Whale, Brian

Brian Keith was born on November 14, 1921 in Beyonne , New Jersey , into an artistic family. ^{[1] [2]} His father, Robert Keith , was a Broadway actor and starred in silent films, he also wrote plays and scripts for the first films, and from the early 1930s until 1961 he worked in Hollywood ^{[1] [2] [3]} . His mother Elena Shipman was an experienced theater actress who also worked on the radio ^{[2] [3]} . Already at the age of three, Brian made his film debut in the silent films “ Pied Piper Melone ” (1924) and “ Other Love ” (1924) ^{[4] [1] [2]} .

After the parents divorced in 1926, Brian grew up with his mother in New York, and his father went to Hollywood ^[2] . As Helen continued to perform on stage and on the radio, Brian’s upbringing fell largely on his grandmother, who lived on Long Island , New York ^[5] .

Already in his youth, Keith played in various theaters and on the radio ^{[1] [6]} . In 1941, with the outbreak of World War II, Keith went to serve in the Marine Corps , where until 1945 he served as an air gunner, having received a medal of the air forces of the Navy ^{[5] [1] [6] [4] [2]} .

After the war ended, Keith returned to the theater, where he began to perform under the name Robert Keith Jr. In 1946, he made his debut in the play "Rise" ^{[4] [2]} . However, according to John Charles, he "achieved greater fame on Broadway thanks to the play in the hit comedy Mr. Roberts (1948-51), where his father played one of the roles." Whale also had roles in the less successful productions of Midday Darkness (1951) and West to the Eighth (1951) ^{[2] [4]} . Much later, he returned to Broadway once again to play in the name “Brian Keith” in the play “Yes” (1978-1980), where he replaced the original leading actor Bernard Hughes ^{[2] [7]} .

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Keith played episodic roles without being credited in several popular films, such as Elia Kazan ’s noir film Boomerang! "(1947, his father played a prominent role in this film), the fantasy melodrama Portrait of Jenny (1948) with Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones and the noir thriller Fourteen Hours (1951), where his father played a major role ^{[ 2]} .

Since 1951, Keith began to work actively on television ^[2] , and his career in the cinema really only began in 1953 ^{[4] [1]} , when he played his first significant role in the Western Point of the Arrow (1953) with Charlton Heston starring ^{[2] [1]} . This work was followed by significant roles in the adventure film “ Alaska Seas ” (1954) with Robert Ryan , in the adventure melodrama “ Jivaro ” (1954) with Ronda Fleming and in the military thriller “ Bamboo Prison ” (1954), where Keith played the corporal of the American army , which falls into the prisoner of war camp during the Korean War , turning there into an important agent, extracting valuable information about the enemy ^[8] .

A year later, Keith played the rancher-killer in the Cruel People Western (1955) with Glenn Ford and Barbara Stanwick ^[1] , as well as the policeman who becomes a killer in the film Noir Bottleneck (1955).

This was followed by the film Noir “ Five Against the Casino ” (1955), where Keith played a university student who was mentally injured in the Korean War, who was involved in a robbery of a casino, which students turned for fun, and then tried to appropriate the stolen ^{[2] [1]} . Whale's play in this film has been praised by critics. Thus, the critic of The New York Times A.H. Weiler wrote that in this film, first of all, “Brian Keith should be noted for creating an excellent image of a strong, but mentally traumatized former soldier, whose painful consciousness turns a carefully calculated trick into a severe collision with the law ” ^[9] . According to contemporary film expert Michael Keeney, “the film begins slowly, and conversations border on stupidity”, but gradually it picks up pace, and as a result “thanks to Keith it leaves a good impression” ^[10] , and film historian Craig Butler noted that among the cast “The biggest name is Kim Novak (although she was still nobody at the time of the film), and she gives a good game. Guy Madison , Alvy Moore and Cervin Matthews are also good, but the work of Brian Keith is most interesting ” ^[11] . In 1957, in the cult noir “ Twilight ” (1957) ^[2], Keith played the role of one of two bandits who hunt for stolen money that accidentally turned out to be a respectable designer. The film received high marks from critics, and Bruce Eder wrote that “the outstanding play of the entire cast has exceeded all expectations” ^[12] . During this period, Keith also played a police detective in the film Noir “ Date with a Shadow ” (1957), the prosecutor in the criminal drama about the fight with the mafia “ Secrets of Chicago ” (1957), and also played the main roles and second main roles in the westerns “ Flight ” arrows "(1957)," Criminals from the infernal canyon "(1957)," Fort Dobbs "(1958)," Baron of the Sierra "(1958) and" Long live Villa! "(1958). In addition, Keith played the role of a lawyer with political ambitions, who begins an anti-communist campaign against a local librarian ( Bette Davis ) in the political drama Center of the Storm (1956), as well as a social worker in the youth crime drama Dino (1957) ^{[13 ]} .

