1 article from 2009
Philip French's screen legends Edmund Gwenn 1877-1959
19 December 2009 4:05 PM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
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No 78: Edmund Gwenn 1877-1959
He was born Edmund Kellaway in Wandsworth, London (or possibly the Vale of Glamorgan), grew to be 5ft 4in, was described over the years as "endearing", "cherubic", "portly", "elfin", with "a twinkle in his eye" and a seductively "soothing voice". All these attributes contributed to his appearance as Kris Kringle, the New York department store Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) who believes he's Father Christmas and convinces a Manhattan court to agree with him.
This brought him an Oscar as best supporting actor and a kind of immortality. In 1951, he was nominated for a similar role in Mister 880 as a sweet-natured counterfeiter who only forges dollar bills when he needs them. But there's much more to Gwenn than this.
Gwenn's stern Victorian father kicked him out of the house for wanting to go on the stage and he travelled around England and
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- Philip French
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