Kenneth Utt (July 13, 1921 – January 19, 1994), was an American film producer and unit production manager. He received the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Kenneth Utt
Born(1921-07-13)July 13, 1921
DiedJanuary 19, 1994(1994-01-19) (aged 72)
Alma materElon University
Occupations
  • Producer
  • production manager
SpouseAngie Utt
Children2

Life and career

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Utt was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 13, 1921. He graduated from Elon College (now Elon University) in Elon, N.C. in 1942. He received a scholarship to Juilliard School where he studied vocals in hopes of becoming an opera singer. Utt served in the Army Air Forces during World War II. He returned home and became a stage and radio actor, appearing in shows like Carousel.

Utt began working in production on stage performances of Peter Pan, the lesser known 1950 Broadway version with music by Leonard Bernstein.[1] He then became a film line producer for films like Midnight Cowboy (1969), The French Connection (1971), The Seven-Ups (1973) and All That Jazz (1979). Utt was a producer and unit production manager on four Jonathan Demme films: Something Wild (1986), Married to the Mob (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Philadelphia (1993), with Lambs and Philadelphia earning awards at the Oscars. Utt was among the three producers who received Best Picture for Lambs, in which he also made a cameo appearance.

Death

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Utt died on January 19, 1994, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan at the age of 72. The cause was bone cancer.[2] He is survived by his wife Angie, son Tim Utt, and daughter Robin Utt Fajardo.

Filmography

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He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

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Year Film Credit Award Notes
1968 The Subject Was Roses Associate producer
1969 Midnight Cowboy Associate producer
1970 The Boys in the Band Associate producer
The People Next Door Associate producer
1971 The French Connection Associate producer
1973 Godspell Associate producer
The Seven-Ups Executive producer
1979 All That Jazz Associate producer
1981 Eyewitness Associate producer
1982 Still of the Night Associate producer
1983 Star 80
1985 Heaven Help Us Associate producer
1986 Power Associate producer
Something Wild
1988 Married to the Mob
1990 Miami Blues Co-producer
1991 The Silence of the Lambs Academy Award for Best Picture
1993 Philadelphia Executive producer Final film as a producer
Production manager
Year Film Role
1968 Bye Bye Braverman Production supervisor
1978 The Wiz Production manager
1979 All That Jazz
1981 Eyewitness Unit production manager
1982 Still of the Night Production manager
1983 Star 80
1985 Heaven Help Us
1986 Power
Something Wild
1988 Married to the Mob Unit production manager
1990 Miami Blues
1991 The Silence of the Lambs
1992 Gladiator
1993 Philadelphia
As an actor
Year Film Role Notes
1944 Winged Victory Chorus Member Uncredited
1986 Something Wild Dad
1988 Married to the Mob Sourpuss F.B.I. Man
1990 Miami Blues Krishna Ramba, Head Krishna
1991 The Silence of the Lambs Dr. Akin
Dogfight Thrift Shop Man
1993 Philadelphia The Jury
1994 The Ref Jeremiah Willard
2002 The Truth About Charlie The Late Monsieur Hyppolite
2004 The Manchurian Candidate Rosie's Cousin's Mentor
Miscellaneous crew
Year Film Role
1970 The Angel Levine Production executive
Location management
Year Film Role
1972 Fuzz Location supervisor: Boston
Thanks
Year Film Role
1998 Beloved Grateful acknowledgment

Television

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Year Title Credit Notes
1962−65 The Defenders Associate producer
1966 Hawk Associate producer
1967 N.Y.P.D. Associate producer
Coronet Blue Associate producer
1973 The Connection Associate producer Television film
Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside Associate producer Television pilot
1975−76 Movin' On Associate producer
1982 Baker's Dozen
1986 Intimate Strangers Television film
Production manager
Year Title Role Notes
1961−62 The Defenders Production manager
1972 Liza with a Z Production supervisor Television special
1974−75 Movin' On In charge of production
1975 Strike Force Executive in charge of production Television film
As an actor
Year Title Role
1954−56 Studio One Dave Horn
Joseph Blake
Miscellaneous crew
Year Title Role
1962 The Defenders Assistant to the producer
The Nurses
Thanks
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Subway Stories Dedicated to Kenny Utt Television film

References

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  1. ^ Peter Pan (1950 version), music by Leonard Bernstein at IBDB
  2. ^ "Kenneth Utt, 72, Producer of Films Who Also Acted". The New York Times. January 22, 1994. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
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