Carrefour de la mort, de Henry Hathaway. Il y tenait le rôle d'un gangster psychopathe pour lequel il a été nommé à l'Oscar du meilleur acteur dans un second rôle. La scène où il pousse une infirme du haut d'un escalier dans un grand éclat de rire restera gravée dans les mémoires. Toutefois il échappe à ce registre de personnage dans certains de ces films. Dans Les Cheyennes, il incarne un officier de cavalerie qui prend conscience de l'injustice faite au peuple indien. Dans Alamo, il incarne une légende de l'Ouest, Jim Bowie, venu défendre la future République du Texas. Il joue en 1968 Madigan rôle qu'il reprendra en 1972 dans une série policière pour la télévision.
En 1995, la cinémathèque française lui rend hommage, en sa présence, en programmant 27 de ses films.
, 1h51 Directed byHerbert Ross OriginUSA GenresDrama ThemesPolitical films ActorsJames Spader, John Cusack, Richard Widmark, Imogen Stubbs, Mandy Patinkin, Paul Guilfoyle Roles Sen. James Stiles Rating62% The movie opens with Peter Burton (Cusack) and best friend Tim Garrity (Spader) nervously awaiting the results of Peter's congressional election. The two had met seven years earlier following an argument in the parking lot at law school. After discovering that they are to be roommates, the men become close friends. Tim, who comes from an affluent family, plans a career with the Department of Justice, a fact that doesn't sit well with his girlfriend, Diana (Imogen Stubbs), the daughter of Senator Stiles (Widmark). The couple end their relationship before Tim has a chance to propose. Peter, who is embarrassed by his lower-class roots, plans a career in politics, eventually manipulating his way into a job on a congressman's campaign staff.
, 2h Directed byBurt Kennedy OriginUSA GenresAction, Western ActorsWillie Nelson, Richard Widmark, Angie Dickinson, Chuck Connors, Ken Curtis, Royal Dano Roles Capt. Owen Hayes Rating57% Après 20 ans de prison, on ne donnerait pas cher de la vie misérable que devrait avoir l'ancien voleur John Henry Lee. Cependant, six heures après sa sortie, il a déjà pillé et fait sauter une banque et le voilà partie avec butin et bande pour réaliser leur vieux projet de cambrioler un train postal. Mais c'est sans compter avec son ancien concurrent auprès de la belle Maggie Hayes, le capitaine Owen Hayes. Celui-ci part immédiatement à la poursuite du bandit.
, 1h31 Directed byVolker Schlöndorff OriginUSA GenresDrama ActorsLouis Gossett Jr., Holly Hunter, Richard Widmark, Woody Strode, Joe Seneca, Will Patton Roles Sheriff Mapes Rating64% À la suite d'une rixe, Charlie, un noir, s'enfuit poursuivi par Beau Boutan, un fermier blanc, qui armé d'un fusil veut « lui faire la peau ». Après avoir tenté de lui échapper à travers les plantations de canne à sucre de la famille Marshall, Charlie se réfugie chez Mathu, un fermier noir. Un coup de feu claque et le poursuivant est abattu devant la porte de la masure où le poursuivi s'est précipité. Candy qui habite dans la riche demeure de son oncle Jack Marshall et de sa tante Bea Marshall depuis qu'elle a perdu ses parents, entend le coup de feu et se rend immédiatement sur place pour en comprendre l'origine. Elle arrive chez Mathu qui prostré ne répond pas à ses questions mais elle n'a aucun mal à comprendre ce qui s'est passé. Très attachée à ce fermier qui, pendant son enfance, a été un substitut paternel elle organise sa protection pour éviter à son ami d'être lynché par la famille Boutan et leurs complices ou amis blancs. Avec l'aide de Miss Merle qui, pour elle, a joué le rôle de substitut maternel et celle de Snookum, un gamin déluré, elle rassemble 18 noirs qui, armés de fusils viennent faire bloc à ses côtés.
, 1h58 Directed byTaylor Hackford OriginUSA GenresDrama, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Noir, Crime, Romance ThemesFilms about sexuality, Erotic films, Erotic thriller films ActorsRachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Richard Widmark, Alex Karras, Jane Greer Roles Ben Caxton Rating58% Professional football player Terry Brogan (Jeff Bridges) is released by his team, the (fictitious) Los Angeles Outlaws. Aging, injured and in need of money, he is contacted by an old acquaintance, the shady gambler and nightclub owner Jake Wise (James Woods), who wants Terry to find Jake's girlfriend Jessie Wyler (Rachel Ward), daughter of the Outlaws' owner. Jake claims that Jessie assaulted him, stole money and fled. Terry is reluctant to take on the job, but needs the money and knows Wise is capable of blackmailing him.
