Warren Finnerty

Warren Finnerty (April 9, 1925 – December 22, 1974) was an American actor best known for his Obie award-winning performance as the character "Leach" in the stage production The Connection (1959) and its film version.^[1]

Warren Finnerty
Born	April 9, 1925
Died	December 22, 1974 (aged 49) New York City, U.S.

Career

After making his film debut in Murder, Inc. (1960), and in the Off-Off Broadway production of The Brig in the 1960s, he made a few television appearances before starring in The Connection (1961), the film adaptation of the play in which he reprised his stage role.

He continued to work steadily in the 1960s and early 1970s, making appearances on television in Bonanza and Banacek, and in films such as The Pawnbroker (1964), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Easy Rider (1969) in which Finnerty plays a rancher whose lifestyle draws the admiration of Wyatt aka "Captain America," the character played by Peter Fonda,^[2] The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Kid Blue (1973) and Cockfighter (1974).

Finnerty died in 1974 in New York City from a heart attack at the age of 49.

Family

Finnerty's wife, Ruth, was a pianist and English educator at UC Berkeley Extension; the couple's son is the jazz musician Barry Finnerty.^[3]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1960	Murder, Inc.	Charles "The Bug" Workman
1961	The Connection	Leach
1964	The Pawnbroker	Savarese
1964	The Brig	Guard #1
1965	Andy	Sanovich
1967	Who's Crazy?	Unknown
1967	Cool Hand Luke	"Tattoo"
1969	Easy Rider	The Rancher
1969	Marlowe	The Manager	Uncredited
1969	Scream Free!	Barney
1971	The Panic in Needle Park	Sammy
1971	The Last Movie	Banker
1973	Kid Blue	Wills
1973	The Laughing Policeman	Ripple
1974	Cockfighter	Sanders
1974	Injun fender	The Texan	(final film role)

References

1. "Warren Finnerty". The New York Times. December 24, 1974. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
2. "Easy Rider (1969)".
3. Hamlin, Jesse (July 4, 2005). "Jazz guitarist Barry Finnerty knows how to groove alone to make music". SF Gate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 4, 2020.

External links

• Warren Finnerty's New York Times obituary
• Warren Finnerty at IMDb
• Warren Finnerty at the Internet Broadway Database
• Warren Finnerty at the Internet Off-Broadway Database