John Kerr | |
|---|---|
 Kerr in 1957 | |
| Born | John Grinham Kerr (1931-11-15)November 15, 1931 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2013(2013-02-02) (aged 81) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard University UCLA Law School |
| Occupation(s) | Actor (1940-1987), attorney (1969-2000) |
| Years active | 1940–2000 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Geoffrey Kerr June Walker |
| Relatives | Frederick Kerr (grandfather) |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1954Tea and Sympathy Theatre World Award 1956Tea and Sympathy |
| Website | www |
John Grinham Kerr (November 15, 1931 – February 2, 2013) was an American actor and attorney.
He began his professional career on Broadway, earning critical acclaim for his performances inMary Chase'sBernardine andRobert Anderson'sTea and Sympathy, then made a transition into a screen career.
He reprised his role in the film version ofTea and Sympathy, which won him theGolden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer, and portrayed Lieutenant Joseph Cable in theRodgers and Hammerstein movie musicalSouth Pacific. He appeared in a number of television series, including a starring role onPeyton Place.
In the 1970s, he largely moved from acting to becoming a lawyer, making appearances in a few small roles in Canadian-produced films such asPlague andThe Amateur. He operated a legal practice in Beverly Hills until 2000, when he retired from the profession.
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Kerr was born November 15, 1931, in New York City to British-bornGeoffrey Kerr and American-bornJune Walker. Both were stage and film actors,[1] and his grandfather wasFrederick Kerr, a British trans-Atlantic character actor[2] in the period 1880–1930; Kerr developed an early interest in following in their footsteps.
He grew up in the New York City area, and went toPhillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire;[2] after graduating from Harvard University,[3] he worked at the nearbyBrattle Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in summer stock.[4] For some time, he pursued graduate studies in the Russian (now Harriman) Institute of Columbia University.[citation needed]
He made his Broadway debut in 1953 inMary Coyle Chase'sBernardine, a high-school comedy for which he won aTheatre World Award.[5] In 1953–1954, he received critical acclaim as a troubled prep school student inRobert Anderson's playTea and Sympathy. In 1954, he won aTony Award,New York Drama Critics Award, andDonaldson Award for his performance,[5] and he later starred inthe film version in 1956.[6] He starred in stagings ofAll Summer Long andThe Infernal Machine, and both starred and directed a staging ofBus Stop at the Fred Miller Theatre in Milwaukee.[citation needed]
Throughout the 1960s, he was affiliated with a number of non-profit theatre companies in Southern California, including theLa Jolla Playhouse, theUCLA Theatre Group. For a time he was an artist-in-residence at Stanford University. He was the producer of a 1964 summer season of theAmerican National Theater and Academy, held atBeverly Hills High School.
He madeThe Cobweb for MGM, which liked his work so much it co-starred him withLeslie Caron inGaby (1956), the third remake ofWaterloo Bridge, which, in its original pre-Code 1931 version, featured Kerr's grandfather, actorFrederick Kerr.[7]
Kerr starred withDeborah Kerr (no relation) inTea and Sympathy in 1956, reprising his role from the stage version.[6]
In a widely publicized decision in 1956, Kerr declined to play the role ofCharles Lindbergh inThe Spirit of St. Louis because he did not respect Lindbergh's early alleged support of theNazi regime in Germany before America's entry into World War II. "I don't admire the ideals of the hero," Mr. Kerr toldThe New York Post. The part instead went toJimmy Stewart, a veteran of World War II, who was over 20 years older than Kerr and nearly twice the age of Lindbergh when he made his historic 1927 flight.[1]
Kerr had a major role in the film version ofRodgers and Hammerstein'sSouth Pacific (1958), playing Lt. Joseph Cable, the newly arrivedMarine about to be sent on a dangerous spy mission. InThe Crowded Sky (1960), Kerr played a pilot who helps the Captain (Dana Andrews) steer a crippled airliner back to earth. Another film appearance was inRoger Corman'sThe Pit and the Pendulum (1961). In 1963, Kerr had a continuing role onArrest and Trial, playing Assistant District Attorney Barry Pine.
