Broderick Crawford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Broderick Crawford
Crawford in The Interns (1971)
Born	William Broderick Crawford (1911-12-09)December 9, 1911 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	April 26, 1986(1986-04-26) (aged 74) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1931–1985
Spouse(s)	Kay Griffith ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1958)​ Joan Tabor ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1967)​ Mary Alice Moore ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	2

Broderick Crawford (born December 9, 1911 – died April 26, 1986) was a famous American actor. He worked in plays, movies, radio, and TV shows. He was often chosen to play tough characters. Crawford is best known for winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award. He won these for his role as Willie Stark in the movie All the King's Men (1949). He also starred as Dan Mathews in the TV series Highway Patrol (1955–1959). Before All the King's Men, he mostly appeared in smaller roles in "B films".

Broderick Crawford's Early Life

Broderick Crawford was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, Lester Crawford and Helen Broderick, were both vaudeville performers. Vaudeville was a type of live entertainment popular in the past. His grandparents were also performers.

Lester Crawford appeared in movies in the 1920s and 1930s. Helen Broderick had a successful career in Hollywood comedies. She was in famous musicals like Top Hat and Swing Time.

Young William, as he was called, joined his parents on stage. He worked for a producer named Max Gordon. After finishing high school at Dean Academy, he was accepted into Harvard College. However, he left Harvard after only three weeks. He decided to work as a stevedore (a person who loads and unloads ships) on the New York docks.

Broderick Crawford's Acting Journey

Crawford soon returned to acting in vaudeville and radio shows. He even worked with the famous Marx Brothers on their radio comedy show, Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel.

His first serious acting role was as a football player. This was in the play She Loves Me Not in London in 1932. Early in his career, Crawford often played villains or tough, fast-talking characters.

He became well-known in 1937 for playing Lenny in the Broadway play Of Mice and Men. After this success, he moved to Hollywood to start working in movies.

Early Film Roles

Wallace Ford and Crawford (right) in the original 1938 Broadway production Of Mice and Men

Crawford's first movie was Woman Chases Man (1937) for Sam Goldwyn. He also appeared in Start Cheering (1938). He hoped to play Lenny again in the movie version of Of Mice and Men, but the role went to Lon Chaney Jr..

Working with Paramount Pictures

Crawford signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. He appeared in several "B" movies, which were lower-budget films. These included Ambush (1939) and Undercover Doctor (1939).

He also had a good role in the important movie Beau Geste (1939). This film starred Gary Cooper and was directed by William A. Wellman. After Island of Lost Men (1939), Crawford played a similar role in The Real Glory (1939) with Gary Cooper and David Niven. He also appeared in Eternally Yours (1939) and Slightly Honorable (1939).

Moving to Universal Studios

Crawford, David Niven and Loretta Young in Eternally Yours (1939)

Crawford then moved to Universal Studios. There, he got his first starring role in a "B" picture called I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby (1940).

He had supporting roles in movies like When the Daltons Rode (1940) and Seven Sinners (1940). He returned to Paramount for Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940). Then he was back at Universal for films such as The Black Cat (1941) and Badlands of Dakota (1941).

Crawford played lead roles in South of Tahiti (1941) and North to the Klondike (1941). He supported famous actors like Edward G. Robinson in Larceny, Inc. (1942) and George Raft in Broadway (1942). He also co-starred with Robert Stack in Men of Texas (1942).

During World War II, Crawford joined the United States Army Air Corps. He was sent to Britain in 1944 as a sergeant. He worked as an announcer for the Armed Forces Network. He was one of the announcers for the Glenn Miller American Band's weekly program.

After the war, he returned to movies. He appeared in the film noir Black Angel (1946) and Slave Girl (1947).

Working as a Freelance Actor

Crawford then worked as a freelance actor, meaning he wasn't tied to one studio. He made The Flame (1947) and The Time of Your Life (1948). He also co-starred in Bad Men of Tombstone (1949).

At Warner Bros., he was in A Kiss in the Dark (1949) with David Niven. He also appeared in Anna Lucasta (1949).

Winning an Oscar for All the King's Men

Crawford as Willie Stark in All the King's Men (1949)

In 1949, Broderick Crawford reached the peak of his acting career. He was cast as Willie Stark in All the King's Men. This character was inspired by a real-life politician from Louisiana, Huey Long. The movie was a huge success. Crawford's powerful performance as Governor Stark won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

After this big win, Columbia Pictures signed Crawford to a contract. He co-starred with Glenn Ford in Convicted (1950). Then he starred in another successful movie, Born Yesterday (1950), with William Holden and Judy Holliday.

