Constance Cummings

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years.

Early life

Cummings was born on 15 May 1910 in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate Logan (née Cummings), a concert soprano, and Dallas Vernon Halverstadt, a lawyer. Cummings' parents separated when she was 10 years old, and she never saw her father again. She attended St. Nicholas Girls' School in Seattle.

Career

The San Diego Stock Company gave Cummings her initial acting opportunity in a "walk-on part" playing a prostitute in a 1926 production of ''Seventh Heaven.'' She debuted on Broadway as a chorus girl, a member of the ensemble in ''Treasure Girl'' (1928) by the age of 18. While appearing on Broadway, she was discovered by

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (; born Szmuel Gelbfisz; ; July 1879 (most likely; claimed to be August 27, 1882) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer and pioneer in the American film industry, who produce ...

, who brought her to Hollywood in 1931. Between 1931 and 1934, Cummings appeared in more than 20 films, including '' Movie Crazy'' opposite

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many Silent film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influent ...

, and ''

American Madness ''American Madness'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Walter Huston as a New York banker embroiled in scandal. Plot At the Union National Bank, the directors are concerned because they think that ba ...

'', directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

. Cummings was married to the playwright and screenwriter Benn Levy from July 3, 1933 until his death in 1973. As Levy was from the UK, Cummings moved there and continued acting in films and on the stage. Few of her films were hits in the U.S., but '' Blithe Spirit'', adapted from the

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

play, was popular. Levy wrote and directed films for Cummings, such as ''The Jealous God'' (1939); he also served in the UK Parliament from 1945 to 1950 as the Labour MP for Eton and Slough. They had a son and a daughter. She played Mary Tyrone in the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

's production of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' opposite

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

and later recreated the role for television. She took over the role of Martha in

Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), ''The Sandbox (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...

's ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...

'' in its first London run.

Recognition

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, Cummings won the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Emily Stilson in the drama '' Wings'' (1978–1979) (written by

Arthur Kopit Arthur Lee Kopit (; May 10, 1937 – April 2, 2021) was an American playwright. He was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for ''Indians (play), Indians'' and ''Wings (play), Wings''. He was also nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Play for ...

), a play about a former aviator (Stilson) who has suffered a stroke, from which she struggles to recover. This role also brought her Obie and Drama Desk awards and an

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

nomination. In 1982, she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her work in '' The Chalk Garden''. She received an ''Evening Standard'' Best Actress Award for her performance in '' Long Day's Journey into Night''. On January 1, 1974, Cummings, who resided in Britain for many decades until her death, was made a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) for her contributions to the British entertainment industry. She was a committee member of the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

and the

Arts Council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

. She has a star in the Motion Pictures section on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

Death

Constance Cummings Levy died in Wardington, Oxfordshire, England on November 23, 2005, aged 95, from natural causes.

Acting credits

Filmography

* ''

The Criminal Code ''The Criminal Code'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code Romance film, romantic Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Walter Huston and Phillips Holmes. The screenplay, base ...

'' (1931) as Mary Brady * '' The Last Parade'' (1931) as Molly Pearson * ''

Lover Come Back Lover Come Back may refer to: *''Lover Come Back'', a 1940 novel by Clair Blank *Lover Come Back (1931 film), ''Lover Come Back'' (1931 film), starring Constance Cummings *New Moon (1940 film), ''New Moon'' (1940 film), a musical also known as ''Lov ...

'' (1931) as Connie Lee * '' Traveling Husbands'' (1931) as Ellen Wilson * '' The Guilty Generation'' (1931) as Maria Palmero * '' Behind the Mask'' (1932) as Julie Arnold * ''

The Big Timer ''The Big Timer'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code sports drama film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Ben Lyon, Constance Cummings and Thelma Todd.Scott p.42 Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, it is about a boxer whose succes ...

'' (1932) as Honey Baldwin * '' Attorney for the Defense'' (1932) as Ruth Barry * ''

'' (1932) as Helen * '' Movie Crazy'' (1932) as Mary Sears * '' The Last Man'' (1932) as Marian * '' Washington Merry-Go-Round'' (1932) as Alice * '' Night After Night'' (1932) as Miss Jerry Healy * '' The Billion Dollar Scandal'' (1933) as Doris Masterson * '' The Mind Reader'' (1933) as Sylvia * '' Heads We Go'' (1933) as Betty Smith / Dorothy Kay * '' Channel Crossing'' (1933) as Marion Slade * '' Broadway Through a Keyhole'' (1933) as Joan Whelan * '' Looking for Trouble'' (1934) as Ethel Greenwood * '' Glamour'' (1934) as Linda Fayne * '' This Man Is Mine'' (1934) as Francesca Harper * '' Remember Last Night?'' (1935) as Carlotta Milburn * '' Seven Sinners'' (1936) as Caryl Fenton * '' Strangers on Honeymoon'' (1936) as October * ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (1938, TV movie) as Roxane * '' Busman's Honeymoon'' (1940) as Harriet Vane * '' This England'' (1941) as Ann * '' The Foreman Went to France'' (1942) as Anne Stafford, the American girl * '' Blithe Spirit'' (1945) as Ruth Condomine * '' Into the Blue'' (1950) as Mrs. Kate Fergusson * ''Trial and Error'' (1953, TV movie) as Andrea * '' John and Julie'' (1955) as Mrs. Davidson * '' The Intimate Stranger'' (1956) as Kay Wallace * ''The Trial of Mary Dugan'' (1957, TV movie) as Mary Dugan, known as Mona Tree * ''Craig's Wife'' (1957, TV movie) as Harriet Craig * '' The Battle of the Sexes'' (1960) as Angela Barrows * '' Sammy Going South'' (1963) as Gloria van Imhoff * '' In the Cool of the Day'' (1963) as Mrs. Nina Gellert * ''Love Song'' (1985, TV movie) as Dame Philippa Hatchard * '' Dead Man's Folly'' (1986, TV movie) as Amy Folliat * ''The Understanding'' (1986, TV movie) as Acton (final film role)

Theatre

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cummings, Constance 1910 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Seattle American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American emigrants to the United Kingdom Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Drama Desk Award winners English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Tony Award winners Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom 20th-century British businesspeople 21st-century American women