Ed Kemmer
Encyclopedia
Ed Kemmer was an American motion picture and television actor.
, and served as a fighter pilot in World War II
. He was shot down and sent to a POW camp. He briefly escaped from the camp for two weeks before he was recaptured.
Kemmer made his television debut in 1951, and starred in the live television
science fiction action-drama Space Patrol between 1951 and 1956. Kemmer made his film debut in 1956 (Behind the High Wall). He was also a stunt pilot in the film, The Hot Angel (1958), but his big screen work was mostly small roles in low-budget B movie
s such as Giant from the Unknown
(1958). The bulk of Kemmer's work was for the small screen.
After Space Patrol, Kemmer was a guest star in various prime-time TV series, including the classic Twilight Zone
episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
", in which former space hero Kemmer co-starred with future space hero William Shatner
.
Kemmer starred for two years as an American astronaut
in the soap opera
The Clear Horizon
, leading to the later phase of his career as a leading player in various daytime drama series, including the NBC soap opera Somerset
where he played Ben Grant and the CBS soap opera As the World Turns
where he played Dick Martin.
He was married twice and had three children, Jonathan, Todd, Kimberly. He suffered a stroke on November 5, 2004, and died four days later.
Life
Kemmer was born in Reading, PennsylvaniaReading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, and served as a fighter pilot in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was shot down and sent to a POW camp. He briefly escaped from the camp for two weeks before he was recaptured.
Kemmer made his television debut in 1951, and starred in the live television
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
science fiction action-drama Space Patrol between 1951 and 1956. Kemmer made his film debut in 1956 (Behind the High Wall). He was also a stunt pilot in the film, The Hot Angel (1958), but his big screen work was mostly small roles in low-budget B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s such as Giant from the Unknown
Giant from the Unknown
Giant from the Unknown is a 1958 B movie released by Astor Pictures. The film stars Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, and Buddy Baer. Baer, who played Vargas, the Giant in this film, also played a giant in Jack and the Beanstalk , starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.-Plot:A giant, named Vargas , who was...
(1958). The bulk of Kemmer's work was for the small screen.
After Space Patrol, Kemmer was a guest star in various prime-time TV series, including the classic Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is a 1963 episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, based on the short story of the same name by Richard Matheson.-Plot summary:...
", in which former space hero Kemmer co-starred with future space hero William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
.
Kemmer starred for two years as an American astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Clear Horizon
The Clear Horizon
The Clear Horizon is a soap opera which ran on CBS Daytime from July 11, 1960 to March 10, 1961 and from February 26, 1962 to June 11, 1962. The show was created and head written by Manya Starr. -Premise:...
, leading to the later phase of his career as a leading player in various daytime drama series, including the NBC soap opera Somerset
Somerset (TV series)
Somerset is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from March 30, 1970 until December 31, 1976. The show was a spinoff of another NBC serial, Another World.-Overview :...
where he played Ben Grant and the CBS soap opera As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
where he played Dick Martin.
He was married twice and had three children, Jonathan, Todd, Kimberly. He suffered a stroke on November 5, 2004, and died four days later.
Selected filmography
- Behind the High Wall (1956)
- Earth vs. the Spider (1958)
- Giant from the UnknownGiant from the UnknownGiant from the Unknown is a 1958 B movie released by Astor Pictures. The film stars Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, and Buddy Baer. Baer, who played Vargas, the Giant in this film, also played a giant in Jack and the Beanstalk , starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.-Plot:A giant, named Vargas , who was...
(1958) - Executive ActionExecutive ActionExecutive Action is a 1973 movie about the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, written by Dalton Trumbo, Donald Freed and Mark Lane, and directed by David Miller. The film opened to a storm of controversy over the depiction of the assassination: in some places in the U.S., the film ran...
(1973)