Shepperd Strudwick

Shepperd Strudwick (September 22, 1907 – January 15, 1983) was an American actor of film, television and stage.

Born in Hillsborough, North Carolina, he began his film career as the title (eponymous) character in the film Joaquin Murrieta (1938); he was credited as Sheppard Strudwick. He appeared as Yugoslav guerrilla leader Lt. Aleksa Petrovic, an aide to General Draza Mihailovich, in the 20th Century Fox war film Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas in 1943. He played Edgar Allan Poe in The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942) and also appeared in Strange Triangle (1946), Fighter Squadron (1948), The Reckless Moment (1949), The Red Pony (1949), Under the Gun (1951) and A Place in the Sun (1951), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, as the Taylor character's father.

Perhaps his most famous film role was that of Adam Stanton, the idealistic doctor who finally kills Willie Stark (played by Broderick Crawford) in the classic film All the King's Men (1949). Another notable role was Father Jean Massieu in Joan of Arc (1948), starring Ingrid Bergman as Joan.

Strudwick made many appearances on television, including the role of Dr. Charles Morris in the 1958 Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse." He also appeared on The Twilight Zone, (in the episode "Nightmare as a Child") and several roles on the soap operas As the World Turns (Dr. Fields), Another World (Jim Matthews), One Life to Live (Victor Lord) and Love of Life (Timothy McCauley). In 1981, he starred as the voice of Homer in the National Radio Theater's Peabody Award-winning radio dramatization of the Odyssey.

His last appearance on celluloid was in 1981's Kent State, a TV film. That same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor (Featured Role – Play) for the unsuccessful Broadway play To Grandmother's House We Go.

He was married to Mary Jeffrey from 1977 until his death. He had a son by a previous marriage. He died in New York City from cancer on January 15, 1983 at the age of 75.

Filmography

Partial listing

• The Men in Her Life (1941)
• The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942)
• Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas (1943) - Lt. Aleksa Petrovic
• Strange Triangle (1946)
• Joan of Arc (1948) - Father Jean Massieu
• Fighting Squadron (1948)
• The Reckless Moment (1949)
• The Red Pony (1949)
• All the King's Men (1949) - Adam Stanton
• Under the Gun (1951) - Milo Bragg
• A Place in the Sun (1951) - Anthony "Tony" Vickers
• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
• That Night! (1957)
• Daring Game (1968)
• The Monitors (1969)
• Slaves (1969)
• Cops and Robbers (1973)

Television

• Another World - Jim Matthews
• One Life to Live - Victor Lord
• Love of Life - Timothy McCauley

Radio

• National Radio Theater: Odyssey - Homer

Stage

• To Grandmother's House We Go, Broadway play

Awards

• Tony Award for Best Play (Feature Role – Play):
  • To Grandmother's House We Go - Nominated

External links

• Shepperd Strudwick at the Internet Movie Database
• Shepperd Strudwick at the Internet Broadway Database
• Shepperd Strudwick papers, 1927-1983, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
• Shepperd Strudwick at the University of Wisconsin's Actors Studio audio collection
• Shepperd Strudwick at Find a Grave