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Kevin McCarthy 1914 - 2010

Kevin McCarthy of Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles County, CA was born on February 15, 1914 in Seattle, King County, Washington United States. He was married to Augusta Dabney and they later divorced. Kevin McCarthy died at age 96 years old on September 11, 2010 at Hyannis in Barnstable, Barnstable County, MA.

Kevin McCarthy

Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles County, CA 91403

February 15, 1914

Seattle, King County, Washington, United States

September 11, 2010

Hyannis in Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 02601, United States

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Kevin McCarthy Kevin McCarthy (1914 - 2010)

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Kevin McCarthy's History: 1914 - 2010

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Introduction

Kevin McCarthy Born February 15, 1914 in Seattle, Washington, USA Died September 11, 2010 in Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA (pneumonia) Height 5' 10" Handsome, chisel-jawed character actor Kevin McCarthy appeared in nearly 100 movies in a career that spanned seven decades. He also had some starring roles, most notably the horror cult classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). He played the disillusioned son Biff Loman in the 1951 screen adaptation of Arthur Miller's classic Death of a Salesman (1951), for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and won the Golden Globe Award for most promising newcomer (male). He is the younger brother of the late author Mary McCarthy and distant cousin of former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. McCarthy was orphaned at the age of four when both his parents died in the great flu epidemic of 1918. He was raised by his father's parents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and later by an uncle and aunt. He graduated from Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in 1932. He attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Washington, DC, in 1933, intending to enter into the diplomatic field. He also attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1936 and the Actors Studio New York, New York. The stage-trained McCarthy frequently appeared on Broadway. He starred as Jerry in "Two for the Seesaw" (1959) and as Van Ackerman in "Advise and Consent" (1960). He also played President Harry S. Truman in the one-man show "Give 'Em Hell, Harry!" McCarthy showed no signs of retiring as late as June 2007. McCarthy acted in the film The Ghastly Love of Johnny X (2012), playing the role of the Grand Inquisitor, at age 93, which was finally released in 2011. He died of pneumonia on September 11, 2010. Spouse (2) Katherine (Kate) Martin Crane (28 April 1979 - 11 September 2010) ( his death) ( 2 children) Augusta Dabney (12 September 1941 - 18 February 1965) ( divorced) ( 3 children) He performed his one-man show "Give Em Hell, Harry" (as Harry S. Truman), for over 20 years and played the role in every state but Alaska and South Dakota. In addition, he won an Obie award for playing President Truman in another play, "Harry Outside" (1975). Attended Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 Presidential Inauguration. Made his Broadway debut in 1938 with "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" starring Raymond Massey. First wife Augusta Dabney was an actress; second wife Kate Crane was a lawyer. His famous sister was author Mary McCarthy who wrote the best-seller "The Group". Many of her works were influenced by the trauma of her and her siblings' tragic, difficult and often abusive childhood. Of Irish descent on his father's side, he was the third of four children (the others were Mary, Preston and Sheridan). His parents, Roy Winfield