Master of the Slow Burn

"Master of the Slow Burn"

by Bill Cassara

This article first appeared in Classic Images May 1997.

It happened in Monterey (County), California a long time ago, April 26, 1890. Born Edgar Kennedy, he gained fame as the "Master of the Slow Burn" while appearing in over 300 films. He is enshrined in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his replica is on display at the Movie Land Wax. Museum.

Kennedy's prolific output included his own film series: The Average Man. One hundred and two of the two-reelers were produced by RKO over a 16-year period. He freelanced at virtually all the movie studios in Hollywood and was in demand as a comic or character actor. He was one of America's most recognizable faces until he died of throat cancer in 1948.

Edgar's parents, Neil and Annie Kennedy, were of Canadian descent. They both taught school on their family homestead of 160 acres near Lake San Antonio in south Monterey County. Edgar had a sister named Veratina who died two years before he was born. As a result, the Nacamiento Post Office serving the area was renamed Veratina in her honor. Annie Kennedy was appointed Postmistress.

Neil Kennedy died when Edgar was 12. Annie moved herself and her son to San Francisco, where she operated a boarding house and continued to teach school. The Kennedy's survived the 1906 earthquake intact, and Edgar helped man the bucket brigade on the fire line. He had no idea that 30 years later he would appear in a talking movie entitled San Francisco to commemorate the disaster.

Edgar was an amateur boxer in high school and at age 19 won the Golden Gloves championship. He then fought professionally for one year. In some of Edgar's obituaries of 1948 it was reported that he fought Jack Dempsey for 14 rounds. Dempsey won the decision. According to quotes by Kennedy in a defunct magazine interview of the early '40s, he got his start in movies by simply showing up at the Sennett Studios looking for work. As the story goes, Mack Sennett asked him, "What kind of talent do you have? "Kennedy's reply to this was: "I can lick anyone on this lot." Amused, Sennett lined up a number of beefy employees for him to fight. Kennedy beat every challenger in less than 14 minutes. They called him "one punch Kennedy" on the lot after that.

Sennett no doubt thought that Edgar would he adept to the physical demands of making a Sennett knock-about comedy. His actors were called on to hurl themselves off cliffs, he dragged by cars, and a multitude of life endangering acts. Sennett started Edgar on salary at three dollars a day with a four-day guarantee. He made good, and Sennett gave him a stock job at $20 a week. Edgar received a $5 raise every three months for six years. According to Sennett's autobiography, he long had wanted to experiment with the comic possibilities of a police force. There is no bigger laugh than when an authority figure is seen on the receiving end of a pie in the face, pratfall, or other indignities. What eventually evolved into the "Keystone Kops," Sennett's first attempt at filming a police raid was entitled: Hoffmeyer's Legacy released in 1913. It was Edgar's first film that he role.

Edgar learned his craft well and in 1914 was "promoted" to Chief of the Keystone Kops in The Noise of Bombs. By this time, Edgar was also playing second banana to the other stars on the lot, Fatty Arbuckle, Charlie Chaplin, and Mable Normand. Edgar appeared in Sennett's first full length feature, Tithe's Punctured Romance.

Sennett hired his directors from his own ranks. He believed that only the actors promoted within would truly understand how to make a Mack Sennett comedy. Sennett allowed Arbuckle to star and direct his own comedies. When Arbuckle left, Sennett gave young Chaplin the same opportunity\40 direct. When Chaplin was lured away to Essanay Studios, Edgar got the opportunity to learn the directing craft.

In 1918, Edgar joined the U.S. Army during the World War. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant, then continued his film career as he freelanced at different studios.

In 1924 Edgar married Patricia Allwyn, a former dancer. Together they had two children, Larry and Colleen.