George Kennedy - # 128

George Kennedy, beefy character actor, dead at 91

He was number 128 on the list.

George Kennedy, the brawny, Oscar-winning character actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar authority figures in such films as "Cool Hand Luke," "Airport" and the "Naked Gun" films, has died. He was 91.

Kennedy died Sunday in Boise, Idaho, said his grandson, Cory Schenkel.

"He passed Sunday morning, due to old age and some health issues," Schenkel said.

The New York-born Kennedy came by his military gravitas honestly; he served in World War II and spent 16 years in the U.S. Army, many of them with Armed Forces Radio. In the 1950s, he was an adviser to Phil Silvers' "Sgt. Bilko" show and then started getting acting roles.

Among his early notable films were 1963's "Charade," in which he played one of the criminal gang threatening Audrey Hepburn's character, and 1965's "The Flight of the Phoenix," in which he played a passenger on James Stewart's stranded airplane.

He broke through with 1967's "Cool Hand Luke," in which he played Dragline, a convict who resists, and then becomes friendly with, Paul Newman's Luke character.

"The marvelous thing about that movie was that as my part progresses, I changed from a bad guy to a good guy," Kennedy said in 1978, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "The moguls in Hollywood must have said, 'Hey, this fellow can do something besides be a bad guy.' "

His performance won him an Oscar for best supporting actor.

Kennedy was, by then, a go-to character actor. He played Joe Patroni, the mechanic and problem solver who was the one constant in the 1970s "Airport" movies. He also starred in 1974's "Earthquake," another disaster flick, about a quake that hits Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, he had a number of TV roles, including starring in the short-lived '70s series "Sarge" and "The Blue Knight." He played Big Frenchy on two episodes on McHale's Navy.

But he also had a sense of humor about himself, which came in handy given his beefy, 6-foot-4 frame.

He and Raymond Burr were friendly -- Kennedy guest-starred on both "Perry Mason" and "Ironside" -- and Kennedy told the Smashing Interviews website that they used to break each other up.

"Raymond and I were big men," he recalled, noting their height and that "both of us weighed more than a ton and a half each."

But they found their size entertaining, not intimidating.

"If you can picture this, we'd talk about being big guys, and we would giggle. Now, here was 600 pounds of guys sitting between shots in a couple of chairs and almost breaking them because we're giggling at jokes. Over all of Raymond's movies and TV shows, I remember him as a guy who'd giggle with me and didn't care."

Kennedy also got to laugh with Albert Brooks, playing himself in 1981's "Modern Romance," and Leslie Nielsen, co-starring as Detective Captain Ed Hocken in the "Naked Gun" movies.

"I love comedy perhaps more than anything else," he told Smashing Interviews.

He didn't stop acting until he was in his 80s, by then doing a seven-year stint on the soap "The Young and the Restless." The Internet Movie Database lists more than 180 acting credits.

"My grandpa loved acting. Every opportunity he had, he enjoyed with such a passion," his grandson said. "It was definitely amazing to see that passion. Acting was natural to him."

Late in life, Kennedy wrote a memoir, "Trust Me," in which he described growing up lonely in New York and the joy he found in acting.

"I considered the time I spent acting a gift from the beyond," he told interviewer Brad Berkwitt. "It was what I could do best."


Kennedy wrote three books. In 1983, he wrote the murder mystery Murder On Location, set on a film shoot. A second novel, Murder on High, was released in 1984. In 2011, he wrote his autobiography, Trust Me. 

Filmography

Film

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1961      The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come    Nathan Dillon     CinemaScope film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

1962      Lonely Are the Brave       Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez               Film adaptation of the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy, and directed by David Miller.

The Silent Witness           Gus Jordan         

1963      The Man from the Diners' Club   George Comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin.

Charade               Herman Scobie Romantic comedy/mystery film directed by Stanley Donen.

1964      Strait-Jacket       Leo Krause          Thriller film directed and co-produced by William Castle.

McHale's Navy   Henri Le Clerc    Based on the 1962–1966 black and white television sitcom of the same name, and directed by Edward Montagne.

Island of the Blue Dolphins           Aleut Captain     Drama film directed by James B. Clark.

Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte     Foreman              Psychological thriller film directed and produced by Robert Aldrich.

1965      In Harm's Way   Colonel Gregory                Epic war film produced and directed by Otto Preminger.

Mirage Willard Thriller film directed by Edward Dmytryk, and based on the novel Fallen Angel written by Howard Fast under the pseudonym Walter Ericson.