and Therese (Preston) McCarthy, both died of influenza during the deadly 1918 pandemic. All four children lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota with an overly strict great-aunt and her husband. The movie version of Death of a Salesman (1951) was not a box office success but earned several Academy Award nominations, including ones for support actor Kevin and lead actor Fredric March. Graduated from Campion, a Jesuit prep school in Wisconsin. Subsequently attended Georgetown School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, in the hopes of initially being a diplomat, but left after only four semesters due to lack of money. Once he decided to try acting, he went back to college.He then studied at the University of Minnesota and majored in drama. His first play there was "Henry IV, Part II". Served with the US Army Air Forces in 1942 during World War II. He was cast in the stage show "Winged Victory", which opened on November 20, 1943, and went on the play a small role in the movie version, Winged Victory (1944). Was a strong proponent of the "Method" school of acting and a founding member of The Actors Studio, which was initially formed and taught by Elia Kazan. The first class, run by Robert Lewis, consisted of Kevin, Maureen Stapleton, Montgomery Clift, Tom Ewell, John Forsythe, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Patricia Neal, Karl Malden, David Wayne, E.G. Marshall and Jerome Robbins. Theater producer and Actor's Studio founder Cheryl Crawford helped get Kevin cast as Biff in the London stage version of "Death of a Salesman" (1949) starring Paul Muni, which opened five months after the Broadway production. He later got the movie role. Father, with Augusta Dabney, of Lillah McCarthy, Flip McCarthy and Mary Dabney McCarthy. Father, with Kate Crane, of Tess McCarthy (born 1980) and Patrick McCarthy (born 1982). Was Artist-in-Residence at Kent State University in Kent, OH, during the fall and winter quarter 1979. Taught Theatre and performed his one-man show "Give Em Hell, Harry". Had appeared in seven theatrical and television films directed by Joe Dante: Piranha (1978), The Howling (1981), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Innerspace (1987), Matinee (1993), The Second Civil War (1997) and Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). Had appeared with Dick Miller in eight films: Piranha (1978), The Howling (1981), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Innerspace (1987), Matinee (1993), The Second Civil War (1997), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) and Trail of the Screaming Forehead (2007). His portrayal of President Harry Truman in a touring production of the play "Give 'em Hell, Harry" was the grand opening production of the Hippodrome Theater in Waco, Texas, in 1986. Personal Quotes (3) I like acting in the theater more than anywhere else because you get a little more depth and breadth in most stage stories . . . but I enjoy it all. about his experiences at The Actors Studio] Lee Strasberg could be very caustic and he was fairly nasty to me on several occasions. In London I played Biff [on stage] with a great deal of anguish and determination and desperation to the point where the part became very personal to me . . . With the exception of Fredric March, the principal actors of the movie had already played their parts in the play in one place or another. So during rehearsals, when [Frederic March] would be telling jokes right up until the director yelled, "Action!", I found myself resenting the way he worked. Not that he wasn't a nice guy . . . It's just that he had never done the investing of his intelligence and feeling in a study of what Willy [Loman] was about. In fact, Arthur Miller thought March played Loman as if he was simply nuts, and never favored what he did in the film at all.
02/15

