Kaj (Kay) Gynt ''(pseudonym'' of Karin Sophia Matthiessen; ''née'' Karin Sophia Cederstrand; 24 October 1885 – 1956) was a Swedish-turned-American actress and, for one notable 1927

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical, a book writer.

Career

Actress
Before emigrating to New York, Gynt performed three years with the

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre (, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The theatre has been at its present lo ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. In America, she played Kate in the 1917 film '' The Eternal Mother'' and was a skating party guest in the 1917 film, ''The Last Sentence,'' directed by Ben Turbett. In 1921, Gynt played Clorinda in

Henry Bataille Félix-Henri "Henry" Bataille (4 April 1872, in Nîmes – 2 March 1922, in Rueil-Malmaison) was a French dramatist and poet. His works were popular between 1900 and the start of World War I. Bataille's parents died when he was young. He attend ...

's 3-act romantic comedy, ''Don Juan,'' at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ...

, New York. Author
She authored the book for the 1927

musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

, '' Rang Tang.'' She also co-authored, in 1936 with

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harl ...

, a proposed production, ''Cock o' the World,'' music by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

, Wilbur Hughes Strickland, MD (1903–1987), and

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the ...

. The work was never performed.

Growing up, emigration, marriage, and family

Gynt grew-up in

and was friends with

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

. At age , she and Harold Gustav Frederic Matthiessen (1883–1940) arrived at

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, December 21, 1907, aboard the SS ''Kaiserin Auguste Victoria'' from

Cuxhaven Cuxhaven (; ) is a town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town includes the northernmost point of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has a footprint o ...

. That same day, they married each other at the Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 155 East 22nd Street (between Lexington and Third Avenues). Their marriage was officiated by Rev. Dr. Johan Gustaf Mauritz Stolpe (1858–1938), son of composer Gustav Stolpe (1833–1901). In 1917, Harold and Karin both became United States naturalized citizens.

Family

Gynt's husband, Harold Mattiessen, was a graduate of Swedish Royal University. Gynt's brother,

Sölve Cederstrand Sölve Cederstrand (1900–1954) was a Swedish screenwriter and film director. He was one of the most prolific screenwriters active in Swedish cinema during the 1930s alongside Torsten Lundqvist and Gösta Stevens.''Nordic National Cinemas'' p.16 ...

(1900–1954), was a Swedish journalist, screenwriter, and film director. Another brother, Ragnar Cederstrand (1891–1935), was a Swedish film critic.

References

Genealogical records

Inline

Historic newspapers, magazines, and journals

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gynt, Kaj 1885 births 1956 deaths 20th-century Swedish actresses 20th-century Swedish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Pseudonymous women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers Swedish women dramatists and playwrights Swedish emigrants to the United States Actresses from Stockholm