Edgar Kennedy
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic film character actor, known as "Slow Burn". A slow burn is an exasperated facial expression, performed very deliberately; Kennedy embellished this by rubbing his hand over his bald head and across his face, in an attempt to hold his temper. Kennedy is best known for a small role as a lemonade vendor in the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup, as well as the many Hal Roach films he appeared in.
Kennedy became so identified with frustration that practically every studio hired him to play hotheads. He often played dumb cops, detectives, and even a prison warden; sometimes he was a grouchy moving man, truck driver, or blue-collar workman. His character usually lost his temper at least once. In Diplomaniacs, Kennedy presides over an international tribunal, where Wheeler & Woolsey want to do something about world peace. "Well, ya can't do anything about it here", yells Kennedy, "this is a peace conference!" Kennedy, established as the poster boy for frustration, even starred in an instructional film titled The Other Fellow, in which loudmouthed roadhog Edgar always vents his anger on other drivers (each one played by Kennedy as well), little realizing that, to them, he is "the other fellow."
Perhaps his most unusual roles were as a puppeteer in the detective mystery The Falcon Strikes Back and as a philosophical bartender inspired to create exotic cocktails in Harold Lloyd's last film, The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947). He also played comical detectives opposite two titans of acting: John Barrymore in Twentieth Century (1934) and Rex Harrison in Unfaithfully Yours (1948); in the latter, he tells conductor Harrison that "Nobody handles Handel like you handle Handel."
Kennedy died of throat cancer at the Motion Picture Hospital, San Fernando Valley on 9 November 1948. His body was interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, Los Angeles County, California.
Known For
Acting

1933
asStreet Vendor

1944
asInsp. Mulrooney

1930
asKennedy

1941
asDr. Glenn

1937
asSpike

1914
asButler

1914
asStriking Baker

1947
asJake the Bartender

1934
asHappy Moran

1940
asCornelius Cornpone

1949
asUncle Charlie

1937
asPop Randall

1934
asOscar McGonigle

1913
asCop

1914
asCafe Proprietor (uncredited)

1925
asDetective (as Edward Kennedy)

1942
asKegs McKeever

1943
asJoe Bledsoe

1938
asCallaghan

1943
asSmiley Dugan

1994
asOfficer (archive footage)

1927
asMaydorf

1913
as
1939
asLieutenant Miller

1917
asThe Detective

1928
asA Photographer

1928
as
1928
as
1928
as
1928
as
1928
as
1928
as
1929
as
1929
as2nd Sailor

1930
asOfficer Kennedy

1914
asThe Rival

1929
asUncle Edgar

1928
asGolfer (uncredited)

1928
asCop (as Ed Kennedy)

1928
asCop

1929
asCollis P. Kennedy

1928
asMotorist

1929
asOfficer Kennedy

1914
asLandlady's Husband (uncredited)

1914
asLover

1914
asCyclone Flynn (uncredited)

1914
asPoliceman

1914
asPoliceman (uncredited)

1914
asCrook (uncredited)

1932
asEdgar

1932
asOfficer Donovan

1936
asSheriff Judd

1935
asOnderdonk

1933
asWindy

1960
asedited from 'A Pair of Tights' (archive footage)

1936
asCaptain Mack

1932
asDaddy Warbucks

1915
asEdgar

1924
asTom Grady

1933
asJudge

1935
asWilly 'Persimmon' Bates

1937
asDarsey

1934
asJimmie Pierson

1936
asHarry, the Bartender

1914
asWreck Bystander (uncredited)

1913
asJealous Cop

1936
asDonovan

1943
asDoc Hogan, Fight Promoter

1914
asThe Slicker's Chauffeur

1934
asSgt. Buck Martin

1933
as
1933
as
1925
asGewilliker Hay

1914
asThe Trouble Mender

1914
asThe Sky Pirate

1937
asPolice Lt. Garrison

1934
asHerbert Green

1934
asEdgar

1930
as
1917
asArt Gallery Operator

1933
asEdgar

1913
asCop

1938
asBugs Leary

1943
asPolice Chief Murphy

1915
asShell Game Operator

1936
asEdgar Kennedy

1928
asThe Cop

1938
asArthur Bailey

1929
asKennedy the Cop (uncredited)

1940
asSheriff Gregory

1935
asCounterman

1923
asPtomaine Tommy

1937
asFour Roles

1933
asTim Kelsey

1937
asEdgar

1932
as
1940
asGeorge Browning

1926
asCorporal Austin

1934
asHealy, Process Server

1932
as
1923
asHank Hall

1944
asBosun Higgins

1938
asEdgar Kennedy

1937
asEdgar Kennedy

1934
asOfficer Thurston

1937
asMr. Basscombe

1934
asO'Brien

1934
asEdgar, Movie Director

1930
asKennedy the Cop (uncredited)

1935
asSweeney

1939
asInspector Dailey

1942
asMayor Moe Carson

1935
asHenry

1928
asThe Husband, Mr Glenders

1942
asSgt. Ed Cooper

1945
asPolice Captain

1913
asHenchman

1930
asKennedy the Cop (uncredited)

1913
asThe Cop

1913
asWater Policeman

1913
asLaughing Spectator

1913
asSpectator

1913
as1st Crook

1913
as1st Cop

1913
as
1913
asCop

1913
asCop

1913
asAudience Member / Cop in Movie

1913
asMug

1913
asWedding Guest

1913
asMustached Man

1914
asRajah

1914
asCop

1914
asThe Groom

1914
asDance Hall Manager (uncredited)

