Wynn, who played such memorable roles as Col 'Bat' Guano, The Winter Warlock, Hezekiah Sturdy & Lippy, the Shakespeare loving gangster, was born July 27th, 1916. He died on October 14th, 1986 from pancreatic cancer. He was 70.
The son of beloved vaudevillian comedian-turned-Oscar nominated dramatic actor Ed Wynn, Keenan was a prolific film and TV scene stealer himself, amassing almost 300 credits in his over 40 year career.
Wynn & Wynn
Keenan played everything from the star's best friend to a mexican bandit to a redneck sheriff to a slew of soldiers. His best known work was for M-G-M and Disney. He could be jovial, cantankerous, sadistic, scheming, helpful, hateful, etc.
Wynn chewing scenery as Sanchez in MACKENNA'S GOLD
Keenan actually helped his dad revitalize his sagging career by convincing him to try his hand at dramatic acting. They appeared together in such movies as THE GREAT MAN, THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR and THE PATSY, as well as on TV together in Rod Serling's acclaimed PLAYHOUSE 90 version of Requiem For A Heavyweight and the THE WESTINGHOUSE DESILU PLAYHOUSE production of The Man In The Funny Suit, a docudrama on the struggles and frustrations Ed and Keenan faced making Requiem.
The Wynn's flank REQUIEM star Jack Palance
Wynn was a favorite of mine and his list of notable roles is staggering.
Some of my Wynn Winners include:
The ''deviated prevert'' hating Col. 'Bat Guano in Kubrick's DR. STRANGELOVE: OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB
''You're going have to answer to the Coca-Cola Company''
Lippy, part of the debt collecting gangster duo (along with James Whitmore as Slug) in
KISS ME KATE
Wynn and Whitmore help Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson 'brush up on their Shakespeare'
Hezekiah, the loyal mechanic/bodyguard of The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) in
THE GREAT RACE
''Boss!''
The insane, racist U.S. soldier, Lt. Winston, on trial for murder in THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE aka THE WINSTON AFFAIR
In the MIDDLE with Trevor Howard and Robert Mitchum
The shadowy mystery man Yost in POINT BLANK
Good pals in real life, Wynn and Lee Marvin goof around at the POINT BLANK
wrap party
Jan Michael-Vincent's weak-hearted mobster father ''Big Harry'' McKenna
in the original THE MECHANIC
Spoiler Alert!
Scheming Alonzo P. Hawk in THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR, it's sequel SON OF FLUBBER and HERBIE RIDES AGAIN
With Tommy Kirk and Fred MacMurray in THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR
Vindictive Pittsburgh Pirates sportscaster Fred Bayless in ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD
With Donna Corcoran and Spring Byington in ANGELS
C-list comic Buddy Hare in THE HUCKSTERS
Eddie Hoke, the obnoxious but decent husband of Bette Davis in
PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER
Gary Merrill with the 3 doomed passengers--Wynn, Shelley Winters and Michael Rennie-
of PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER
Harry Silver, part of the management team of Jerry Lewis in
THE PATSY
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John Carradine, Wynn, Phil Harris, Everett Sloane and Peter Lorre with
THE PATSY
The voice of the Winter Warlock in
SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN
''Put One Foot in Front of the Other''
And the list goes on and on:
Hepcat musician 'Clinker' Krause in SONG OF THE THIN MAN, the Sheriff of Flagstone in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, the Old Sailor in THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY, Sen. Billboard Rawkins in FINIAN'S RAINBOW, Bradford Dillman's pal Jack in PIRANHA, short-fused & crazy Wes Fletcher in THE WAR WAGON, crazy & evil Luke Plummer in the star-studded 1966 remake of STAGECOACH, the old west pimp Zar in WELCOME TO HARD TIMES, Digger Barnes in 10 episodes of DALLAS, the ghost Ben Griggs in THE COCKEYED MIRACLE, Irving and Edward Klinger in ROYAL WEDDING, Sheriff Houndtooth Riley in CANCEL MY RESERVATION, Charlie Davenport in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Planchet in 1948's THE THREE MUSKETEERS, Pvt. Mulvehiil in SEE HERE, PRIVATE HARGROVE & WHAT NEXT, CORPORAL HARGROVE?, Barney Clark in JOHNNY CONCHO, Ronnie Hastings in MY DEAR SECRETARY, the nefarious butler Edwards in KIND LADY, Sinatra's old pal Jerry Marks in A HOLE IN THE HEAD, producer Sid Moore in THE GREAT MAN, Sgt. Caesar Gardella in THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT, David Janssen's partner, Sgt. Musso, in WARNING SHOT, Police Chief Poldaski in PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW, crooked D.A. John Slade in THE SHAGGY D.A., bad guy banker Ridgeway in SNOWBALL EXPRESS, Mr. Green, Shelley Duvall's uncle, in NASHVILLE, Edward in LOVING, Marty Ainsley in B.F. DAUGHTER, Joe Backett in NEPTUNE'S DAUGHTER, George in SHACK OUT ON 101, the regular role of Kodiak in the TV series THE TROUBLESHOOTERS (1959-60), the Narrator of the western TV show BLACK SADDLE (1959-60), playwright Gregory West in THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode A World of His Own, Craig T. Nelson's father on CALL TO GLORY, Iron John in BLACK MOON RISING, Burt Reynolds father in BEST FRIENDS, Capt. Joe 'Mad Dog' Siska in 2 episodes of KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, Professor Zagmeyer in The Devil, You Say episode of McMILLAN & WIFE and hundreds more.