, 2h5 Directed byIan Sharp OriginUnited-kingdom GenresThriller, Action ThemesFilms about terrorism, Political films ActorsLewis Collins, Judy Davis, Richard Widmark, Edward Woodward, Robert Webber, John Duttine Roles Secretary of State Arthur Currie Rating63% A demonstration by unilateral nuclear disarmament protesters (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) in London is interrupted when one of the protesters is violently killed. British security forces learn that a militant group attached to CND has been planning a significant act of terrorism for the near future. The person killed during the protest demonstration was an undercover intelligence officer who had infiltrated the terrorists. The Commanding Officer of the Special Air Service, Colonel Hadley, suggests a new line of inquiry for the investigation.
, 1h40 Directed byVernon Zimmerman OriginUSA GenresDrama, Thriller, Comedy, Horror comedy, Horror, Slasher ThemesSerial killer films, Comedy horror films ActorsDennis Christopher, Tim Thomerson, Gwynne Gilford, Norman Burton, Linda Kerridge, Morgan Paull Rating60% Eric Binford is a hollow, chain smoking, ill-tempered young man who is also an obsessed film addict whose love of old films extends far beyond his job at a Los Angeles film distributor's warehouse and endless late night film screenings in his bedroom. For his vast knowledge, he's been bullied by his friends and family. His singular obsession eventually rounds the bend into psychosis after he crosses paths with Marilyn O'Connor (Linda Kerridge), an Australian model and a Marilyn Monroe look-alike who becomes the physical embodiment of his cinematic desires.
, 1h58 Directed byDon Sharp OriginCanada GenresThriller, Action, Adventure ActorsDonald Sutherland, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Lloyd Bridges, August Schellenberg Roles Otto Gerran Rating58% A UN expedition of scientists from different countries come to barren arctic Bear Island, between Svalbard and northern Norway, to study climate change. However, several of them turn out to be more interested in the fact that (according to the film) there was a German U-boat base on the island during World War II. American scientist Frank Lansing (Donald Sutherland) has come because his father was a U-boat commander who died there, and as accidents start to decimate the expedition he begins to realize that some of his colleagues are after a shipment of gold aboard the U-boat that his father commanded.
, 1h56 Directed byIrwin Allen OriginUSA GenresDrama, Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Horror ThemesFilms about animals, La fin du monde, Natural horror films, Films about insects, Disaster films, American disaster films, Film de catastrophe animalière ActorsMichael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson Roles Gen. Thaddeus Slater Rating45% A group of soldiers led by Maj. Baker (Bradford Dillman) is ordered to investigate a basement level station which they believed was attacked. After Baker contacts his commander, Gen. Slater (Richard Widmark), they begin to investigate who drove a civilian van into the base. It is revealed to be owned by a scientist named Dr. Bradford Crane (Michael Caine), the only survivor of the attack. Slater orders two helicopters to check for a black mass (revealed to be bees), but the two helicopters are swarmed by the bees and crash, killing the pilots inside. Crane insists to Slater that the base was attacked by the same African killer bees that destroyed the helicopters. Helena Anderson (Katharine Ross), one of the base's doctors, supports Crane's story.
, 1h37 Directed byStanley Kramer OriginUSA GenresDrama, Thriller, Crime ThemesPolitical films ActorsGene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Mickey Rooney, Richard Widmark, Edward Albert, Eli Wallach Roles Tagge Rating57% Roy Tucker (Gene Hackman), serving time for the murder of his wife's first husband, is approached in prison by a man named Tagge (Richard Widmark) on behalf of a mysterious organization with an offer: in exchange for helping him escape and start a new life, Tucker must work for the organization for a few weeks. Following his escape with cellmate Spiventa (Mickey Rooney)—whom the organization immediately kills—Tucker flies to Puntarenas, Costa Rica where he is reunited with his wife Ellie (Candice Bergen). After a few idyllic days, the organization's Tagge, Pine (Edward Albert) and General Reser (Eli Wallach) return them to Los Angeles. There the details of his mission slowly unfold. He realizes he is expected to assassinate someone and refuses. The organization retaliates by kidnapping his wife.
, 1h59 Directed byJames Goldstone OriginUSA GenresThriller, Action, Crime ThemesDisaster films, American disaster films ActorsTimothy Bottoms, George Segal, Henry Fonda, Richard Widmark, Helen Hunt, Susan Strasberg Roles Agent Hoyt Rating62% A psychopathic bomber (Timothy Bottoms, credited only as "Young Man" and never referred to by any name in the film) sneaks into Ocean View Amusement Park and places a small radio-controlled bomb on the tracks of the park's wooden roller coaster, The Rocket. The bomb detonates, the ride derails, and several riders are killed. Ride inspector Harry Calder (George Segal) is called to the park to investigate what initially appears to have been an accident. Calder determines that there was an unauthorized man on the track, thus eliminating structural problems as the cause of the crash.