Joseph Sweeney(July 26, 1884[a]– November 25, 1963) was an American actor who worked in stage productions, television and movies principally in the 1950s, often playing grandfatherly roles.[1]His best-known role was as the elderly Juror #9 in the 1957 classic12 Angry Men,[2]the role he originated in a 1954Westinghouse Studio Oneliveteleplayof which the film was an adaptation.
Joseph Sweeney | |
|---|---|
 Sweeney in12 Angry Men,1957 | |
| Born | July 26, 1884 |
| Died | November 25, 1963(aged 79) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1918–1963 |
Early life
editBorn inPhiladelphiaon 26 July 1884, he was raised in arooming housein the same place withW. C. Fields.[1]
Career
editIn 1910 he started on an acting career and moved to Broadway, being fully active on-stage and touring throughout the United States.[1]Sweeney debuted on stage in stock theater with a company inNorwich, Connecticut.[3]
He had a successful career as a stage performer in such productions asThe Clansmen,George Washington Slept Here,Ladies and Gentlemen,A Slight Case of Murder,Dear Old Darlin,andDays To Remember.[1]In the 1940s, he made the switch to television as audiences' interests changed.[2]He returned to the stage in 1953 to portray Giles Corey inArthur Miller'sThe Crucible.[4]
In 1949 he was a regular on the CBS series Wesley, and between 1950 and 1960 he appeared in leading and supporting roles and in installments ofLights Out,Kraft Television Theatre,The Philco Television Playhouse,Campbell Television Soundstage,Studio One,Producers' Showcase,Playwrights '56,The U.S. Steel Hour,The Defenders,Car 54, Where Are You?,andDr. Kildare.[1]
His most important performance in television wasTwelve Angry Men(1954), byReginald Rose,who played Juror Mr. McCardle, and later repeated the role inSidney Lumetfilm adaptionalongsideHenry Fonda,Lee J. CobbandJack Warden.[1]He also played crafty and villainous roles, such as the larcenous former household employee inThe Man in the Gray Flannel Suit(1956) orThe Fastest Gun Alive(1956).[1]
Death
editSweeney continued to act until the time of his death on 25 November 1963 at the age of 79, appearing in numerous television shows and programmes that year alone, including at least in more than a dozen during the last year of his life.[1][2]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Wesley | Wesley's Grandfather | ||||||
| 1952 | Studio One | Dr. Wall | "Plan for Escape"(TV episode) | |||||
| 1953 | Studio One | "Music and Mrs. Pratt"(TV episode) | ||||||
| 1954 | Studio One | Juror No. 9 | "Twelve Angry Men"(TV episode) | |||||
| 1954 | Studio One | Janitor | "12:32 A.M."(TV episode) | |||||
| 1955 | Studio One | Father Durand | "Summer Pavilion"(TV episode) | |||||
| 1955 | Studio One | Charlie | "A Terrible Day"(TV episode) | |||||
| 1955 | Studio One | Vernon | "The Prince and the Puppet"(TV episode) | |||||
| 1955 | Studio One | Mr. Sweeney | "Three Empty Rooms"(TV episode) | |||||
| 1956 | Studio One | Charlie | "A Man's World"(TV episode) | 1957
Father Knows Best season 4 episode 3- |
1961 | Naked City | Jacob S. Moreland | Season 3 Episode 12 - Bridge Party |
| 1963 | Car 54, Where Are You? | The Judge / A.E. Van Cleve / Jim McNaughton | 4 Episodes |
Films
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | Sylvia on a Spree | A Pal of Jack's | |
| 1936 | Soak the Rich | Capt. Pettijohn, 1st detective | |
| 1940 | The Philadelphia Story | Butler(uncredited) | |
| 1950 | Outside the Wall | Prison Hospital Inmate(uncredited) | |
| 1956 | The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit | Edward M. Schultz | |
| 1956 | The Fastest Gun Alive | Reverend | |
| 1957 | 12 Angry Men | Juror No. 9 / McCardle |
Notes
edit- ^other sources state 1882.
References
edit- ^abcdefghEder, Bruce."Joseph Sweeney".All Movie Guide.Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2003.Retrieved17 June2024– viaNew York Times.
- ^abc"Biography of Joseph Sweeney".Fandango.Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2016.Retrieved17 June2024.
- ^"Joseph Sweeney Finds Joy In Role of Villain".Times Union.New York, Brooklyn. May 6, 1928. p. 28.RetrievedNovember 9,2022– viaNewspapers.
- ^The Crucible,Bantam Book edition, 1959 at page xiii
