Shepperd Strudwick


Shepperd Strudwick was an American actor of film, television, and stage. He was also billed as John Shepperd for some of his films and for his acting on stage in New York.

Early years

Strudwick was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina. He attended Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the University of North Carolina. At the university, he played football and basketball and ran the mile in track. He gained early acting experience in a summer stock theatre company in Maine.

Career

He began his film career as the title character in the short film Joaquin Murrieta, 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, credited as John Shepperd.
During World War II, Strudwick served in the Navy.
He played Edgar Allan Poe in The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe and also appeared in Strange Triangle, Fighter Squadron, The Reckless Moment, The Red Pony, Under the Gun, and A Place in the Sun, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift, as the Taylor character's father.
He portrayed Adam Stanton, the idealistic doctor who finally kills Willie Stark in the classic film All the King's Men. Another notable role was Father Jean Massieu in Joan of Arc, 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, and several roles on the soap operas As the World Turns, Another World, One Life to Live, and Love of Life. 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 film was in 1981's Kent State, a TV film. That same year, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor for the Broadway play To Grandmother's House We Go.
Strudwick acted in at least 30 Broadway plays, beginning with The Yellow Jacket, and ending with To Grandmother's House We Go.

Personal life

Strudwick married Helen Wynn,, with whom he acted in stock theatre in Maine, on May 10, 1936, in New York City. They had a son in 1944. In 1949, he was married to Jean Mead, who had worked for the British Information Service. Strudwick was married to Mary Jeffrey from 1977 until his death. He died in New York City from cancer on January 15, 1983, at the age of 75.

Filmography

Film

  • Fast Company as Ned Morgan
  • Old Glory as Paul Revere
  • Congo Maisie as Dr. John McWade
  • Mighty Hunters as Narrator
  • Dr. Kildare's Strange Case as Dr. Gregory 'Greg' Lane
  • Tom Thumb in Trouble as Narrator/Tom Thumb's Father
  • The Mortal Storm as Narrator
  • Flight Command - Lieut. Jerry Banning
  • Belle Starr as Ed Shirley
  • The Men in Her Life as Roger Chevis
  • Cadet Girl as Bob Mallory
  • Remember the Day as Dewey Roberts
  • Rings on Her Fingers as Tod Fenwick
  • Ten Gentlemen from West Point as Henry Clay
  • The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe as Edgar Allan Poe
  • Dr. Renault's Secret as Dr. Larry Forbes
  • Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas as Lt. Aleksa Petrovic
  • Strange Triangle as Earl Huber
  • Home, Sweet Homicide as Mr.Wallace Sanford
  • Joan of Arc as Father Massieu
  • Fighter Squadron as Brig. Gen. Mel Gilbert
  • Enchantment as Marchese Del Laudi
  • The Red Pony as Mr. Fred Tiflin
  • Reign of Terror as Napoleon Bonaparte
  • The Reckless Moment as Ted Darby
  • Chicago Deadline as Edgar 'Blacky' Franchot
  • All the King's Men as Adam Stanton
  • The Kid from Texas as Roger Jameson
  • Let's Dance as Timothy Bryant
  • Three Husbands as Arthur Evans
  • A Place in the Sun as Anthony "Tony" Vickers
  • Under the Gun as Milo Bragg
  • The Eddy Duchin Story as Sherman Wadsworth
  • Autumn Leaves as Dr. Malcolm Couzzens
  • Beyond a Reasonable Doubt as Jonathan Wilson
  • That Night! as Dr. Bernard Fischer
  • The Sad Sack as Major General Vanderlip
  • Girl on the Run as James McCullough/Ralph Graham
  • Violent Midnight as Adrian Benedict
  • Daring Game as Dr. Henry L. Carlyle
  • Slaves as Mr. Stillwell
  • The Monitors as Tersh Jeterax
  • Cops and Robbers as Mr. Eastpoole

    Television

  • Wagon Train as Colonel Charles E. Beauchamp
  • Perry Mason as Dr. Charles Morris
  • Have Gun - Will Travel as Colonel Benjamin Nunez
  • 77 Sunset Strip as James McCullough
  • Thriller as Douglas Kilburn
  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show as Bill Mowry
  • The Twilight Zone as Peter Selden
  • One Life to Live as Victor Lord
  • McMillan & Wife as Rudolph Dimrose
  • The Adams Chronicles as Dr. Hooper
  • Love of Life as Timothy McCauley
  • Nurse as William Mercier

    Radio

  • National Radio Theater: Odyssey as Homer

    Stage

  • To Grandmother's House We Go, Broadway play

    Awards

  • 1981 Tony Award for Best Actor :
  • *To Grandmother's House We Go - Nominated