Joseph Sweeney
Joseph "Joe" F. Sweeney (born July 26, 1882 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , † November 25, 1963 in New York ) was an American theater and film actor.
life and career
Joseph Sweeney was born in Philadelphia in 1882 - other sources also mention 1884. At a young age, he lived in a dormitory in the apartment above the future star comedian WC Fields , who also encouraged Sweeney to enter show business. After starting his career as a juggler, he toured the United States as an actor with various theater companies and appeared in around 35 Broadway plays between 1918 and 1953 . He played in his pieces alongside Herbert Marshall , Helen Hayes and Roy Roberts, among others . His last appearance on Broadway was in the original production of Arthur Miller's drama Witch Hunt , in which Sweeney played the role of Giles Corey .
He had made his first film with Sylvia on the Spree as early as 1918 , but until the end of the 1940s he only made irregular appearances. In the 1950s he became a busy supporting actor on American television. Mostly Joseph Sweeney was cast as a friendly elderly gentleman, including in his now by far best-known role as juror No. 9 in the court classic The Twelve Jurors . The wise, observant man is the first of the jury to take the side of Henry Fonda's protagonists. Sweeney had already played the role of jury number 9 in the TV presentation from 1954. However, Sweeney occasionally portrayed less likeable roles, for example as a thieving caretaker in the drama The Man in Gray Flannel (1956) on the side of Gregory Peck .
In the year he died, Sweeney made half a dozen television appearances. Joseph Sweeney passed away on the day of Kennedy's funeral.
Filmography (selection)
- 1918: Sylvia on a Spree
- 1930: The Jaywalker
- 1936: Soak the Rich
- 1940: The Night Before the Wedding (The Philadelphia Story)
- 1950: Released (Outside the Wall)
- 1952–1955: Studio One (TV series, 5 episodes)
- 1954–1959: The United States Steel Hour (TV series, 5 episodes)
- 1956: The Fastest Gun Alive (The Fastest Gun Alive)
- 1956: The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit)
- 1957: The Twelve Jurors (12 Angry Men)
- 1961–1963: Preston & Preston (TV series, 2 episodes)
- 1963: Car 54, please report (TV series, 2 episodes)
Web links
- Joseph Sweeney in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Joseph Sweeney at Allmovie
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sweeney, Joseph |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sweeney, Joseph F .; Sweeney, Joe F. (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American theater and film actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 26, 1884 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 25, 1963 |
| Place of death | new York |