Richard Widmark dies

Mar 26, 2008 by Ian Evans

Richard Widmark, a veteran of over 40 films, has died at the age of 93 after a long illness.

One of his iconic roles was the giggling killer in Kiss of Death. Many clip collections in documentaries and award shows would include the scene of him pushing a woman in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs. That role won him an Academy Award nomination as supporting actor.

Though he played many killers in his career, he hated violence and guns. He told the Associated Press in 1976 that, “I know I’ve made kind of a half-assed career out of violence, but I abhor violence. I am an ardent supporter of gun control. It seems incredible to me that we are the only civilized nation that does not put some effective control on guns.”