Edith King (born Edith Keck; November 14, 1896 – February 24, 1973) was an American stage and film actress.
Biography
Edith King was born Edith Keck, daughter of John Keck, in
White Haven, Pennsylvania
White Haven is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Lehigh River. The population was 1,163 at the 2020 census.
History Establishment
White Haven was created in 1824 by indu ...
in November 14, 1896. She first visited a theater when she was 14, and decided then to pursue an acting career. She moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
at a young age and promptly arranged a meeting with
David Belasco
David Belasco (July 25, 1853 – May 14, 1931) was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director, and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story ''Madame Butterfly'' for the stage. He launched the theatrical career of ...
, who gave her a part in his current play, ''Marie Odile''.
In later life, King lived in
Kendall Park, New Jersey
Kendall Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in South Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. In 1972 King moved from Riviera Beach to
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is a coastal resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropo ...
, where she died on February 24, 1973.
Career
King was known as a stage and film actress, with a career spanning over 50 years (from roughly 1916 to 1964). Before her stage career took off, she was an artist's model, working with
Howard Chandler Christy
Howard Chandler Christy (January 10, 1872 – March 3, 1952) was an American artist and illustrator. Famous for the "Christy Girl" – a colorful and illustrious successor to the "Gibson Girl" – Christy is also widely known for his ico ...
for several of his paintings and illustrations. She appeared in theatrical productions such as ''Bab'' (playing the older sister of
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes MacArthur (; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress. Often referred to as the "First Lady of American Theatre", she was the second person and first woman to win EGOT, the EGOT (an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and ...
's main character) and ''Thank You'', and films such as '' Saratoga''. She worked with
Alfred Lunt
Alfred David Lunt (August 12, 1892 – August 3, 1977) was an American actor and director, best known for his long stage partnership with his wife, Lynn Fontanne, from the 1920s to 1960, co-starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway and West End thea ...
The Seagull
''The Seagull'' () is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 in literature, 1895 and first produced in 1896 in literature#Drama, 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramati ...
'' (as Polina) and ''
The Taming of the Shrew
''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...
'' (as the minor characters Curtis and the widow).
She played
Bianca
Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. It is known in the Anglosphere as a character in William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew''. It came to greater notice in the 1970s, due to public fi ...
in
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...
's 1943 production of ''
Othello
''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
'' before taking over the role of Emilia in 1944 (replacing
Margaret Webster
Margaret Webster (March 15, 1905 – November 13, 1972) was an American-British theater actress, theatrical producer, producer and theatre direction, director. Critic George Jean Nathan described her as "the best director of the plays of Sha ...
).
Filmography
References
External links
*
* Photographs of Edith King in her role as "Mrs. Smith" in ''Calcutta''br>with monkey an without monkey from the J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs
* Photographs of Edith King by th White Studio an Billy Rose digitized by the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...