In the successful melodrama Young Philadelphians (1959), Keith played a minor role as a close friend of the mother of the protagonist ( Paul Newman ) ^[1] .

In 1960, Keith played his first role in the Disney movie , it was a family adventure Western " Ten Brave " (1960). Although, according to John Charles, “it was far from the best Disney picture, Keith’s game was well received, after which he played the lead roles in several more Disney films” ^[2] . Erickson also noted that "since this film, Keith has become an unofficial" permanent actor "of Disney films" ^[4] . A year later, in the Disney comedy “ Parent Trap ” (1961), Keith, together with Maureen O'Hara, played a pair of divorced parents, which their twin daughters are trying to connect again ^{[4] [3]} . The great success of this picture helped Keith to establish himself in a softer screen image, which later helped him get successful roles on television ^[2] . Later, Keith played in such Disney films as “The Lunar Pilot ” (1962), “ Wild Sam” (1963), “The Tiger Goes ” (1965), “ These Callaways ” (1965), “ Scandalous John ” (1971), as well as in numerous episodes of the television series " Disneyland " (1959-86, 10 episodes) ^[14] .

Until the late 1960s, Keith’s most notable films were Western Nevada Smith (1966) with Steve McQueen , where he played an important role as an itinerant gunsmith, John Houston ’s unusual melodrama “ Glare in the Golden Eye ” (1967) with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando , satirical comedy of the Cold War era “ Russians are coming! Russians are coming! "(1966), as well as the family comedy" Six Under One Roof "(1968), where his partner was Doris Day ^{[2] [1]} .

In the 1970s, Keith starred in the satirical anti-war comedy “ Suppose a war has begun and no one has come?” "(1970), the military action movie The Mackenzie Breakthrough (1970), the crime action movie The Yakuza (1974) with Robert Mitchem and, according to Charles," made an impression as an aging stuntman "in the hit comedy" Hooper "(1978) with Bert Reynolds in the title role ^[2] . One of Keith's best roles in the 1970s was the role of President Theodore Roosevelt in the adventure epic John Milius, “The Wind and the Lion ” (1975) ^{[2] [1] [4]} . In the 1980s, in addition to several supporting roles in films such as Western " Mountain People " (1980), action movies " The Sharkey Machine " (1981), " Death Before dishonor " (1987) and Western " Young Arrows " (1988) Keith mainly performed guest roles on television. ^{[2] [1]} Keith’s latest film, the comedy Follow the Heart (1999), was released after his death ^[2] .

In 1951, Keith began to work a lot on television, playing until 1953 inclusively under the name Robert Keith Jr. ^[4] . His first series were “Hands of the Killer” (1951) and “Shadow of the Cloak” (1951), then various roles followed in 7 episodes of the detective series Suspens (1952), in 3 episodes of the horror series “Tomorrow's Stories” (1952) , in one episode of “Police History” (1952) and in the mystical series “Witness” (1953) ^[2] .

After several more guest roles in 1955, Keith got the main role in the thriller CBS channel " Fighter for Justice " (1955-56). In the 52 episodes of this series, Keith played the heroic role of Matt Anders, a freelance journalist, "who helps those in need, especially those who want to escape from the communist countries." As Charles noted, “now forgotten, this series lasted a little over a year” ^[2] . According to Stephanie Simon, Keith “despised this, one of his most famous roles, because he believed ... that his character is too much a tricked-out hero of an action movie in which there is too little from an ordinary guy. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times , Keith talked about his hero a few years after the closure of the project: “He always rushed somewhere. And he always won. Who can win always? In addition, people thought that he was real. I still receive letters, compassionate letters from people who ask me to help relatives who are behind the Iron Curtain . I am very uncomfortable. I am not an avenging angel. ” ^[3]

