Kenneth J. Warren

Balding (later shaven-headed), stocky-framed Australian character actor 'Kenneth J. Warren' (qv) (the "J" stands for John) was a reliable performer on both stage and films, his imposing, beefy frame and darting, sliver-eyed presence almost a tell-tale sign of peril yet to come.Born in New South Wales in September 25,1929 (some sources indicate 1926), he was best known for his sinister heavies yet was quite comfortable playing moral-minded men. He began his theatrical career in his native Australia during the early 1950s and also found an obscure film part to play in the 'Robert Newton' (qv) classic of - _Treasure Island (1950)_ (qv). Catching fire after appearing on the London stage with a superb performance in an Australian touring production of "Summer of the Seventeenth Doll," he made a major career move by settling in England. A wise choice in the end for his film career started up almost immediately with able supports in _Hell, Heaven or Hoboken (1958)_ (qv) starring 'John Mills' (qv), _The Concrete Jungle (1960)_ (qv) with 'Stanley Baker' (qv), _Underworld Informers (1963)_ (qv) with 'Nigel Patrick' (qv), and _A High Wind in Jamaica (1965)_ (qv) opposite 'Anthony Quinn' (qv) and 'James Coburn' (qv).Billed early in the game as Kenneth Warren (without the middle initial), the actor returned to the stage from time to time in such plays as "Luther" (1963) and "Canterbury Tales" (1968). On TV he was a worthy antagonist in a number of popular spy series such as "The Avengers," "Secret Agent" and "The Saint." An emphatic presence in horror films, his gallery of films in this genre included _Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961)_ (qv), _I, Monster (1971)_ (qv), _Demons of the Mind (1972)_ (qv) and _The Creeping Flesh (1973)_ (qv). One of Warren's final roles came in another typical form, that of a military hi-ranker, in the comedy _Digby: The Biggest Dog in the World (1973)_ (qv).Warren's untimely death at age 43 on August 27, 1973, robbed the acting community of a vital character support. His film _S*P*Y*S (1974)_ (qv), which reunited M*A*S*H cohorts 'Elliott Gould' (qv) and 'Donald Sutherland' (qv), was released posthumously. In his private life, Warren belied his on-camera tough-guy image as he was a talented artist and gourmet cook. His son 'Damian Warren' (qv) is also an actor.::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net