Edna Cecil Cunningham (August 2, 1888 – April 17, 1959) was an American film and stage actress, singer, and comedienne.

Early years

Cunningham started her working life as a switchboard operator in a commerce bank and did some sittings as a photographer's model. Her early experience in music came as a member of the choir in the Fifth Baptist Church in St. Louis.

Career

Cunningham's first show business job was in the chorus line of '' Mlle. Modiste'' at the age of 18. She trained as a singer and appeared in opera. She worked as a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

comedian at the Palace Theatre in New York City until the commencement of her movie career in 1929. A. L. Erlanger selected her for the title role in the original production of '' The Pink Lady''. Cunningham's Broadway credits include ''Somewhere Else'' (1913), ''Iolanthe'' (1913), ''Oh, I Say!'' (1913), ''Maids of Athens'' (1914), ''Dancing Around'' (1914), ''

Greenwich Village Follies The ''Greenwich Village Follies'' was a musical revue that played for eight seasons in New York City from 1919 to 1927. Launched by John Murray Anderson, and opening on July 15, 1919, at the newly constructed Greenwich Village Theatre near Christ ...

'' (1919), ''The Rose of China'' (1919), and ''Dance With Your Gods'' (1934). She also performed in Paris with the Boston Grand Opera Company, singing in Italian operas. Cunningham was a Hollywood character actress with whitish hair cut like a man's, often in roles as a general "know-it-all". She made more than 80 appearances in movies between 1929 and 1946, many of them uncredited.

Personal life

Cunningham was married to writer Jean C. Havez from 1915 to 1917.

Death

On April 17, 1959, Cunningham died of heart disease at the

Motion Picture Country Hospital The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) is a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the motion picture and television industries and their families with limited or no resources, including services such as temp ...

in Woodland Hills, California. She was 70 years old. Her remains are interred in Chapel of the Pines Crematory.

Complete filmography

* '' Their Own Desire'' (1929) - Aunt Caroline * ''

Paramount on Parade ''Paramount on Parade'' is a 1930 all-star American pre-Code revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Lothar Mendes, ...

'' (1930) - Society Woman (Impulses) (uncredited) * '' Anybody's Woman'' (1930) - Dot * '' Playboy of Paris'' (1930) - Mlle. Hedwige * ''Trouble from Abroad'' (1931, Short) - Emma Wimple * '' Monkey Business'' (1931) - Madame Swempski (uncredited) * ''

Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) ''Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film directed and produced by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Greta Garbo and Clark Gable. The film was based on the novel by David Graham Phillips and made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ...

'' (1931) - Madame Panoramia aka Pansy * '' The Age for Love'' (1931) - Pamela * '' Safe in Hell'' (1931) - Angie * ''

Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed ...

'' (1931) - Gambler Selling Ring (uncredited) * ''Never the Twins Shall Meet'' (1932, Short) - Mrs. Carp * '' Impatient Maiden'' (1932) - Mrs. Rosy * ''

The Wet Parade ''The Wet Parade'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Robert Young, Myrna Loy, Walter Huston, Lewis Stone and Jimmy Durante. It is based on the 1931 novel by Upton Sinclair. The film shows how two fa ...

'' (1932) - Mrs. Twombey - Hotel Guest (uncredited) * ''

It's Tough to Be Famous ''It's Tough to Be Famous'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and written by Robert Lord. The film stars Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Mary Brian, Emma Dunn, Walter Catlett and David Landau. The film was relea ...

'' (1932) - Autograph Seeker with Sheet Music (uncredited) * ''Just a Pain in the Parlor'' (1932, Short) - Mrs. Smith * ''

The Rich Are Always with Us ''The Rich Are Always with Us'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, and Bette Davis. The screenplay by Austin Parker is based on the novel of the same ...

'' (1932) - Woman Talking to Tierney at Party (uncredited) * ''

Love Is a Racket ''Love Is a Racket'' ( UK title: ''Such Things Happen'') is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Ann Dvorak. The movie was written by Courtney Terrett from the novel by Rian James, and dire ...

