▁E . ▁K ee fer , ▁a ▁but cher , ▁and ▁Ed na ▁H ood ▁K ee fer , ▁had ▁three ▁sons ; ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁those ▁boys . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁his ▁early ▁ 2 0 s , ▁K ee fer ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁where ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁American ▁Academy ▁of ▁D ram atic ▁Arts , ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁that ▁pr estig ious ▁acting ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁ ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁World ' s ▁Fair , ▁he ▁performed ▁various ▁roles ▁on ▁stage ▁in ▁ex cer pts ▁of ▁works ▁by ▁William ▁Shakespeare . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁K ee fer ▁found ▁work ▁as ▁supporting ▁characters ▁in ▁Broadway ▁plays ▁such ▁as ▁Junior ▁Miss ▁and ▁O th ello . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁began ▁studying ▁method ▁acting ▁in ▁Manh attan ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁member ▁of ▁The ▁Act ors ▁Studio . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁period , ▁he ▁gained ▁some ▁early ▁experience ▁and ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁medium ▁of ▁television . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁K ee fer ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁tele vised ▁presentation ▁of ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁play ▁Tw elf th ▁Night ▁and ▁in ▁an ▁episode ▁of ▁the ▁anth ology ▁series ▁Kraft ▁Television ▁Theatre . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁he ▁performed ▁again ▁on ▁Kraft ▁Theatre ▁in ▁an ▁episode ▁titled ▁" The ▁Silver ▁Cord ". ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁K ee fer ▁was ▁back ▁on