Surprising as it may seem, there are things about Richard Widmark that it's possible for even the most die-hard fan to dislike; though this is, of course, a far shorter list than the 'likes'!
1. The smoking
You can argue that the smoking is of its time, which of course it is, but there's an awful lot of it going on in most of those old films and the further we go from the twentieth century when smoking was very much the norm into the 21st where it's regarded more and more as an unhealthy aberration, the more striking it seems. Widmark seems to have been a pretty heavy smoker - one interview describes him as chain-smoking - though it seems that in later life he progressed from ciggies to a pipe. You have to admit that he used smoking to great effect in his acting, most often throwing down his cigarette in anger or disgust; but also taking it as time to pause and give a considered reply, or to annoy - notably blowing smoke in the face of Captain Tiger in Pickup on South Street! I believe there's only one character that states he's a non-smoker (Jim Slater, Backlash) though there are many films where he doesn't have the opportunity to light up. Probably the worst thing about it is that he makes it so damn attractive it even makes me want to take it up, and I'm a lifelong anti. You can see why it was banned for that reason if for no other.
Given his habit, I'm amazed both that he managed to stay so physically fit - there's a huge amount of running in a lot of what he does - and also that he kept free of the cancers which claimed so many showbiz lives, probably most notably Yul Brynner, who, when dying of lung cancer, produced an anti-smoking commercial. I guess Widmark was one of the lucky ones, for which we can be extremely thankful.
2. Singing
Given his habit, I'm amazed both that he managed to stay so physically fit - there's a huge amount of running in a lot of what he does - and also that he kept free of the cancers which claimed so many showbiz lives, probably most notably Yul Brynner, who, when dying of lung cancer, produced an anti-smoking commercial. I guess Widmark was one of the lucky ones, for which we can be extremely thankful.
2. Singing
Given that Widmark was in the choir at his college and that he was musical - he played the piano after all - his singing is not something you'll look out for in his films. You can argue that whilst singing, his character is usually roaring drunk and therefore it's not going to be a notable performance. From that point of view, it's masterly. Three instances spring to mind; Where the Legends Die, Sltattery's Hurricane (I find it highly amusing that he got a soundtrack credit for his rendition of 'Home on the range') and of course Camptown Races in the short film from O Henry's Full House: Clarion Call which he did do straight (another soundtrack credit for that one). And Clarion Call leads us to ....
3. Accents
Happily there are only two examples which are fairly jarring. I have no idea what accent is going on in Clarion Call but it sounds horrible; perhaps it's just 1910s gangster but it's fairly unnatural (though Tommy Udo's in Kiss of Death was occasionally similar, thinking about it). The other is of course the attempt at a Deep South voice in Alvarez Kelly. Widmark was from a place Americans refer to as the Midwest (though to a Brit it looks closer to the right hand side of the map than the left) but certainly nowhere near any of the Southern States. Fortunately the accent mostly fades away over the course of the film.
4. Riding style
This may just be the difference between the English riding style and Western style; I know the saddles are very different but really, where did he learn to ride like he does? My teacher would have shouted at him to sit up straight, get his heels down, his elbows in and particularly drop his hands. That thing he does, riding with his hands holding the reins nearly up to his chest ... argghhhh... Having said that, he certainly picked up riding late in life and well enough to handle his horses too, whereas I never got above a rising trot. What do I know, eh?
That's it. I would have liked to have come up with a nice round number, but just can't do it. There is far far more to like, love and admire than there is to dislike and take exception with, and even the dislikes are part of what made him who he was.
3. Accents
Happily there are only two examples which are fairly jarring. I have no idea what accent is going on in Clarion Call but it sounds horrible; perhaps it's just 1910s gangster but it's fairly unnatural (though Tommy Udo's in Kiss of Death was occasionally similar, thinking about it). The other is of course the attempt at a Deep South voice in Alvarez Kelly. Widmark was from a place Americans refer to as the Midwest (though to a Brit it looks closer to the right hand side of the map than the left) but certainly nowhere near any of the Southern States. Fortunately the accent mostly fades away over the course of the film.
4. Riding style
This may just be the difference between the English riding style and Western style; I know the saddles are very different but really, where did he learn to ride like he does? My teacher would have shouted at him to sit up straight, get his heels down, his elbows in and particularly drop his hands. That thing he does, riding with his hands holding the reins nearly up to his chest ... argghhhh... Having said that, he certainly picked up riding late in life and well enough to handle his horses too, whereas I never got above a rising trot. What do I know, eh?
That's it. I would have liked to have come up with a nice round number, but just can't do it. There is far far more to like, love and admire than there is to dislike and take exception with, and even the dislikes are part of what made him who he was.