With Maurice Evans, Ethel Barrymore and Angela Lansbury in
KIND LADY
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With the gorgeous Claudia Cardinale in ONCE UPON A TIME...
Wynn's about to learn the hard way that PIRANHA have a foot fetish
Rob THE THING Bottin did the make-up for PIRANHA
Yes, Keenan kept his legs in the water way too long:
not only did the PIRANHA chow down, his legs shrunk as well!
I hate shrinkage.
With Nick and Nora (William Powell and Myrna Loy) and Clinton Sundberg in
SONG OF THE THIN MAN
Norman Rockwell's painting of the cast was the best thing about the STAGECOACH remake
With Van Heflin in STAGECOACH
The second Digger Barnes on DALLAS
With Jose Ferrer and Jim Backus in THE GREAT MAN
With Whit Bissell and bud Lee Marvin in the camp classic
SHACK OUT ON 101
With Burt Reynolds in BEST FRIENDS
With Robert Walker in SEE HERE, PRIVATE HARGROVE
20 some years later Wynn and Robert Walker Jr. worked together on
THE WAR WAGON
THE TWILIGHT ZONE with Phyllis Kirk
With Scott Glenn in NASHVILLE
My hands are getting tired of typing, but a sample of Wynn's other film and TV credits include:
TEXAS CARNIVAL, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS, ORCA, POLICE WOMAN, WEEK-END AT THE WALDORF, SINCE YOU WENT AWAY, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, THE BIONIC WOMAN, JOE BUTTERFLY, JAMAICAN GOLD, EASY TO WED, ALL THE BROTHERS WERE VALIANT, THREE LITTLE WORDS, Butch in the very short-lived 1986 comedy THE LAST PRECINCT, BATTLE CIRCUS, THE GLASS SLIPPER, LOVE AMERICAN STYLE, TAXI, THE LAST UNICORN, ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, THE U.S. STEEL HOUR, THAT KIND OF WOMAN, PROMISE HER ANYTHING, NIGHTMARE IN THE SUN, A PIANO FOR MRS. CIMINO, THE GLOVE, JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, FANTASY ISLAND, SUNBURN, THE CLONUS HORROR, THE BELLE OF NEW YORK, THE DEEP SIX, THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY, DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER, THE BASTARD, COACH, LASERBLAST, THE KILLER INSIDE ME, THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING CASE, HE IS NOT MY BROTHER, THE DEVIL'S RAIN, TERROR IN THE SKY, CANNON, 80 STEPS TO JONAH, THE WILD WILD WEST, VIVA MAX, BIKINI BEACH, ROUTE 66, PLAYHOUSE 90 and many, many more.
With John Saxon in THE GLOVE
With Richsrd Harris in ORCA
THE LAST PRECINCT cast
Wynn with Ernie Hudson, Adam West and Randi Brooks
With William Bendix and others on the U.S.S. Stephen Potter
shooting THE DEEP SIX
With Red Skelton and Esther Williams in TEXAS CARNIVAL
With Humphrey Bogart and June Allyson in BATTLE CIRCUS
With Cathy Lee Crosby in COACH
Wynn made numerous appearances on the Broadway stage in such shows as
THE MORE THE MERRIER, STRIP FOR ACTION, BLACK WIDOW, TWO FOR THE SHOW, ONE FOR THE MONEY and more.
Some of the other colorful character names Wynn has had in his career include:
Nutsy, Meat Cleaver Stewart, Sea Dog Morgan, Stump Harris, Col. Nightingale, Thorwald Wolfe, Mr. Sprock, Titanic O' Hara, Willy Wurble, Packy Roost and Harvey Huntington Honeywagon.
Did you know...?
His full name is Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn.
His grandfather was stage and silent film actor Frank Keenan.
He recieved an Emmy Nomination for a Guest Spot on POLICE WOMAN.
Wynn was set to play Daily Planet editor Perry White in 1978's SUPERMAN,
but after arriving in London for shooting, he suffered a grand mal seizure and was hospitalized for a week. Jackie SKIPPY Cooper was called into replace him.
His first wife, actress Eve 'Evie' Lynn Abbott, married Wynn family friend Van Johnson (THE CAINE MUTINY, The Minstrel on BATMAN) one day after her and Wynn's divorce became final. That union lasted 21 years.
Mr. & Mrs. Johnson
Wynn's 2 sons with Abbott are both in show business:
Tracy Keenan Wynn is an Emmy-Winning scribe (THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN, TRIBES) who also wrote the screenplays for THE LONGEST YARD and THE DEEP.
Ned was an actor (STAGECOACH with his dad, THE PATSY with his dad & grand-dad) and screenwriter (CALIFORNIA DREAMING, VELVET), who also wrote the acclaimed autobiographical memoir We Will Always Live in Beverly Hills.
Ned, Keenan and Ed
Keenan and Tracy Keenan
Wynn had 3 children with his third wife Sharley Hudson.
He enjoyed racing boats, cars and motorcycles, which probably led to the
tinnitus (chronic ringing of the ears) that he suffered in his later years.
Wynn and Lee Marvin take a break from racing their Truimph Motorcycles.
Wynn Quotes
''My billing has always been "and", or "with", or "including". That's all right; let the stars take the blame.''
''I do not consider myself a star. I'm a craftsman and I know my craft.''
More Wynn at work:
SONG OF THE THIN MAN trailer
The first 10 mins. of The Spanish Moss Murders episode of KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER
Part 1 of THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode A World Of His Own
Behind the scenes of STAGECOACH
Clip from THE GREAT MAN
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