According to Erickson, “The most fascinating television project of Keith was the rigid western“ Man from the West ”(1960) created by Sam Pakpinpa .” In 13 episodes of this series, Keith played “an illiterate cowboy who always wanted to pull the trigger” ^[4] . According to Simon, the role of “a rumpled cowboy with a simple speech, so close to the ground that he even fell from his horse from time to time”, was to Kit “to taste much more”. The leaders of the CBS channel suggested Keith "to soften the series so that it was acceptable to the children's audience", but Keith refused, which ultimately led to its closure ^[3] . A few months after the series closed, Keith said: “The greatest satisfaction I get is in cowboy towns, where guys go out the door and grab me to say how good the series is.” ^[3] In 1963, Keith played in the debut episode of the classic drama series The Fugitive . In the biography of the actor on the TV Guide website, his “exciting game in the role of a jealous, obsessed and aggressive husband” in this episode is especially noted ^[6] .

According to Simon, despite his love of Westerns, “Kit achieved national fame thanks to the CBS sitcom “ Family Affair ”(1966-1971)” ^[3] . In 138 episodes of this series, which went on for five seasons, Keith played Bill Davis, a wealthy New York bachelor who raises the three children of his dead brother with the help of a dedicated English butler. Both men need time to get used to new responsibilities, but despite the weekly conflicts that are easily resolved in a half-hour episode, everything is going well ^[2] . As Simon writes: “Combining his trademark rudeness with a touch of tenderness, Keith played Uncle Bill as a swinging bachelor, whose life came to chaos after he was forced to raise three orphaned nieces and nephew with the help of his English butler, Mr. French” ^{[ 3]} . According to Charles, "although the work in the series did not require much from Keith, the actor nonetheless radiated warmth and accessibility, making his uncle Bill one of his favorite television characters." In addition, according to the critic, the series gave Keith “many opportunities to demonstrate humor and charm, which he did constantly, despite the fact that the material itself was template”. As Charles further notes, with this character “Keith entered the pantheon of the great telefathers, and in the end this role became his trademark role” ^[2] . Work in the series “Family Business” earned Keith three nominations for the Prime-Time Emmy Award in 1967–69 ^[6] . In addition, the organization of the filming of the series allowed Keith to shoot all his scenes of the next season in two months, as a result of which the rest of the year he could work in the movies or just relax ^[2] . As for the series itself, according to Mavis, he “was so successful that in the Nielsen ranking he was one of the five most popular television programs for three of his five seasons” ^[15] , and in the 1970s he was repeatedly shown on local television networks ^[2] .

After the Family Affair, several attempts were made to build a new television show around Whale, starting with the comedy The Brian Whale Show on NBC (1972–74) ^[2] . In the 47 episodes of this show, Keith played a pediatrician who worked at a children's clinic on the Hawaiian island of Oahu . According to the actor, he specifically chose this location for filming, as he "fell in love with Hawaii , when he was a young sergeant in the Marine Corps during World War II." However, Keith later admitted that the Brian Keith Show project “did not work because it was not good” ^[3] .

In 1975, Keith played the title role of “rude, stone-faced private detective Lew Archer ” in six episodes of the television series “ Archer ” (1975) based on the novels by Ross MacDonald ^{[4] [1]} . In an interview on the occasion of the premiere of this series, columnist John J. O'Connor wrote in The New York Times : "TV shows come and go, but Mr. Keith stubbornly keeps afloat" ^[1] .

Further, Keith played a major role in the epic mini-series The State of the Century (1978-79), which over 12 episodes talked about the formation and development of life in Colorado from the 1750s to the late 1970s. In 1983, Keith returned to television in order to play Judge Milton G. Hardcastle for three years in the light detective series Hardcastle and McCormick (1983-86) ^[3] . In 67 episodes of this series, he played Milton Hardcastle, a retired eccentric judge who, with the help of his former defendant, autor Mark McCormick, is investigating old cases. According to Charles, "although this series was not as successful as some other production projects of Stephen J. Cannell of that time, nevertheless he lasted three seasons" ^[2] . According to Charles, then Keith again tried to return to the sitcom , but the projects with his participation “ Search for Happiness ” (1987, 10 episodes), “ Outback ” (1989, 10 episodes) and “ Walter and Emily ” (1991-92, 13 episodes ) were quickly closed ^{[2] [1]} .