1914

Birthday

February 15, 1914

Birthdate

Seattle, King County, Washington United States

Birthplace

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Early Life & Education

Graduated from Campion, a Jesuit prep school in Wisconsin. Subsequently attended Georgetown School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, in the hopes of initially being a diplomat, but left after only four semesters due to lack of money. Once he decided to try acting, he went back to college.He then studied at the University of Minnesota and majored in drama. His first play there was "Henry IV, Part II". Served with the US Army Air Forces in 1942 during World War II. He was cast in the stage show "Winged Victory", which opened on November 20, 1943, and went on the play a small role in the movie version, Winged Victory (1944).
Religious Beliefs

Catholic.
Military Service

Served with the US Army Air Forces in 1942 during World War II.
Professional Career

Famous actor in Movies and Television and Theater in NYC and all over the country. Broadway Alone Together (Oct 21, 1984 - Jan 12, 1985) Starring: Kevin McCarthy [George Butler] PlayOriginal Poor Murderer (Oct 20, 1976 - Jan 02, 1977) Starring: Kevin McCarthy [First Actor] PlayOriginal Happy Birthday, Wanda June (Dec 22, 1970 - Mar 14, 1971) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Harold Ryan] PlayOriginal A Warm Body (Apr 15, 1967 - Apr 15, 1967) Starring: Kevin McCarthy [Homer] PlayOriginal Cactus Flower (Dec 08, 1965 - Nov 23, 1968) Performer: Kevin McCarthy Julian - Replacement (May 08, 1967 - ?) PlayComedyOriginal The Three Sisters (Jun 22, 1964 - Oct 03, 1964) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Vershinin] PlayDramaRevival Something About a Soldier (Jan 04, 1962 - Jan 13, 1962) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Captain Dodd] PlayOriginal Advise and Consent (Nov 17, 1960 - May 20, 1961) Starring: Kevin McCarthy [Van Ackerman] PlayDramaOriginal The Day the Money Stopped (Feb 20, 1958 - Feb 22, 1958) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Richard Morrow] PlayDramaOriginal Two for the Seesaw (Jan 16, 1958 - Oct 31, 1959) Standby: Kevin McCarthy Jerry Ryan - Replacement PlayDramaOriginal Red Roses for Me (Dec 28, 1955 - Jan 21, 1956) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Ayamonn Breydon] PlayDramaOriginal Love's Labour's Lost (Feb 04, 1953 - Feb 15, 1953) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Berowne] PlayComedyOriginal The Deep Blue Sea (Nov 05, 1952 - Feb 28, 1953) Performer: Kevin McCarthy Frederick Page - Replacement PlayDramaOriginal Anna Christie (Jan 23, 1952 - Feb 02, 1952) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Mat Burke] PlayDramaRevival Bravo! (Nov 11, 1948 - Dec 18, 1948) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Kurt Heger] PlayOriginal The Survivors (Jan 19, 1948 - Jan 24, 1948) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Morgan Decker] PlayOriginal Joan of Lorraine (Nov 18, 1946 - May 10, 1947) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Long] PlayDramaHistoryOriginal Truckline Cafe (Feb 27, 1946 - Mar 09, 1946) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Maurice] PlayOriginal Winged Victory (Nov 20, 1943 - May 20, 1944) Performer: Sgt. Kevin McCarthy [Ronny Meade] PlayPlay with musicDramaOriginal Flight to the West (Dec 30, 1940 - Apr 26, 1941) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Richard Banning] PlayOriginal Abe Lincoln in Illinois (Oct 15, 1938 - Nov 25, 1939) Performer: Kevin McCarthy [Jasp, Phil] PlayDramaOriginal
Personal Life & Family