1914
asTough Guy in Bar

1914
asJealous Boyfriend

1933
asSam Gilroy

1915
as2nd Thief

1924
asDan O'Leary (as Ed Kennedy)

1927
asTrayguard

1938
asSheriff Renick

1929
asMarion's Boyfriend's Boss

1929
asCop

1933
asChairman - Peace Conference

1929
asInspector Murch

1932
asElmer

1936
asRudolf Hochstetter

1945
asCaptain Bullwinkle

1919
asGerman Prison Guard (uncredited)

1930
asCicero the Cop

1913
as
1930
asQuimby the Lawyer

1913
as3rd Deputy

1930
asDetective

1914
asPolice Chief

1914
asCafé Proprietor

1928
asThe Cop

1936
asBicarbonate

1916
asDiamond Dan - Jim's Rival

1916
asA City Chap

1919
asPete

1914
asDirector (uncredited)

1914
asSpectator in Grandstand (uncredited)

1914
asTough Hot Dog Customer (uncredited)

1914
as(uncredited)

1914
asRestaurant Owner / Banks' Butler (uncredited)

1915
asNeighbor

1915
asHandout-Giver (uncredited)

1915
as1st Street Crowd Participant (uncredited)

1915
asFatty's Pal

1915
asCop

1915
asDiner / Man in Audience (uncredited)

1931
asThelma's Last Rescuer

1930
asStation Master Kennedy (uncredited)

1930
asDetective

1934
asHerbert - the Husband

1939
asEdgar Kennedy

1935
asMahoney

1929
asEd Eggers (uncredited)

1929
asOfficer Ed Kennedy

1933
asCop

1940
asGeorge Browning

1933
asEdgar Kennedy

1936
asEdgar Kennedy

1930
asKennedy the Cop (uncredited)

1930
asMary's Father / Gertie's Uncle

1930
asUncle Ed Sutton

1930
asMan in Phone Booth

1930
asNight Club Patron

1939
asJoe Barton

1924
asThe Crook

1928
as
1940
asEdgar Kennedy

1941
asBiff

1934
asHerman Wilson

1929
asOrchestra Leader

1929
asDiner's Owner

1915
asSuitor

1920
as
1914
as
1929
asLandlord

1933
asEd Wimpy

1926
asEric Johnson

1932
asWarden Elmer Jones

1913
asCop (uncredited)

1926
asBill Sproat

1942
asEdgar Kennedy

1935
asPolice Officer McCarthy

1940
asPops

1940
asChauncey

1940
asOfficer Rafferty

1945
asEdgar Kennedy

1942
asSgt. Homer Gatling

1948
asSweeney

1932
asBaldy

1930
asThelma's Father

1929
asMichael Kennedy

1929
asJudge Kennedy

1931
asCop (uncredited)

1931
asCop

1930
asOfficer Kennedy

1968
asOfficer Kennedy (archive footage)

1940
asEdgar Kennedy

1941
asEdgar Kennedy

1931
asHoward J. Green

1934
asEdgar Kennedy

1935
asEdgar

1922
as
1935
asEdgar Kennedy

1939
asJudge John J. McGuinnis

1934
asDetective Donahue

1925
asDetective (uncredited)

1948
asEdgar Kennedy (footage from 'I'll Build It Myself') (archive footage)

1929
as
1921
asAn American Tourist

1914
asThe Wife's Brother

1934
asGuard (uncredited)

1921
asMike Reynolds

1943
asEdgar

1941
asEdgar

1941
asEdgar

1947
asJudd

1943
asNepomuk - the Hermit

1936
asSheriff

1932
asWater Wagon Driver (uncredited)

1914
asEthel's Former Boyfriend

1940
asEdgar

1930
asFiancee's Father

1935
asEdgar Kennedy

1936
asEdgar

1934
asEdgar

1938
asEdgar

1939
asEdgar

1940
asEdgar

1944
asEdgar

1941
asEdgar

1938
asDaniel Webster Smith

1929
asPoliceman

1936
asEdgar Kennedy

1932
asEdgar Kennedy

1935
asEdgar

1937
asEdgar

1938
asEdgar

1940
asEdgar Kennedy

1915
asThe Maid's Boyfriend

1916
asPeter X. Bush - Streetcar Superintendent

1942
asEdgar

1942
asEdgar

1931
as
1929
asSFPD Desk Sergeant (uncredited)

1920
as
1943
asEdgar

1943
asJudge

1931
asBuffington-Doorman

1926
asDetective

1944
asEdgar

1944
asEdgar

1926
asCpl. Ryan

1940
asFire Chief Galvin

1942
asWarden Bingham

1927
asO.K. McDuff (as Ed Kennedy)

1957
asarchive footage

1937
asEdgar

1939
asEdgar

1939
asEdgar Kennedy

1945
asEdgar Kennedy

1929
as
1945
asEdgar

1945
asEdgar Kennedy

1915
asThe cafe waiter (uncredited)

1930
asDetective

1946
asEdgar Kennedy

1946
asEdgar

1946
asEdgar

1916
asTony Peanutty - Italian Ward Leader

1939
asPaper Hanger

1913
asBowling Alley Operator

1947
asEdgar

1914
asFatty's Neighbor

1913
asCaesar - Zuzu's Rival

1948
asEdgar Kennedy

1948
asEdgar

1948
asEdgar Kennedy

1918
as
1933
asEdgar

1923
as
1943
asEdgar

1916
asEdwin Rowley, Jr.

1924
as
1924
asLem Beeman

1927
asChauffeur

2024
asProduction
Crew
Directing

1925
as
1928
as
1928
as
1930
as
1924
as
1930
as
1930
as
1930
as
1930
as
1922
as
2024
as