Shenandoah       Colonel Fairchild               American Civil War film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

The Sons of Katie Elder Curley   Western film directed by Henry Hathaway.

The Flight of the Phoenix              Mike Bellamy     Drama film produced & directed by Robert Aldrich and based on the 1964 novel The Flight of the Phoenix by Elleston Trevor.

1967      Hurry Sundown                 Sheriff Coombs Drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger.

The Dirty Dozen                Major Max Armbruster American war film directed by Robert Aldrich.

Cool Hand Luke                 Dragline               Prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg.

The Ballad of Josie           Arch Ogden        Comedy western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

1968      Bandolero!          Sheriff July Johnson         Western directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

The Pink Jungle Sammy Ryderbeit             Thriller film directed by Delbert Mann.

The Legend of Lylah Clare             Matt Burke         Uncredited

The Boston Strangler      Det. Phil DiNatale             Neo-noir film based on the true story of the Boston Strangler and the book by Gerold Frank, and directed by Richard Fleischer.

1969      Guns of the Magnificent Seven Chris Adams      

    A Zapata Western, and the second sequel to the 1960 western film, The Magnificent Seven, and directed by Paul Wendkos.

    Also known as The Magnificent Seven 3.

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys              Big John McKay                 Western film directed by Burt Kennedy.

Gaily, Gaily          Axel P. Johanson             

    Comedy film directed by Norman Jewison, and based on the autobiographical novel by Ben Hecht.

    Released in the United Kingdom as Chicago, Chicago.

1970      ...tick...tick...tick...           John Little           Crime drama directed by Ralph Nelson.

Airport Joe Patroni          Drama film directed and written by George Seaton, and based on Arthur Hailey's 1968 novel of the same name.

Zig Zag Paul R. Cameron              

    Drama film directed by Richard A. Colla

    Also released as False Witness.

Dirty Dingus Magee         Herkimer "Hoke" Birdsill               Anti-western film directed and produced by Burt Kennedy.

1971      Fools' Parade     Dallas "Doc" Council       

    Comedy-drama film directed by Andrew McLaglen.

    Also known as Dynamite Man from Glory Jail.

1973      Lost Horizon       Sam Cornelius    Musical film directed by Charles Jarrott.

Cahill U.S. Marshal           Abe Fraser           Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.

1974      Thunderbolt and Lightfoot           Red Leary            Crime film written and directed by Michael Cimino.

Airport 1975       Joe Patroni          Air disaster film, and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film, Airport, and directed by Jack Smight.

Earthquake         Sergeant Lew Slade         Ensemble disaster film directed and produced by Mark Robson.

1975      The Eiger Sanction           Ben Bowman      Action-thriller film, based on the novel of the same name by Trevanian[N 1], and directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.

The "Human" Factor       John Kinsdale     Drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk.

1977      Airport '77           Joe Patroni          Air disaster film and the third film of the Airport franchise, and directed by Jerry Jameson.

Ningen no shōmei            Ken Shuftan       

    Japanese film directed by Junya Satō.

    Proof of the Man (人間の証明 Ningen no Shōmei)

1978      Mean Dog Blues                Captain Omar Kinsman Drama film directed by Mel Stuart.[59]

Death on the Nile             Andrew Pennington        British film based on the Agatha Christie mystery novel of the same name, directed by John Guillermin, and adapted by Anthony Shaffer.[60]

Brass Target       General George S. Patton             Post-war suspense film based on the novel The Algonquin Project by Frederick Nolan, and directed by John Hough.[61]

1979      Search and Destroy         Anthony Fusqua               Action-thriller film directed by William Fruet

The Double McGuffin     Chief Talasek      Drama film written and directed by Joe Camp.[63]

Steel      Big Lew Cassidy                 Drama film directed by Steve Carver.[64]

The Concorde ... Airport '79         Captain Joe Patroni        

    Air disaster film directed by David Lowell Rich.

    Also known as Airport '80: The Concorde in the United Kingdom.

1980      Death Ship          Captain Ashland                British-Canadian horror film directed by Alvin Rakoff.

Virus      Admiral Conway              

    Post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Kinji Fukasaku, and based on a 1964 novel written by Sakyo Komatsu.

