Mickey Kuhn, a well-known actor, died on November 20 at the age of 90. His wife, Barbara, told The Hollywood Reporter that he was at a hospice facility in Naples, Florida before his death and was in good condition until recently. He began his career as a child actor and worked in the film business during Hollywood’s Golden Age. He became well-known for his roles in films such as Gone with the Wind, Juarez, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Red River, and Broken Arrow.
Mickey Kuhn appeared as a minor character in Gone with the Wind.
Mickey Kuhn starred in a number of films throughout the years, but he is most known for his role in the 1939 historical romance picture Gone with the Wind. In Gone with the Wind, he played Beau Wilkes, a small supporting character. Leslie Howard portrayed the character’s son, Ashley Wilkes.
Although Beau was not one of the film’s main protagonists, he had a significant supporting role with Paul Hurst, Cammie King, J.M. Kerrigan, Jackie Moran, and Lillian Kemble-Cooper. Kuhn was reputedly the only surviving credited cast member of the picture. Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland portrayed the key characters in the picture. Gone with the Wind, directed by Victor Fleming, premiered on December 15, 1939. Although it garnered favorable reviews, reviewers and spectators both disliked the film’s length. At the 12th Academy Oscars, the film received 10 awards in ten categories.
Mickey Kuhn started his acting career as a kid.
Mickey Kuhn, born on September 21, 1932, rose to prominence as a child actor in the 1930s. Following an audition of 100 kid performers, he was cast in Gone with the Wind. In 1939, he participated in another historical drama film, Juarez. After 12 years, he reunited with Vivien Leigh in the 1951 Southern Gothic drama picture A Streetcar Named Desire. From 1951 until 1955, he served in the Navy as an aviation electrician.
Mickey Kuhn left the film business in 1956 and worked as an administrator for American Airlines at the Boston airport until his retirement. He continues to participate in film festivals and was awarded the Golden Boot Award in 2005, which recognizes important achievements in the Western genre. Other films in which Kuhn appeared include King of the Underworld, S.O.S. Tidal Wave, When Tomorrow Comes, Bad Little Angel, and One Foot in Heaven. He has appeared in films such as The Searching Wind, The Return of Rusty, High Conquest, Magic Town, and others.
His father was a Safeway meat cutter, and the family relocated to Los Angeles. In an interview with the website Films of the Golden Age, Mickey stated:
“My mother and I were at Sears Roebuck on Santa Monica and Western when a woman approached her and told her that Fox Studio was seeking twin kids for a movie they were filming. She had a baby daughter who resembled me and felt we might be cast. So we walked over there, and I got cast, but not the lady’s baby.”
Twitter users pay tribute
Although Mickey Kuhn resigned from acting in 1956, his immaculate performances in multiple films earned him a large following base. When word of his death spread, Twitter was inundated with tributes.
Mickey Kuhn, actor who was best known for playing Beau Wilkes in Gone With The Wind and was the last surviving cast member from the film, has died at the age of 90. RIP Mickey 💔 pic.twitter.com/aMlYyJExuB
— ClassicActorsOfHollywood (@CAOH110291) November 22, 2022
RIP Actor Mickey Kuhn (1932-2022) (“Gone with the wind”) pic.twitter.com/0EBTrdMcAG
— Ricardo (@Dutchfan33) November 22, 2022