During the 1960s, Kerr guest starred on several TV series, includingThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour,Rawhide,Gunsmoke andAdam-12. He had a regular role on the TV seriesPeyton Place, playing District Attorney John Fowler during the 1965–1966 season. Also in 1964-1965, he appeared as guest star on several episodes ofTwelve O'Clock High.[citation needed]
In the 1970s, Kerr had a recurring role as prosecutor Gerald O'Brien onThe Streets of San Francisco[4] and he made guest appearances in several other TV programs includingThe Mod Squad,Columbo,McMillan and Wife,Barnaby Jones andThe Feather and Father Gang.[8]
Kerr took an interest in film directing, and worked as an apprentice withLeo Penn, who was then directing episodes of the television seriesRun for Your Life — but Kerr was quickly disenchanted by the mundane aspects of the work, and applied to and was accepted at UCLA Law School.[4] He received hisJ.D. degree from that law school, and passed the California bar in 1970. He later pursued a full-time career as a lawyer,[4] but still accepted occasional small roles in a variety of television productions over the years. With regard to turning to law, Kerr told American Legends website: "I felt it was time for a change and wanted to do something different. In the 1960s I was a semi-regular onPeyton Place with Barbara Parkins, Mia Farrow, and Ryan O'Neal. I played a lawyer--and prosecuted Ryan O'Neal on the show, before heading off to law school."[9] He retired from legal practice in 2000.[10]
Kerr married Priscilla Smith in 1952; the couple divorced in 1972. He married Barbara Chu in 1979.[3] He had two daughters and a son with Smith as well as a stepson and stepdaughter from his marriage to Chu.[1]
Kerr died of heart failure on February 2, 2013, at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California.[11] He was cremated and his ashes given to his widow.[12]
| Run | Title | Role | Director | Theatre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/5/40 - 08/10/40 | Tomorrow and Tomorrow | Ruth's Son | Arthur Walton | The Cape Playhouse | |
| 07/19/49 - 07/24/49 | O Mistress Mine | Michael Brown | |||
| 10/16/52 - 02/28/53 | Bernardine | Arthur Beaumont | Guthrie McClintic | Playhouse Theatre | Theatre World Award |
| 09/30/53 - 06/18/55 | Tea and Sympathy | Tom Robinson Lee | Elia Kazan | Ethel Barrymore Theatre Longacre Theatre 48th Street Theatre | Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play New York Drama Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play Donaldson Award for Best Supporting Actor of the Season |
| 09/23/54 - 11/13/54 | All Summer Long | Don | Alan Schneider | Coronet Theatre Booth Theatre | |
| 02/03/58 - 03/09/58 | The Infernal Machine | Oedipus | Herbert Berghof | Phoenix Theatre | |
| 11/25/58 - 12/27/58 | Cue for Passion | Tony Burgess | Elmer Rice | Henry Miller's Theatre | |
| 04/06/59 - 04/19/59 | The Hasty Heart | Lachie | Fred Miller Theatre | ||
| 07/23/59 - 07/27/59 | The Glass Menagerie | Tom Wingfield | Lobero Theatre | ||
| 12/03/60 - 12/28/60 | Bus Stop | Bo Decker | Himself | Fred Miller Theatre | Also director |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | The Cobweb | Steven W. Holte | Vincente Minnelli | |
| 1956 | Gaby | Gregory Y. Wendell | Curtis Bernhardt | |
| Tea and Sympathy | Tom Robinson Lee | Vincente Minnelli | Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Male | |
| 1957 | The Vintage | Ernesto Barandero | Jeffrey Hayden | |
| 1958 | South Pacific | Lt. Joseph Cable | Joshua Logan | singing voice byBill Lee |
| 1960 | The Crowded Sky | Mike Rule | Joseph Pevney | |
| Girl of the Night | Larry Taylor | Joseph Cates | ||
| 1961 | The Pit and the Pendulum | Francis Barnard | Roger Corman | |
| King of Kings | Man at Sermon on the Mount | Nicholas Ray | cameo | |
| Seven Women from Hell | Lt. Bill Jackson | Robert D. Webb | ||
| 1972 | Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues | Stockbroker | Paul Williams | uncredited |
| 1974 | Only God Knows | Health Inspector | Peter Pearson | |
| 1979 | Plague | Willis, Security Guard | Ed Hunt | |
| 1981 | The Amateur | CIA Agent Emil | Charles Jarrott | |
| 1987 | Australian Dream | Frank theSwaggie | Jackie McKimmie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Lux Video Theatre | Tony | episode: "The White Gown" |