Kevin McCarthy, the suave, square-jawed actor who earned accolades in stage and screen productions of “Death of a Salesman” but will always be best known as the star of the 1956 science fiction movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” died Saturday at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass. He was 96 and lived in Sherman Oaks, Calif. His death was confirmed by his daughter Lillah McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy, whose sister was the celebrated author Mary McCarthy, was 35 and a veteran of seven Broadway plays when Elia Kazan cast him as Biff, the shallow, elder son of Willy Loman, in the London stage production of “Death of a Salesman,” Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1949 drama about illusion and the common man. His portrayal of Biff in the 1951 film version earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Five years and four forgettable films later Mr. McCarthy was cast in a low-budget B movie about a small California town where the residents are gradually replaced by pods from outer space. The pods, resembling giant cucumbers, bubble and foam as they slowly turn into creepy, emotionless duplicates of the townspeople. Miles Bennell (Mr. McCarthy), a handsome bachelor doctor, and Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter), a beautiful local divorcée, spend the movie trying to escape podification (mostly just by staying awake; the transformation takes place while people are sleeping) and warn others. The movie, selected for the National Film Registry in 1994 and named one of the Top 10 science fiction films of all time by the American Film Institute in 2008, came to be regarded as a metaphor for the paranoia of the era’s Communist witch hunts. But the film’s leading man, like many moviegoers at the time, saw it differently, as a warning about mindless conformity. “I thought it was really about the onset of a kind of life where the corporate people are trying to tell you how to live, what to do, how to behave,” Mr. McCarthy told The Bangor Daily News in Maine in 1997. Over the decades Mr. McCarthy came to embrace the cult immortality he achieved with “Body Snatchers,” but he cheerily played hundreds of other roles in feature films and on television (including multiple appearances on series from “Studio One” in the 1950s to “The District” in 2000) and continued his stage career. He toured the United States as Harry S. Truman in the one-man show “Give ’Em Hell, Harry” for two decades. Kevin McCarthy was born on Feb. 15, 1914, in Seattle, the son of Roy Winfield McCarthy and the former Therese Preston. Both parents died in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and their four children were sent to live with relatives in Minneapolis. After five years of near-Dickensian mistreatment, described in Ms. McCarthy’s memoirs, the youngsters moved in with their maternal grandfather. After graduating from high school in Wisconsin, Mr. McCarthy studied at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with an eye toward a diplomatic career. He changed his mind, however, and transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he became interested in acting. After moving to New York he made his Broadway debut in 1938 in “Abe Lincoln in Illinois.” His career was interrupted by World War II, in which he served as a military police officer. After his discharge he became an early member of the Actors Studio, New York’s bastion of Method acting. Despite his film and television success Mr. McCarthy never abandoned the stage. The 18 Broadway productions in which he appeared included Moss Hart’s “Winged Victory” (in which he was billed as Sgt. Kevin McCarthy), the political drama “Advise and Consent,” Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” and Kurt Vonnegut’s irreverent “Happy Birthday, Wanda June.” Mr. McCarthy matured quickly into roles as judges, generals, politicians and other men of power — sometimes not very nice ones. On “Flamingo Road,” the soapy 1980s television series, he was a greedy small-town Florida millionaire. On the screen, in “The Best Man” (1964), he was a presidential candidate’s henchman, specializing in dirty tricks, and he played a similarly ignoble political type in “The Distinguished Gentleman” (1992). In “Innerspace” (1987) he was a devious industrial spy, in “Buffalo Bill and the Indians” (1976), a grabby publicist. His bad guys weren’t always all bad. He was a roguish poker player in “A Big Hand for the Little Lady” (1966) and Marilyn Monroe’s attractive but distant ex-husband in “The Misfits” (1961). Mr. McCarthy continued acting well into his 90s. His last screen appearances were in 2009 in “Wesley,” (2008), an 18th-century costume drama, and the short film “I Do.” He married the actress Augusta Dabney in 1941, and they had three children. They divorced in 1961. (Ms. Dabney died in 2008.) In 1979 he married Kate Crane, a lawyer, and they had two children. Ms. Crane survives him, as do three daughters, Lillah, of Los Angeles; Mary Dabney McCarthy, of Cape Cod; and Tess McCarthy, of New York City; two sons, James Kevin McCarthy of San Diego and Patrick McCarthy of Portland, Ore.; a stepdaughter, Kara Lichtman of Boston; a brother, Preston; and three grandchildren. Mr. McCarthy’s sister died in 1989.
09/11

2010

Death

September 11, 2010

Death date

pneumonia.

Cause of death

Hyannis in Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts 02601, United States
Death location

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Obituary

McCarthy's career began on the stage. His 1938 Broadway debut in Abe Lincoln in Illinois earned him membership in the Actors Studio. McCarthy was chosen to play Willy Loman's son, Biff, in the London production of Death of a Salesman, a role which McCarthy also played in the 1951 film, earning a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. He was named New Star of the Year by the Golden Globes in 1952.McCarthy's best-known role, however, was that of the frantic doctor who tried in vain to warn his neighbors that pod people from space were taking over the people of Earth. The film was a box-office flop, but it has earned cult status since. It has been remade several times, most notably in 1978 starring Donald Sutherland and again in 2007 as The Invasion starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. McCarthy's other film roles included Gathering of Eagles, The Best Man, Mirage, Hotel, The Howling, and Twilight Zone: The Movie, He also appeared as Marilyn Monroe's estranged husband in the 1961 classic The Misfits, Monroe's last film. McCarthy also appeared on such TV shows as ABC medical drama Breaking Point, The Survivors, The Fugitive, and The A-Team. In 1978, he played Harry Truman in the touring one-man show "Give 'em Hell, Harry," He performed the role in more than 350 venues, according to the AP.He is survived by his second wife, Kate Crane, with whom he had two children. He also had three children from his first marriage to Augusta Dabney.

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