Crawford starred in the crime drama The Mob (1951). He also led the cast in Scandal Sheet (1952). MGM borrowed him to play the villain in Lone Star (1952) with Clark Gable. He then went to Warner Bros. for the comedy Stop, You're Killing Me (1952).

He returned to Columbia to star in Westerns like Last of the Comanches (1953). 20th Century Fox borrowed him to co-star with Gregory Peck in Night People (1954). Crawford was reunited with Glenn Ford in Human Desire (1954). He also appeared in New York Confidential (1955).

In 1955, Crawford played Rollo Lamar in Big House, U.S.A.. His character was a very tough convict. He even commanded respect from other strong actors like Charles Bronson.

Stanley Kramer cast him in a good supporting role in Not as a Stranger (1955). This movie was a big hit. He also received an offer to star in the Italian film Il bidone (1955), directed by Federico Fellini.

Starring in Highway Patrol

In 1955, TV producer Frederick Ziv offered Crawford the main role in the police drama Highway Patrol. Crawford played "Dan Mathews," a police official for the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The show was made on a small budget. However, its fast-paced dialogue and Crawford's strong acting made it an instant success.

Highway Patrol was very popular for its four years (1955–1959). It continued to be shown in reruns for many years. This show helped Broderick Crawford's career greatly. It also cemented his image as a tough-guy actor. He used this image in many movies and TV roles for the rest of his life.

During the show's run, he also appeared in movies. These included The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) and Between Heaven and Hell (1956). He also starred in The Decks Ran Red (1958). Crawford left Highway Patrol at the end of 1959. He wanted to make a film in Spain.

Working in Europe and Later Roles

Crawford moved to Europe and starred in La vendetta di Ercole (1960), known in the U.S. as Goliath and the Dragon.

His success on Highway Patrol earned him a lot of money. He then signed on for a new TV show called King of Diamonds. In this show, he played John King, a security chief for the diamond industry. King of Diamonds started in 1961 but only lasted one season.

After King of Diamonds, Crawford returned to movies in 1962. He appeared in films like Square of Violence (1962) and The Castilian (1963). Other movies included A House Is Not a Home (1964) and The Oscar (1966). He also starred with Audie Murphy in The Texican (1966).

1970s and Beyond

After 1970, Crawford focused on television again. From 1970 to 1971, he played Dr. Peter Goldstone in The Interns.

In 1977, he played J. Edgar Hoover in The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover. He made many guest appearances on TV shows. He also starred in several movies made for TV.

He even appeared as a guest host on Saturday Night Live in 1977. He wore his famous fedora hat and black suit. The show included a funny spoof of Highway Patrol. In an episode of CHiPs, Crawford appeared as himself. He was recognized by an officer and asked to say his famous line from Highway Patrol.

Broderick Crawford worked in 140 movies and TV series during his career. He remained a well-known face on television.

Crawford is mentioned in the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit. In one scene, a police officer says, "I don't care if your name is Broderick Crawford!" This shows how famous he was.

His last acting role was in a 1982 episode of the Simon & Simon TV series. He played a film producer who is murdered. The actor who played the suspected murderer was Stuart Whitman. Whitman had played Sergeant Walters on Highway Patrol.

Broderick Crawford's Personal Life

Throughout his life, Crawford was known for enjoying large meals. This habit led to him gaining a lot of weight in the 1950s.

Crawford was married three times. He passed away in 1986 at the age of 74.

Broderick Crawford's Legacy

Broderick Crawford has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One is for his work in movies, and the other is for his television career.

His popularity on Highway Patrol also led to a special nickname in the poker game Texas Hold 'em. A starting hand of a 10 and a 4 is called a "Broderick Crawford." This is because "10-4" was a common police radio code used on his show.

Filmography

Images for kids

• 

  Crawford in The Interns (1971)

• 

  Wallace Ford and Crawford (right) in the original 1938 Broadway production Of Mice and Men

• 

  Crawford, David Niven and Loretta Young in Eternally Yours (1939)

• 

  Crawford as Willie Stark in All the King's Men (1949)

See also

In Spanish: Broderick Crawford para niños