    Virus (復活の日 Fukkatsu no hi) — literally "Day of Resurrection"

Hotwire                Farley & Harley Fontenot             

1981      Just Before Dawn             Roy McLean       

    Independent slasher film directed by Jeff Lieberman.

    Also known as Survivance in France.

Modern Romance            Himself; Zoron   Comedy film directed by and starring Albert Brooks.

The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire      Brakus

Sword and sorcery action film written, directed and produced by Nicholas J. Corea.

1982      Wacko Mr. Doctor Graves           Horror-parody film directed by Greydon Clark.

The Jupiter Menace        Himself                 A documentary, that examines the theory that the world is doomed, and that nothing can be done about it.

1984      Chattanooga Choo Choo               Bert       Comedy film directed by Bruce Bilson.

A Rare Breed      Nathan Hill         

Bolero   Cotton Romantic drama film written and directed by John Derek.

Nominated - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor

Rigged Ben       

1985      Radioactive Dreams        Spade Chandler                 Post-apocalyptic science fiction-comedy film directed by Albert Pyun.

Savage Dawn      Tick Rand             Action-drama film directed by Simon Nuchtern.

1986      The Delta Force                 Father O'Malley                Action-thriller film directed by Menahem Golan.

1987      Creepshow 2      Ray Spruce          (segment "Old Chief Wood'nhead"), Live-action/animated horror comedy anthology film directed by Michael Gornick.

The Gunfighters               Deke Turner       Western film directed by Clay Borris.

1988      Born to Race      Vincent Duplain               

Counterforce     Vince Colby        

Demonwarp       Bill Crafton         

Nightmare at Noon          Sheriff Hanks     

Alien Terminator              Heinrich Holzmann          Italian film

Uninvited            Mike Harvey      

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Captain Ed Hocken           This film marked the start of the Naked Gun franchise born out of the cancellation of Police Squad!.

1989      The Terror Within            Hal        

Ministry of Vengeance   Rev. Hughes      

Esmeralda Bay   Wilson Spanish-French film production, directed by Jesús Franco.

1990      Brain Dead          Vance   

Hired to Kill         Thomas               

Mayumi                Bahraini investigator      

    Korean film directed by Shin Sang-ok.

    Mayumi (Korean: 마유미) also known as Mayumi: Virgin Terrorist

1991      Hangfire               Warden E. Barles             

Driving Me Crazy              John McCready

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear      Captain Ed Hocken          

Intensive Care   Dr. Bruckner       Dutch film

1992      Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story           Father Dave       

Distant Justice   Tom Bradfield   

1994      Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult                Captain Ed Hocken          

River of Stone                   

1997      Cats Don't Dance              L.B. Mammoth Voice

Bayou Ghost       Officer Lowe      

1998      Small Soldiers    Brick Bazooka    Voice

Dennis the Menace Strikes Again               Grandpa Johnson            

2003      View from the Top           Passenger Requesting Vodka      Uncredited

2005      Three Bad Men Ed Fiske               

Truce     Dr. Peter Gannon            

Don't Come Knocking     Director               

2007      Sands of Oblivion             John Tevis          

2008      The Man Who Came Back             Judge Duke        

2010      Six Days in Paradise         Monty Crenshaw             

Mad Mad Wagon Party JB Scotch            

2011      Another Happy Day         Joe Baker            

2014      The Gambler      Ed           Final film role

Television

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1956–1959          The Phil Silvers Show      MP Sergeant Kennedy   14 episodes

1959      Cheyenne           Lee Nelson          Episode: "Prisoner of Moon Mesa"

Colt .45                 Hank      Episode: "The Rival Gun"

The Deputy         Tex         Episode: "The Big Four"

Sugarfoot            Sykes     Episode: "The Canary Kid, Inc."