'' (1932) - Aunt Hattie Donovan * '' Is My Face Red?'' (1932) - Millionaire's Blonde Wife (uncredited) * ''The Candid Camera'' (1932, Short) - Mrs. Townes' Aunty * ''

Love Me Tonight ''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a prince ...

'' (1932) - Laundress (uncredited) * '' Those We Love'' (1932) - Mrs. Henry Abbott * ''

Blonde Venus ''Blonde Venus'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Marlene Dietrich, Herbert Marshall and Cary Grant. It was produced and directed by Josef von Sternberg from a screenplay by Jules Furthman and S. K. Lauren, adapted from a sto ...

'' (1932) - Norfolk Woman Manager (uncredited) * ''

If I Had a Million ''If I Had a Million'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Paramount Studios anthology film starring Gary Cooper, George Raft, Charles Laughton, W.C. Fields, Jack Oakie, Frances Dee and Charlie Ruggles, among others. There were seven directors: Ern ...

'' (1932) - Agnes - Emily's Friend (uncredited) * ''

Ladies They Talk About ''Ladies They Talk About'' is a 1933 pre-Code American crime drama directed by Howard Bretherton and William Keighley, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, and Lyle Talbot. The film is about an attractive woman who is a member of a ban ...

'' (1933) - Mrs. Arlington (uncredited) * '' From Hell to Heaven'' (1933) - Mrs. Chadman * ''The Druggist's Dilemma'' (1933, Short) - Mrs. Finch * '' Bottoms Up'' (1934) - Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

Manhattan Love Song ''Manhattan Love Song'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Leonard Fields. Plot summary Although sisters Geraldine and Carol Stewart live luxuriously in a Park Avenue apartment in New York City, their money has run out due to some ...

'' (1934) - Pancake Annie Jones * '' The Life of Vergie Winters'' (1934) - Pearl Turner * '' Return of the Terror'' (1934) - Miss Doolittle * '' We Live Again'' (1934) - Theodosia (uncredited) * '' People Will Talk'' (1935) - Nellie Simpson * '' Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' (1936) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Come and Get It'' (1936) - Josie * '' Swing High, Swing Low'' (1937) - Murphy * '' King of Gamblers'' (1937) - Big Edna * '' Artists and Models'' (1937) - Stella * ''

This Way Please ''This Way Please'' is a 1937 American musical comedy directed by Robert Florey and featuring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, a popular singer from the days of vaudeville entertainment. According to historian Martin Grams, the film was the introductio ...

'' (1937) - Miss Eberhardt * ''

The Awful Truth ''The Awful Truth'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. Based on the 1923 play ''The Awful Truth'' by Arthur Richman, the film recounts how a distrustful rich couple begins d ...

'' (1937) - Mrs. Alvin * '' Daughter of Shanghai'' (1937) - Mrs. Mary Hunt * '' Scandal Street'' (1938) - Maybelle Murphy * '' Four Men and a Prayer'' (1938) - Piper * '' College Swing'' (1938) - Dean Sleet * ''

Kentucky Moonshine ''Kentucky Moonshine'' is a 1938 American comedy musical film directed by David Butler and released by 20th Century Fox. Plot Radio star Jerry Wade's program ratings are falling and he suggests to his sponsors a show that is different and he ...

'' (1938) - Landlady * '' You and Me'' (1938) - Mrs. Morris * ''

Wives Under Suspicion ''Wives Under Suspicion'' is a 1938 American crime film based on a 1932 Ladislas Fodor play that was previously adapted into the film, '' The Kiss Before the Mirror''. This version was directed by James Whale and stars Warren William, Gail Pa ...

'' (1938) - 'Sharpy' * '' Blond Cheat'' (1938) - Genevieve Trent * ''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child ...

'' (1938) - Mme. 'Feldy' de Lerchenfeld (uncredited) * ''

Girls' School Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The practice o ...

