John Kerr (actor)
Encyclopedia
John Kerr is an American
actor
from a family rooted in British and Broadway stage, and a lawyer
.
and June Walker
, were both stage and film actors, and his grandfather was Frederick Kerr
, a famed British trans-Atlantic character actor in the period 1880–1930; John developed an early interest in following their footsteps. He grew up in the New York City area, and went to Phillips Exeter Academy
in New England; after college, he worked at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, and in summer stock.
debut in 1953 in Mary Coyle Chase's Bernardine
, a high-school comedy for which he won a Theatre World Award
. In 1955, he received considerable critical acclaim as a troubled college student in Robert Anderson
's play Tea and Sympathy
. He won a Tony Award
for his performance, and he starred in the film version
the following year.
's Justice
as a basketball player who believes that gamblers have ruined his success on the court. His mother appeared with him on the series, which focuses on the cases of attorneys with the Legal Aid Society of New York.
He co-starred with Leslie Caron
in Gaby
(1956), the third remake of Waterloo Bridge
, which, in its 1931 version, featured John's grandfather Frederick Kerr.(1956) John Kerr starred with Debora Kerr in "Tea and Sympathy" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049829/ playing Tom Lee a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain climbing and girls labels him "sister-boy" at the college he is attending. Head master Bill Reynold's wife Laura sees Tom's suffering at the hands of his school mates (and her husband), and tries to help him find himself. John Kerr had a major role in the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein
's South Pacific
(1958), playing Lt. Joe Cable, the newly-arrived soldier about to be sent on a dangerous spy mission. In The Crowded Sky (1960), Kerr played a pilot who helps the Captain (Dana Andrews
) steer a crippled airliner back to earth. His only other notable film appearance was in Roger Corman
's The Pit and the Pendulum
(1961), co-starring with Vincent Price
and Barbara Steele
.
In 1965, Kerr guest starred on NBC's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
. He had a regular role on the ABC-TV primetime TV series, Peyton Place
, playing District Attorney John Fowler during the 1965-66 season. In 1964-65 he appeared as guest star on several episodes of Twelve O'Clock High
. During the 1970s, Kerr had a recurring role as prosecutor Gerald O'Brien on the Quinn Martin
television series The Streets of San Francisco
. His last appearance as an actor was in 1986, in a minor role in The Park Is Mine, a made-for-TV movie starring Tommy Lee Jones
.
, who was then directing episodes of the Ben Gazzara
television series Run 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. He graduated law school, and passed the California bar in 1970. He since pursued a full-time career as a Beverly Hills
lawyer
, but still accepted occasional small roles in a variety of television productions over the years.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
from a family rooted in British and Broadway stage, and a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Early life
Kerr's parents, Geoffrey KerrGeoffrey Kerr
Geoffrey Kerr was a British stage and film actor, and writer, during the middle of the 20th century, part of a British family with a strong stage and theatre tradition spanning several generations.-Early life:...
and June Walker
June Walker
June Walker was an American stage and film actress. She appeared on Broadway in such plays as Green Grow the Lilacs, The Farmer Takes a Wife, and Twelfth Night...
, were both stage and film actors, and his grandfather was Frederick Kerr
Frederick Kerr
Frederick Kerr was a British actor who appeared on stage in both New York City and London, and in British and American films; he also worked as a major theatrical manager in London.-Early life:...
, a famed British trans-Atlantic character actor in the period 1880–1930; John developed an early interest in following their footsteps. He grew up in the New York City area, and went to Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
in New England; after college, he worked at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, and in summer stock.
Stage career
He made his BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in 1953 in Mary Coyle Chase's Bernardine
Bernardine (play)
Bernardine is a play by Mary Chase. It premiered at the Playhouse Theatre on Broadway on October 16, 1952. It closed on February 28, 1953 after 157 performances. Actors John Kerr and Johnny Stewart won Theatre World Awards for their performances in the production. The play was later adapted into a...
, a high-school comedy for which he won a Theatre World Award
Theatre World Award
The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:...
. In 1955, he received considerable critical acclaim as a troubled college student in Robert Anderson
Robert Woodruff Anderson
Robert Woodruff Anderson was an American playwright, screenwriter, and theater producer....
's play Tea and Sympathy
Tea and Sympathy
Tea and Sympathy is a 1953 stage play in three acts by Robert Anderson.-Broadway premiere:It received its premiere on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on September 30, 1953 in a production by The Playwrights' Company, directed by Elia Kazan and designed by Jo Mielziner. The play starred...
