The Impact of Richard Widmark

For years, I had never heard of Richard Widmark. However, I had seen a few of the movies he had been in, including "The Alamo", and the tv movies "All God's Children", and "A Gathering of Old Men". I had also seen the episode of "I Love Lucy" he had guest-starred in. However, for some reason, he never grabbed my attention. He was just another actor. Things slightly began to change around 2002. I was at my sister's, watching "I Love Lucy" one night, when the Richard Widmark episode came on again. Everyone kept mentioning his name, saying "Richard Widmark this, Richard Widmark that." I kept saying to myself "who is Richard Widmark?" Finally, he appeared on the screen, with Desi Arnaz. From his demeanor, he seemed quiet, shy, and intelligent, with a certain amount of underlying no-nonsense toughness and strength. He didn't have this dominating, intimidating presence like John Wayne or Rock Hudson. He was a smaller man in size, but he had a captivating presence of his very own. I was surprised, but impressed.

A few months later, in February of 2003, there was a Sidney Poitier marathon on Turner Classic Movies, to commemorate his birthday. Among the films shown were "Paris Blues", "Lilies of the Field", "A Patch of Blue", and one I hadn't heard of before, "The Bedford Incident". When I heard it starred Richard Widmark, I surprising thought, "oh, the guy from I Love Lucy." I decided to watch it. By the time the movie ended, I was knocked out by his performance as the tough, hard captain of a ship, obsessed to do battle with a Russian submarine. It became one of my favorite movies, and Richard Widmark became one of my favorite actors. I had literally fallen head over heels for "the guy from I Love Lucy." I went online to look him up. I assumed he had passed away, like many of the actors of his era. Instead, I found out he was alive and well, living in CT.

One by one, I began to search out his movies. I liked every single one I saw. One thing I really admired about him was how very well he could play almost any kind of part. From a villian to a drill sergeant, from a doctor to a general, to a prosecutor to a cop to a sheriff- there was no role he could not successfully master. I began taping and buying his films in droves. I had a brand new passion, and I was enjoying it to the fullest. When I saw "No Way Out", I was shocked by his portrayal of a staunch bigot, out to kill newcomer Sidney Poitier. The language he used was atrocious. Don't let that movie fool you. Behind the scenes, after each take, he would apologize to "Sid" ( as he called him), and the two became lifelong friends. Lena Horne, his love interest in 1969's "Death of a Gunfighter", later called him her "blue-eyed soul brother." He was a devoted liberal and family man, who liked to drink milkshakes.

One day, I decided to write him a letter. I was also going to pursue getting his autograph. I found his address online, bought a black and white, 8x10 pic on eBay, and sent everything off. Writing fan letters can be a risk, and it can lead to either disappointment or elation. I have had both. I have since given it up. However, this time would not be a disappointment. Around a month later, I saw a large brown envelope in the mailbox. I nervously opened it, and saw the familiar picture. I didn't see an autograph at first. It was over on the side, signed horizontally. You could tell it was the handwriting of an elderly person. He was almost 90 years old at the time. I was thrilled. However, there was more. When I put the picture back in the envelope, I noticed something on the front. There was more writing. It said "Photo- Pls Do Not Bend." It was the same color of ink, the same writing. In a way, this touched me more than the autograph itself. To actually have shown concern about the picture meant a lot to me. This alone makes it the most special autograph experience I have ever had, and there have been quite a few through the years. About a year later, I found out he had become too ill to accept fan mail anymore, so I was more thankful than ever I wrote to him when I did.

In March of 2008, I was on my way out one day when I switched over to CNN's Headline News, and heard he had passed away. He was 93. I was saddened by the news, and at the same time relieved I had been blessed to have discovered him when I did, when he was still with us. I had been a fan for 5 years. Most people I have read about have been fans since childhood, but I was 31 when I discovered his brilliant talent. My favorite film remains "The Bedford Incident". However, I also love "Death of a Gunfighter", "Panic in the Streets", "Madigan", "Warlock", "Backlash", "Hell and High Water", "Take the High Ground", "The Halls of Montezuma"... The list is endless. So is my admiration for him.