Trivia

As a character actor he rarely smiled on-screen, but in real life he was jovial and friendly and would talk to fans as though they were best friends.

His most regular golfing partner was Mickey Rooney.

One of the original Keystone Kops.

An example of Kennedy in his prime is as the lemonade vendor who has the dubious pleasure of encountering Harpo Marx in Duck Soup (1933).

Comedian acknowledged as master of the "slow burn" when antagonized.

Died on November 9, 1948, two days before a scheduled testimonial dinner planned in his honor by his fellow actors wishing to toast his career.

He was one of the first entertainers to be honoured , posthumously, by a star on Hollywoods Walk of Fame.

Interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, Section D, Sacred Heart, Grave 7, Lot 193.

He was part of a card-playing quartet whose other members were Charles Coburn, Lewis Stone and director W.S. Van Dyke.

Was in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: San Francisco (1936), A Star Is Born (1937) and Anchors Aweigh (1945).

Had two children, Colleen and Larry. Colleen Kennedy married Ivan Deach and had four daughters: Wendy, Linda, Teresa, and Robin. Larry Kennedy had four offspring, 2 sons and 2 daughters: Mark, Glenn, Erin, and Donna.

He was not, as is often reported, the brother of actor Tom Kennedy.

His career culminated as the star of a series of comedies as 'The Average Man' spanning 17 years.

He had a distinguished career as a prize boxer before turning to films becoming a noted director and then as an actor.

His 'slow burn' was a gradual boiling over of anger culminated by slowly drawing his handover his face.

Kennedy died on November 8, 1948, just 36 hours before he was due to attend a testimonial dinner in his honor. The event had been arranged in view of his illness because by August 1948 it was widely known in Hollywood that he was seriously ill with throat cancer.

Kennedy's "The Average Man" shorts were always filmed in three days. Although they were very low budget, they were on RKO's schedule for 24 years as they were even rereleased even after the comedian's 1948 death until the studio closed its doors in the late 50's.

Children: daughter Colleen, son Larry.

Reputedly held out for 14 rounds in a boxing match with Jack Dempsey.

Renowned as an expert scene stealer.

Kennedy claimed to have been one of the original Keystone Cops early in In his career and was repeatedly cast as policemen throughout his career. He played cops almost exclusively for Hal Roach. His last cop role was in "Anchors Away" in 1945.

His agent, for most of his career, was Fralick Management, owned by Freddie Fralick, whose associate was Mike Connolly. Kennedy's business and financial adviser was Bo Roos. Fellow silent screen comedian Chester Conklin was not only Kennedy's close friend, he also served as his career adviser and manager.

Despite working right up to the time of his death, Kennedy succumbed to throat cancer while a resident of the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills.