Mickey Kuhn | |
|---|---|
 Kuhn inThe Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) | |
| Born | Theodore Matthew Michael Kuhn Jr. (1932-09-21)September 21, 1932 Waukegan, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | November 20, 2022(2022-11-20) (aged 90) Naples, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1934–1956 (as actor) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2 (by Hannick) |
Theodore Matthew Michael Kuhn Jr. (September 21, 1932 – November 20, 2022) was an American actor. He started his career as a child actor, active on-screen during theGolden Age of Hollywood from the 1930s until the early 1950s. He is noted for having played Beau Wilkes inGone with the Wind (1939).[1]
Kuhn also appeared inJuarez (1939),A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945),The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946),Red River (1948),Broken Arrow (1950), andA Streetcar Named Desire (1951).
Kuhn was born on September 21, 1932, inWaukegan, Illinois, to Theodore Matthew Michael Kuhn Sr. and Pearl Bernadette (née Hicks). He had a sister, Bernadette, who was twelve years older. In 1934, the family moved toLos Angeles as a result of theGreat Depression.[2] Kuhn appeared as a toddler in the 1934 filmChange of Heart, after a woman spotted him with his mother inSanta Monica and informed her of aFox Film casting call, believing Kuhn and the woman's toddler could play twins.[3] His parents enrolled him at the Mar-Ken School for performing children, where he became friends with acting brothersDarryl andDwayne Hickman.[4]
Kuhn consideredJuarez (1939) his "big break", having been chosen from more than 50 children for the role.[3] Afterwards, he was selected for the role of Beau Wilkes inGone with the Wind, recalling that the receptionist at the casting call told him "Mickey, we've been waiting for you", and instantly announced the role had been filled.[5] Kuhn went on to appear as the adoptive son ofJohn Wayne's character inRed River in 1948 and then inBroken Arrow in 1950 starringJames Stewart.[4]
The filmA Streetcar Named Desire (1951) reunited him withVivien Leigh twelve years after they first worked together inGone with the Wind. InA Streetcar Named Desire, Kuhn played a sailor who directs Leigh's character Blanche to the correctstreetcar which will take her to her sister's neighborhood at the beginning of the film. He therefore achieved the distinction of being the only actor to share screen time with Leigh in each of herAcademy Award-winning performances, and following the death of DameOlivia de Havilland on July 26, 2020, he became the last surviving credited cast member in both films.[6][7][8]
Kuhn served in theU.S. Navy from 1951 until 1955 and worked as an aircraft electrician there.[1]
After finishing his Navy service, Kuhn attempted to return to acting, briefly appearing in the TV anthologyAlfred Hitchcock Presents, but was only offered television roles which he found unappealing.[3] He left the film business in 1956 to attend college, and worked forAmerican Airlines from 1965 to 1995[1] and the Boston airport in administrative positions until his retirement. He regularly visited film festivals dealing with his films.[9]
Kuhn was married five times. His first marriage, to Jean Marie Hannick, lasted from 1956 until 1962; they had two children, including son Theodore Matthew Michael III. He was later married to Shannon Farnon, Rosa Negrete, and Yolanda Borbon, all of which ended in divorce.[10] His last wife, an American Airlines co-worker named Barbara Traci, was married to him from 1985 until his death.[3]
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Kuhn had been living inNaples, Florida, and volunteered four hours per week at a local hospital.[5] He died at a hospice facility in Naples on November 20, 2022, at the age of 90.[4]
In 2005, Kuhn received aGolden Boot Award, an award given to acknowledge significant contributions to theWestern genre.[11]
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