. He won a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for his performance, and he starred in the film version
Tea and Sympathy (film)
Tea and Sympathy is an adaptation of Robert Anderson's 1953 stage play directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman for MGM. The music score was by Adolph Deutsch and the cinematography by John Alton. Deborah Kerr, Leif Erickson, and John Kerr recreated their original stage roles...
the following year.
Film & television career
Kerr's first acting role was in 1954 on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Justice
Justice (1954 TV series)
Justice is an NBC half-hour drama television series about attorneys of the Legal Aid Society of New York, which aired from April 8, 1954 to March 25, 1956. In the 1954-1955 season, Justice starred Dane Clark as Richard Adams and Gary Merrill as Jason Tyler. In the 1955-1956 season, William Prince...
as a basketball player who believes that gamblers have ruined his success on the court. His mother appeared with him on the series, which focuses on the cases of attorneys with the Legal Aid Society of New York.
He co-starred with Leslie Caron
Leslie Caron
Leslie Claire Margaret Caron is a French film actress and dancer, who appeared in 45 films between 1951 and 2003. In 2006, her performance in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit won her an Emmy for guest actress in a drama series...
in Gaby
Gaby (film)
Gaby is a 1956 drama film made by MGM. It is the third version of the play Waterloo Bridge, previously made into films in 1931 and 1940. It is the only version of the play made in color, and the least faithful to it. Not only the story but the names of the characters were also changed.This version...
(1956), the third remake of Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge (1931 film)
Waterloo Bridge is a 1931 American drama film directed by James Whale. The screenplay by Benn Levy and Tom Reed is based on the 1930 play of the same title by Robert E. Sherwood....
, which, in its 1931 version, featured John's grandfather Frederick Kerr.(1956) John Kerr starred with Debora Kerr in "Tea and Sympathy" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049829/ playing Tom Lee a sensitive boy of 17 whose lack of interest in the "manly" pursuits of sports, mountain climbing and girls labels him "sister-boy" at the college he is attending. Head master Bill Reynold's wife Laura sees Tom's suffering at the hands of his school mates (and her husband), and tries to help him find himself. John Kerr had a major role in the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
's South Pacific
South Pacific (film)
South Pacific is a 1958 musical romance film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, and based on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific...
(1958), playing Lt. Joe Cable, the newly-arrived soldier about to be sent on a dangerous spy mission. In The Crowded Sky (1960), Kerr played a pilot who helps the Captain (Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
) steer a crippled airliner back to earth. His only other notable film appearance was in Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961 film)
The Pit and the Pendulum is a 1961 horror film directed by Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr, and Luana Anders. The screenplay by Richard Matheson was based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story of the same name. Set in 16th century Spain, the story is about a young...
(1961), co-starring with Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
and Barbara Steele
Barbara Steele
Barbara Steele is an English film actress. She is best known for starring in Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s. Her breakthrough role came in Italian director Mario Bava's Black Sunday , now hailed as a classic.Steele starred in a string of horror films, including The Horrible Dr...
.
In 1965, Kerr guest starred on NBC's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
. He had a regular role on the ABC-TV primetime TV series, Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
, playing District Attorney John Fowler during the 1965-66 season. In 1964-65 he appeared as guest star on several episodes of Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High (TV series)
Twelve O'Clock High or 12 O'Clock High is an American drama series set in World War II. This TV series originally broadcasted on ABC-TV for two-and-one-half TV seasons from September 18, 1964, through January 13, 1967; was based on the motion picture Twelve O'Clock High...
. During the 1970s, Kerr had a recurring role as prosecutor Gerald O'Brien on the Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin was one of the most successful American television producers. He had at least one television series running in prime time for 21 straight years , an industry record.-Early life:...
television series The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
. His last appearance as an actor was in 1986, in a minor role in The Park Is Mine, a made-for-TV movie starring Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
.
Law career
Around 1966-67, Kerr took an interest in film directing, and worked as an apprentice with Leo PennLeo Penn
Leo Z. Penn was an American actor and director, and father of musician Michael Penn and actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn.-Early life:...
, who was then directing episodes of the Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
-Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at...
television series Run for Your Life
Run for Your Life (TV series)
Run for Your Life is an American television drama series starring Ben Gazzara as a man with only a short time to live. It ran on NBC from 1965 to 1968. The series was created by Roy Huggins, who had previously explored the "man on the move" concept with The Fugitive.-Synopsis:Gazzara plays lawyer...
— but Kerr was quickly disenchanted by the mundane aspects of the work, and applied to and was accepted at UCLA Law School. He graduated law school, and passed the California bar in 1970. He since pursued a full-time career as a Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, but still accepted occasional small roles in a variety of television productions over the years.