Constance Cummings

Birthday: 1910-05-15
Deathday: 2005-11-23
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Constance Cummings, CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-born British actress, known for her work on both screen and stage.

Born Constance Halverstadt in Seattle, Washington to Dallas Halverstadt and Kate Cummings, she began as a stage actress, landing her first role on Broadway by the age of 18. While appearing on Broadway, she was discovered by Sam Goldwyn, who brought her to Hollywood in 1931.

Between 1931 and 1934, Cummings appeared in 21 films, most notably the Harold Lloyd picture Movie Crazy and American Madness, directed by Frank Capra. She was married to the playwright and screenwriter Benn Levy MBE from 1933 until his death in 1973. Levy went on to write and direct films for Cummings, such as The Jealous God (1939); he also served in the United Kingdom Parliament from 1945-50 as the Labour MP for Eton and Slough. They had a son and a daughter.

Cummings was uncomfortable in Hollywood and moved to England, where she continued acting, both in movies and on the stage. Few of these films became popular in America, although included amongst those that did is Blithe Spirit, adapted from a play by Sir Noël Coward.

In 1974, Cummings, who resided in the UK for many decades, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the British entertainment industry.

She played Mary Tyrone in the Royal National Theatre's production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night opposite Sir Laurence Olivier, to great acclaim. She later recreated the role for a television version. In 1979, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in the role in the play Wings (written by Arthur Kopit) of Emily Stilson, a former aviator who has suffered a stroke, from which she struggles to recover.

She was a committee member of the Royal Court Theatre and the Arts Council. Despite her truncated career in the U.S., she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6211 Hollywood Blvd.

Constance Cummings Levy died on November 23, 2005 at the age of 95.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Constance Cummings, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Credits

Year Title Character
1986-01-08 Dead Man's Folly Amy Folliatt
1985-04-06 Love Song Dame Phillipa Hatchard
1983-04-26 Wings Emily Stilson
1973-03-10 Long Day's Journey Into Night Mary Tyrone
1963-07-07 Late Summer Helga
1963-05-29 In the Cool of the Day Mrs. Nina Gellert
1963-03-18 Sammy Going South Gloria van Imhoff
1960-02-25 The Battle of the Sexes Angela Barrows
1956-08-01 The Bitter Waters Louisa Pallant
1956-06-01 Finger of Guilt Kay Wallace
1955-07-26 John and Julie Mrs. Davidson
1950-12-27 Into the Blue Kate Fergusson
1945-04-05 Blithe Spirit Ruth Condomine
1942-06-22 The Foreman Went to France Anne Stafford
1941-07-22 This England Ann
1940-07-22 Busman's Honeymoon Harriet Vane
1938-10-30 Cyrano de Bergerac Roxane
1936-06-01 Seven Sinners Caryl Fenton
1935-10-28 Remember Last Night? Carlotta Milburn
1934-04-13 This Man Is Mine Francesca Harper
1934-04-09 Glamour Linda Fayne
1934-03-28 Looking for Trouble Ethel Greenwood
1933-11-02 Broadway Thru a Keyhole Joan Whelan
1933-10-14 Channel Crossing Marion Slade
1933-07-28 Heads We Go Betty Smith / Dorothy Kay
1933-04-01 The Mind Reader Sylvia
1933-01-06 The Billion Dollar Scandal Doris Masterson
1932-10-29 Night After Night Miss Jerry Healy
1932-10-15 Washington Merry-Go-Round Alice Wylie
1932-09-23 Movie Crazy Mary Sears
1932-08-15 American Madness Helen
1932-05-21 Attorney for the Defense Ruth Barry
1932-03-10 The Big Timer Honey Baldwin
1932-02-25 Behind the Mask Julie Arnold
1931-11-19 The Guilty Generation Maria Palmero
1931-08-15 Traveling Husbands Ellen Wilson
1931-01-31 The Last Parade Molly Pearson
1931-01-03 The Criminal Code Mary Brady