| You Are There | Jesse James | episode: "The Capture of Jesse James" | |
| Horace Mann's Miracle | Young Pizzi | ||
| Danger | episode: "Operation Nightmare" | ||
| 1953–54 | Suspense | Derek Howard | 2 episodes |
| 1953–57 | The Big Story | Howie Madden | 2 episodes |
| Studio One | 2 episodes | ||
| 1954 | Justice | episode: "The Scandal That Rocked the Town" | |
| 1955 | Repertory Theatre | George Avery | episode: "The Bold and the Brave" |
| The Elgin Hour | Pvt. Foster | episode: "Combat Medics" | |
| The Alcoa Hour | Jamie Hallock | episode: "Undertow" | |
| 1955–57 | Climax! | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1956 | The Corn Is Green | Morgan Evans | |
| 1956–62 | The United States Steel Hour | 3 episodes | |
| 1957 | Fireside Theatre | Tom Parr | episode: "Killer's Pride" |
| 1957–58 | Playhouse 90 | David McAdam / Capt. Neil Dameron | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | Alcoa Theatre | Flight Lt. Upton | episode: "Strange Occurrence at Rokesay" |
| General Electric Theater | Freddie | episode: "A Question of Romance" | |
| 1959 | Berkeley Square | Peter Standish | |
| Riverboat | Jefferson Carruthers | episode: "The Barrier" | |
| 1960 | The Magical World of Disney | Martin Didler | episode: "Elfego Baca: Friendly Enemies at Law" |
| Rawhide | Bert Eaton | episode: "Incident of the Last Chance" | |
| 1961 | Checkmate | Wilt Kamens | episode: "The Crimson Pool" |
| 1962 | Gunsmoke | Lute Willis | episode: "Half Straight" |
| Bus Stop | Jim Carmody | episode: "Verdict of 12" | |
| The Lloyd Bridges Show | David | episode: "The Miracle of Mesa Verde" | |
| The Defenders | Jonathan Winthrop | episode: "The Apostle" | |
| 1963 | The Virginian | Oliver Smith | episode: "The Judgement" |
| Wagon Train | Jim Whitlow | episode: "The Jim Whitlow Story" | |
| 1963–64 | Arrest and Trial | Barry Pine | recurring role |
| 1964–65 | Twelve O'Clock High | Maj. Herrick / Lt. Ray Thacker | 2 episodes |
| 1965 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Glendon Baker | episode: "An Unlocked Window" |
| The Long, Hot Summer | Duane Galloway | episode: "The Homecoming" | |
| 1965–66 | Peyton Place | John Fowler | main cast |
| 1966 | Run for Your Life | Alex Ryder | episode: "The Day Time Stopped" |
| 1967 | Flipper | Keller | 2 episodes |
| The High Chaparral | Creed Hallock | episode: "Sudden Country" | |
| 1967–70 | The F.B.I. | Gary Morgan / William Converse / Doug Parker / Clayton McGregor | 7 episodes |
| 1969 | Adam-12 | Father Joe | episode: "Log 93: Once a Junkie" |
| 1969–70 | The Name of the Game | Father Billy Keaton / Stuart Clark | 2 episodes |
| 1970 | The Bold Ones: The Lawyers | Dr. Philip Blackburn | episode: "The Verdict" |
| 1971 | The Young Lawyers | Andrew Rogers | episode: "False Witness" |
| Yuma | Capt. White | ||
| Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Clay Arnold | episode: "Men Who Care: Part 2" | |
| Columbo | Col. Roger Dutton | episode: "Dead Weight" | |
| 1972 | The Longest Night | Agent Jones | |
| The Rookies | Price | episode: "Time Is the Fire" | |
| 1972–73 | The Mod Squad | Dr. Freilich / Dr. Eggers | 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Incident on a Dark Street | Gallagher | |
| Alias Smith and Jones | George Sterling | episode: "Only Three to a Bed" | |
| Search | Senator Gordon | episode: "The Mattson Papers" | |
| 1973–76 | Police Story | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1973–77 | The Streets of San Francisco | Gerald O'Brien | recurring role |
| 1974 | Barnaby Jones | Dr. Lincoln | episode: "Programmed for Killing" |
| 1975 | The Invisible Man | Kirk | episode: "Eyes Only" |
| Medical Story | Dr. Barrett | episode: "A Life in the Balance" | |
| 1976 | The Blue Knight | episode: "Throwaway" | |
| 1977 | McMillan & Wife | Richard Valentine | episode: "Affair of the Heart" |
| The Feather and Father Gang | Martin Stoddard | episode: "The Mayan Connection" | |
| Washington: Behind Closed Doors | Ashton | miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1982 | Seeing Things | episode: "In the Eyes of the Law" | |
| 1983 | Sons and Daughters | Police Officer | episode #1.278 |
| 1985 | The Park Is Mine | Reporter | |
| 1989 | The Magistrate | Miller | miniseries, 2 episodes |
