Ed Harris, Noir Style

With his rugged good looks, everyday-Joe appeal, piercing eyes and a jawline you could cut glass with, Richard Widmark was the Ed Harris of his day. Unlike Harris, however, Widmark became an above-the-title leading man -- in spite of making his film debut as a maniacal, giggling killer who pushes wheelchair-bound old ladies down the stairs.

RICHARD WIDMARK GIVES MILDRED DUNNOCK A SHOVE IN KISS OF DEATH (1947)

Signed to 20th Century Fox, Widmark became one of the most popular stars of the film noir genre, appearing in such classics as Road House (1948, with Ida Lupino), No Way Out (1950, with Linda Darnell and Sidney Poitier) and Pickup on South Street (1953, with Jean Peters). There were a few clunkers along the way, too, including the fascinating misfire, Don't Bother to Knock (1952) -- a static little B-thriller most notable for showcasing a young Marilyn Monroe as an unhinged psychotic.

WIDMARK & MARILYN MONROE IN DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952)

Widmark ended his association with Fox in 1954, and began freelancing. He appeared in a string of "all-star" spectaculars, some very good (1961's Judgement at Nuremberg; 1962's How the West Was Won; 1964's Cheyenne Autumn) and some very disappointing (1955's The Cobweb; 1960's The Alamo; 1967's The Way West). One refreshing change of pace was the Gene Kelly-directed comedy froth, The Tunnel of Love (1958), opposite Miss Doris Day.


WIDMARK & DORIS DAY IN THE TUNNEL OF LOVE (1958)

In 1968, Widmark starred in the crisp detective drama, Madigan, which resulted in a series of spin-off TV movies in the early 1970's. He was also part of the elegant cast of characters aboard Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Widmark continued acting well into the 1980's, winding up his career opposite Faye Dunaway in the cable movie Cold Sassy Tree (1989) and in a brief appearance in True Colors (1991), starring up-and-comers John Cusak and James Spader.


RICHARD WIDMARK IN THE 1960'S

Richard Widmark passed away on March 24 of this year; he was 93. A private man, his reputation doesn't loom nearly as large as that of his more colorful contemporaries (Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Robert Mitchum), perhaps because he never sought out the limelight when he was away from the cameras. Married to playwright Jean Hazelwood from 1942 until her death in 1997, Widmark remarried in 1999 to socialite Susan Blanchard, his wife at the time of his passing.

Here's to Richard Widmark: a complex anti-hero on the screen, and a class act off of it.