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'Arthur William Matthew Carney' (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an Academy Award-winning American actor in film, stage, television and radio.
Carney was born in Mount Vernon, New York to Helen Farrell and Edward M. Carney,^[1] a newspaper man and publicist. His family was Irish American and Catholic.^[2] He attended A B Davis High School.^[3] Carney was drafted as an infantryman during World War II. During the Battle of Normandy, he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel and walked with a limp for the rest of his life.
Carney was married three times to two women: Jean Myers, from 1940 to 1965; and again from 1980 to his death: three children; and Barbara Isaac from December 21, 1966 to 1977.
Carney died of natural causes at a rest home near his home in Westbrook, Connecticut, five days after his 85th birthday; he was survived by his widow and children. Carney is interred at Riverside Cemetery in Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6627 Hollywood Blvd.

Contents

Radio

Films and television

Awards

References

External links

Radio

Carney was a busy radio actor before and after his military service in World War II. In 1941 he was the house comic on the dance band remote series, ''Matinee at Meadowbrook''. One of his radio roles during the 1940s was the fish Red Lantern on Land of the Lost. In 1943 he played Billy Oldham on ''Joe and Ethel Turp'', based on Damon Runyon stories. He appeared on ''The Henry Morgan Show'' in 1946-47. He impersonated FDR on ''The March of Time'' and Dwight D. Eisenhower on ''Living 1948''. In 1950-51 he played Montague's father on ''The Magnificent Montague''. He was a supporting player on ''Casey, Crime Photographer'' and ''Gang Busters''. As Charlie the doorman on ''The Morey Amsterdam Show'' (on both radio and TV in 1948-50), he uttered the catchphrase, "Ya know what I mean?"

Films and television

Carney began his film career in 1941 with a uncredited role in ''Pot o' Gold'', a minor film starring James Stewart and Paulette Goddard, playing one of her brothers. In 1974 he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Harry Coombes, an elderly man going on the road with his pet cat, in ''Harry and Tonto''. In 1978, Carney appeared in ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'', a spin-off film to the ''Star Wars'' series. In it, he played Trader Saun Dann, a member of the Rebel Alliance who was a close friend of Chewbacca and his family. He also appeared in such films as ''W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings'', ''The Late Show'', ''House Calls'', ''Movie Movie'' and ''Going in Style''. Later movies included ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'', and the thriller ''Firestarter''.
Carney gained lifelong fame for his portrayal of upstairs neighbor and sewer worker, Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the popular television comedy show ''The Honeymooners'' and on the Gleason variety shows that preceded and followed the sitcom. Beyond ''The Honeymooners'', Carney served as Gleason's sidekick and troupe member during many of the Gleason's years on television, which included several CBS runs of the Gleason variety show and some ''Honeymooners'' specials on ABC.
His portrayal of Norton continues to influence pop culture, particularly by inspiring the Hanna-Barbera characters, Yogi Bear and Barney Rubble. Art Carney also had many screen and stage roles, including the portrayal on Broadway of Felix Unger in ''The Odd Couple'' (opposite Walter Matthau as Oscar). He was nominated for seven Emmy Awards and won six.

In 1981, he portrayed Harry Truman, an 84-year-old lodge owner in the half-fictional/half-real account of events leading to the eruption of Mount St. Helens, in the movie titled ''St. Helens''. Although he retired in the late 1980s, he returned in 1993 to make a small cameo in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, ''Last Action Hero''.

Awards

References

1. http://www.filmreference.com/film/20/Art-Carney.html
2. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/12/content_280780.htm
3. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800035040/bio

External links

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