Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 â€" November 9, 1948) was an
American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films
during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as
"Slow Burn", owing to his ability to portray on screen characters
whose anger slowly rises in frustrating situations. Kennedy in many of
his roles used exasperated facial expressions, performed very
deliberately, to convey his rising anger or "burn", often rubbing his
hand over his bald head and across his face in an effort to control
his temper. One memorable example of his slow-burn comedy technique
can be seen in the 1933 Marx Brothers' film Duck Soup in which he
plays a sidewalk lemonade vendor who is harassed and increasingly
provoked by Harpo and Chico.Kennedy was born on April 26, 1890, in
Monterey County, California, to Canadians Neil Kennedy and Annie
Quinn. He attended San Rafael High School before taking up boxing. He
was a light-heavyweight and once went 14 rounds with Jack Dempsey.
After boxing, he worked as a singer in vaudeville, musical comedy and
light opera.Making his debut in 1911,Kennedy performed with some of
the biggest film comedians in the United States, including Roscoe
Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, W.C.
Fields, Charley Chase, and the Our Gang series. He was also one of the
original Keystone Kops.
American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films
during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as
"Slow Burn", owing to his ability to portray on screen characters
whose anger slowly rises in frustrating situations. Kennedy in many of
his roles used exasperated facial expressions, performed very
deliberately, to convey his rising anger or "burn", often rubbing his
hand over his bald head and across his face in an effort to control
his temper. One memorable example of his slow-burn comedy technique
can be seen in the 1933 Marx Brothers' film Duck Soup in which he
plays a sidewalk lemonade vendor who is harassed and increasingly
provoked by Harpo and Chico.Kennedy was born on April 26, 1890, in
Monterey County, California, to Canadians Neil Kennedy and Annie
Quinn. He attended San Rafael High School before taking up boxing. He
was a light-heavyweight and once went 14 rounds with Jack Dempsey.
After boxing, he worked as a singer in vaudeville, musical comedy and
light opera.Making his debut in 1911,Kennedy performed with some of
the biggest film comedians in the United States, including Roscoe
Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, W.C.
Fields, Charley Chase, and the Our Gang series. He was also one of the
original Keystone Kops.
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