# Kenneth Utt

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).

## Life and career

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. 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

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

## Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

### Film

| 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 | | |
| 1970 | The People Next Door | Associate producer | | |
| 1971 | The French Connection | Associate producer | | |
| 1973 | Godspell | Associate producer | | |
| 1973 | 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 | | |
| 1986 | 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 | Production manager |
| 1981 | Eyewitness | Unit production manager |
| 1982 | Still of the Night | Production manager |
| 1983 | Star 80 | Production manager |
| 1985 | Heaven Help Us | Production manager |
| 1986 | Power | Production manager |
| 1986 | Something Wild | Production manager |
| 1988 | Married to the Mob | Unit production manager |
| 1990 | Miami Blues | Unit production manager |
| 1991 | The Silence of the Lambs | Unit production manager |
| 1992 | Gladiator | Unit production manager |
| 1993 | Philadelphia | Unit production manager |

#### 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 | |
| 1991 | 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

| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
| 1962−65 | The Defenders | Associate producer | |
| 1966 | Hawk | Associate producer | |
| 1967 | N.Y.P.D. | Associate producer | |
| 1967 | Coronet Blue | Associate producer | |
| 1973 | The Connection | Associate producer | Television film |
| 1973 | 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 HornJoseph Blake |

#### Miscellaneous crew

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1962 | The Defenders | Assistant to the producer |
| 1962 | The Nurses | Assistant to the producer |

#### Thanks

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Subway Stories | Dedicated to Kenny Utt | Television film |