'' (1938) - Miss Brewster * '' The Family Next Door'' (1939) - Cora Stewart * '' It's a Wonderful World'' (1939) - Madame J.L. Chambers * '' Winter Carnival'' (1939) - Miss Ainsley * '' Lady of the Tropics'' (1939) - Countess Berichi * '' Laugh It Off'' (1939) - Tess Gibson * '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

'' (1940) - Mrs. Hobbs * ''

The Captain Is a Lady ''The Captain Is a Lady'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Henry Clark, adapted from the play by Rachel Crothers. The film stars Charles Coburn, Beulah Bondi, Virginia Grey, Helen Broderick, Billie Burk ...

'' (1940) - Mrs. Jane Homans * ''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclip ...

'' (1940) - Governor's Wife * '' Kitty Foyle'' (1940) - Grandmother * '' Tall, Dark and Handsome'' (1941) - Frosty's Landlady (uncredited) * '' Play Girl'' (1941) - Dowager (uncredited) * '' Back Street'' (1941) - Mrs. Miller * ''

Repent at Leisure ''Repent at Leisure'' is a 1941 American domestic comedy film directed by Frank Woodruff from a screenplay by Jerry Cady based on a story by James Gow and Arnaud D'Usseau. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, the film was released o ...

'' (1941) - Mrs. Morgan * ''

Hurry, Charlie, Hurry ''Hurry, Charlie, Hurry'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Charles E. Roberts and written by Paul Gerard Smith. The film stars Leon Errol, Mildred Coles, Kenneth Howell, Cecil Cunningham and George Watts. The film was released on June 1 ...

'' (1941) - Mrs. Diana Boone * ''

Blossoms in the Dust ''Blossoms in the Dust'' is a 1941 American biographical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Felix Bressart, Marsha Hunt, Fay Holden and Samuel S. Hinds. It tells the true story of Edna Gladney, who help ...

'' (1941) - Mrs. Gilworth * '' The Feminine Touch'' (1941) - Party Guest (uncredited) * ''

Cowboy Serenade ''Cowboy Serenade'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by William Morgan and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Written by Olive Cooper, the film is about a singing cowboy and cattleman who goes after a gambling rin ...

'' (1942) - Priscilla Smythe * '' The Wife Takes a Flyer'' (1942) - Countess Oldenburg * '' Twin Beds'' (1942) - Miss MacMahon, Secretary (uncredited) * '' Are Husbands Necessary?'' (1942) - Miss Jenkins * '' The Affairs of Martha'' (1942) - Mrs. Llewellyn Castle * ''

I Married an Angel ''I Married An Angel'' is a 1938 musical comedy by Rodgers and Hart. It was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary, entitled ''Angyalt Vettem Felesegul''. The book was by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with music by Rodge ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Fairmind (uncredited) * ''

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

'' (1942) - Mme. Laruga * '' The Hidden Hand'' (1942) - Lorinda Channing * ''

My Heart Belongs to Daddy "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" is a song written by Cole Porter, for the 1938 musical ''Leave It to Me!'' which premiered on November 9, 1938. It was originally performed by Mary Martin, who played Dolly Winslow, the young "protégée" of a rich ne ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Whitman (uncredited) * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) - Countess * '' In Old Oklahoma'' (1943) - Mrs. Ames * ''

The Horn Blows at Midnight ''The Horn Blows at Midnight'' is a 1945 comedy fantasy film directed by Raoul Walsh, and starring Jack Benny. Following its poor box-office, Benny often exploited the film's failure for laughs over the next 20 years in his radio and television ...

'' (1945) - Judge Cavendish (scenes deleted) * ''

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in ''The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The cha ...

'' (1945) - Fortune Teller (uncredited) * '' My Reputation'' (1946) - Mrs. Stella Thompson * '' The Bride Goes Wild'' (1948) - Helen Oldfield (scenes deleted) * ''Joyful Hour'' (1960, TV movie) - Elizabeth

References

External links

* * * 1888 births 1959 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory Actresses from St. Louis 20th-century American actresses {{US-theat-actor-1880s-stub