During his career, Keith also starred in 23 television films, his last film being the political comedy Conspiracy Against America (1997), where he played a major general. In the same year, he appeared in the historical mini-series " Guys What They Need " (1997) as the second US president, William McKinley ^[2] . This was Keith's last role on television. Despite such a successful television career, Kit once declared: “All that seems to want television is all nonsense” ^[3] .

Movie historians describe Brian Keith as “a handsome, tall, large, rude character actor with a catchy, hoarse voice” ^{[2] [1] [3]} . A native of the artistic family, he first appeared in films at the age of three ^[3] . After a short work on the theatrical stage, Keith began to receive secondary roles of strong men or villains in genre paintings ^[2] . According to Charles, “his rude manner of holding on and the ability to exude a threat made him an ideal choice for the role of villains” ^[2] . Simon also notes that “throughout his career, Keith found pleasure in creating rude, tough characters - but preferred to make them realistic” ^[3] . Specializing in the roles of tough guys, Keith was very strong in the roles of shooters, police chiefs, detectives and dark personalities in Westerns and crime thrillers ^{[2] [1]} . According to Erickson, during the 1950s, Keith played with equal confidence the good guys, irritable henchmen and cold-blooded bandits ^[4] . Therefore, according to Charles, “one should give him credit as an actor, because then with the same confidence he was able to play warm and comedic characters” ^[2] .

Altogether, Keith played in more than 80 films, and, as Simon noted, “Keith had a diverse career - he played in comedies, dramas and Westerns, receiving winning roles in film and television” ^[3] . According to Charles, throughout his career, Keith received many good and different roles, and was able to impress by playing both a loving parent and creating colorful images in films such as “ Russians are coming! Russians are coming! "(1966) and" Wind and the Lion "(1975) ^[2] . Throughout his career, he has played with many leading actresses, including Bette Davis , Ginger Rogers and Elizabeth Taylor. ^[3]

However, according to Charles, Keith came to fame mostly later, when he began to collaborate with Walt Disney's company and play in television series ^[2] , in particular, he played a Manhattan single man who brings up three children in the television series Family Business ”(1966–71) ^{[1] [3]} . His other television achievements included the Brian Whale Show (1972–74), where he played a similar role as a pediatrician, and the light detective series Hardcastle and McCormick (1983–86) ^[4] .

According to Keith himself, he had no particular career goal, and he took on what was ^[2] . He claimed that he had never evaluated his projects in show business in terms of how they would help his career. He said: “I never chased after anything. I just took what came by itself ” ^[3] .

Kit was married three times, all three of his wives were actresses. He had a total of seven children, four of whom were relatives and three adopted ^[16] . From 1948 to 1954, Keith was married to Frances Helm, and from 1954 to 1969, to Judy Landon. Kit had two children from Landon (Michael and Mimi), and they adopted three more - Barbara, Betty and Rory. Keith's third and last wife was Victoria Young, with whom he lived until his death. In this marriage, the couple had two children, Bobby and Daisy ^[17] . Victoria Young played a major role in the television series The Brian Whale Show (1972–74), and their daughter Daisy played with her father in the television series Outback (1989) ^[17] .

In the spring of 1997, Keith Daisy's daughter, at the age of 27, committed suicide. This blow, along with worsening health due to emphysema and lung cancer caused by long-term heavy smoking, prompted Keith to shoot himself on June 24, 1997 ^{[2] [16] [4]} . Family members were the first to find 75-year-old Keith dead from a gunshot wound in his house in Malibu . They called the police, who regarded the death of the actor as suicide ^{[1] [4] [3]} .

Before his death, Kit finished work in the supporting role in the mini-series " Guys What They Need " (1997) ^[4] . Director John Milius dedicated this film to "Brian Keith, actor, marine, storyteller" ^[18] . Keith's agent Paul Dougherty said of him: “He was a harsh and tough old type, but he brought a lot of joy. A wonderful guy and wonderful talent ” ^[3] .

Michael F. Keaney. Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era, 1940–1959 . - Jefferson, North Carolina, and London: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2003. - ISBN 978-0-7864-1547-2 .

• Brian Keith at IMDb
• Brian Keith on AllMovie
• Brian Keith at Turner Classic Movies