1960      Gunsmoke          Emil       Episode: "The Blacksmith"

Route 66              Thad Skinner      Pilot Episode: "Black November"

Peter Gunn         Karl        Episode: "The Crossbow"

Sugarfoot            Ross Kuhn           Episode: "Funeral at Forty Mile"

Shotgun Slade    Tex         Episode: "The Spanish Box"

Laramie                Gallagher Henchman      Episode: "Duel at Alta Mesa"

Maverick              Deputy Jones     Episode: "Hadley's Hunters"

Lawman               Burt       Episode: "To Capture the West"

Have Gun – Will Travel   Tarnitzer              Episode: "The Legacy"

Lieutenant John Bryson Episode: "A Head of Hair"

1961      Bat Masterson   Sheriff Zeke Armitage     Episode: "The Fourth Man"

Have Gun – Will Travel   Preston                Episode: "The Road"

Deke      Episode: "The Vigil"

Rud Saxon           Episode: "A Proof of Life"

Brother Grace    Episode: "Squatter's Rights"

Gunsmoke          Pat Swooner      Episode: "Big Man"

The Untouchables           Birdie    Episode: "The King of Champagne"

Gunslinger          Sheriff   Episode: "The Buried People"

Bonanza               Peter Long          Episode: "The Infernal Machine"

Gunsmoke          Jake Bayloe         Episode: "Kitty Shot"

1962      The Tall Man      Hyram Killgore   Episode: "One for All"

Rawhide               George Wales    Episode: "The Peddler"

Gunsmoke          Hug        Episode: "The Boys"

Have Gun – Will Travel   Big John               Episode: "Don't Shoot the Piano Player"

Going My Way   Mike      Episode: "A Man for Mary"

Death Valley Days            Steamboat Sully                Episode: "Miracle at Whiskey Gulch"

Outlaws                Joe Ferris             Episode: "Farewell Performance"

1963      The Andy Griffith Show State Police Detective    Episode: "The Big House"

Have Gun – Will Travel   Brother Grace    Episode: "The Eve of St. Elmo"

Dr. Kildare           Joe Cramer         Episode: "To Each His Own Prison"

Perry Mason       George Spangler               Episode: "The Case of the Greek Goddess"

The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters             Angus    Episode: "The Day of the Long Night"

1963–1964          McHale's Navy   Big Frenchy         Episodes: "French Leave for McHale", "The Return of Big Frenchy"

1964      Gunsmoke          Cyrus     Episode: "Crooked Mile"

Bonanza               Waldo   Episode: "The Scapegoat"

The Virginian      Jack Marshman Episode: "A Gallows for Sam Horn"

Gunsmoke          Warden Stryker                 Episode: "The Warden"

1965      Daniel Boone     Zach Morgan      Episode: "A Rope for Mingo"

Laredo Jess Moran          Episode: "Pride of the Rangers"

The Virginian      Tom "Bear" Suchette      Episode: "Nobility of Kings"

A Man Called Shenandoah           Mitchell Canady                Episode: "A Special Talent for Killing"

1966      Gunsmoke          Ben Payson         Episode: "Harvest"

The Legend of Jesse James           Blodgett               Episode: "Return to Lawrence"

Dr. Kildare           Sergeant Hensley             Episodes: "Mercy or Murder", "Strange Sort of Accident"

The Virginian      Huck Harkness   Episode: "The Trail to Ashley Mountain"

The Big Valley    Jack Thatcher     Episode: "Barbary Red"

1967      Tarzan   Crandell               Episode: "Thief Catcher"

1971      Ironside                Father Samuel Cavanaugh           

    Episode: "The Priest Killer"

    This was the second pilot for the Sarge TV series.

    It aired the week before the first episode of Sarge.

Sarge     Father Samuel Patrick "Sarge" Cavanaugh (Swanson)       16 episodes

1975      The Blue Knight                 Bumper Morgan               24 episodes

1979      Backstairs at the White House    President Warren G. Harding      Episode: #1.2

1981      Saturday Night Live         Himself/Host      Episode: "George Kennedy/Miles Davis"

1983      Fantasy Island    Adam Cobb         Episode: "God Child/Curtain Call"

1986      Benson                 Himself                 Episode: "Reel Murder"

1988–1991          Dallas    Carter McKay     67 episodes

1994      Lonesome Dove                Judge J.T. "Rope" Calder                Episode: "Judgement Day"

1995      The Gambler Part III: The Legend Continues         General Nelson Miles     Television miniseries

1996      Wings    Himself                 Episode: "What About Larry?"

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest       General Axton   Episode: "DNA Doomsday"

Dallas: J.R. Returns          Carter McKay     Television film

1998      Dallas: War of the Ewings             Carter McKay     Television film

2003      The Young and the Restless         Albert Miller       Episodes: #1.7762, #1.7763, #1.7764

2004      The Complete History of U.S. Wars 1700-2004     Host       8 episodes

2010      The Young and the Restless         Albert Miller (ghost)       Episode: #1.9553