Richard Widmark, 93, a self-effacing, Minnesotan-born actor who played cackling maniacs, dedicated public servants and maverick leading men with equal distinction during a five-decade career in film and television, died Monday at his home in Roxbury, Conn. His wife, Susan Blanchard, said Wednesday that Widmark had been ill for a long time, and she did not elaborate.
A veteran of more than 70 films, Widmark showed enormous range: strong military men ("The Halls of Montezuma," "The Bedford Incident"), obsessed detectives ("Madigan"), Western heroes ("The Alamo") and insolent underworld figures, notably his explosive debut as a giggling, cold-blooded killer in 1947's "Kiss of Death." His performance turned him into an instant star.
Widmark was born in Sunrise, Minn., where his father ran a general store before becoming a traveling salesman.
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