Constance Cummings

Constance Cummings

Born: May 15, 1910
Died: November 23, 2005
in Seattle, Washington, USA
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.

Movies for Constance Cummings...

Dead Man's Folly
Title: Dead Man's Folly
Character: Amy Folliatt
Released: January 8, 1986
Type: Movie
During a murder hunt game at a country house, to which Hercule Poirot is invited as an "expert", a real murder occurs.
bee
Love Song
Title: Love Song
Character: Dame Phillipa Hatchard
Released: April 6, 1985
Type: Movie
The life of a successful student couple at Cambridge University.
bee
Wings
Title: Wings
Character: Emily Stilson
Released: April 26, 1983
Type: Movie
An elderly woman, a former aviatrix, is gradually recovering from a stroke.
bee
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Title: Long Day's Journey Into Night
Character: Mary Tyrone
Released: March 10, 1973
Type: Movie
On a day in the summer of 1912, the family of retired matinee idol James Tyrone grapples with the morphine addiction of Tyrone's wife Mary, the illness of their youngest son Edmund, and the alcoholism and debauchery of the older son Jamie. As day turns into night, guilt, anger, despair, and regret threaten to destroy the family.
bee
Title: Menace
Released: September 29, 1970
Type: TV
bee
Late Summer
Title: Late Summer
Character: Helga
Released: July 7, 1963
Type: Movie
Helga and David travel to a secluded hotel for some alone time. Helga is much older than David and tongues wag among the other guests. The more time they are together the more age difference becomes a rift between them.
bee
In the Cool of the Day
Title: In the Cool of the Day
Character: Mrs. Nina Gellert
Released: May 29, 1963
Type: Movie
After he mends a marital rift between a vacationing young couple, the bored, fragile wife falls hopelessly in love with the husband's ex-colleague who is married to a long-suffering and emotionally and physically scarred woman. The couple soon runs off to Greece together to pursue the romance.
bee
Sammy Going South
Title: Sammy Going South
Character: Gloria van Imhoff
Released: March 18, 1963
Type: Movie
After he is orphaned by an air raid on Port Said during the Suez Crisis, a young boy attempts to go by himself from the Suez Canal to Durban in South Africa where his nearest relative, Aunt Jane, lives. On the way he meets a variety of different people who help or hinder his journey - including an ageing diamond smuggler.
bee
The Battle of the Sexes
Title: The Battle of the Sexes
Character: Angela Barrows
Released: February 25, 1960
Type: Movie
Angela Barrows is a man-eating business woman sent by her American employer to investigate their export opportunities in Edinburgh. En route she meets Robert MacPherson, a businessman who asks for her help to bring his company into the 20th Century. The staff, led by Mr Martin, has other ideas—and a battle between the old and new business methods soon breaks out.
bee
Finger of Guilt
Title: Finger of Guilt
Character: Kay Wallace
Released: June 1, 1956
Type: Movie
Film producer Reggie Wilson is worried he may have a dual personality. Fleeing Hollywood, he finds himself in England and married to the studio boss's daughter after which he quickly rises through the studio ranks. Then the letters begin to appear from a lovesick American actress who wants to know why he has thrown her over.
bee
John and Julie
Title: John and Julie
Character: Mrs. Davidson
Released: July 26, 1955
Type: Movie
The adventures of two children who runaway to London to see the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.
bee
Title: Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Character: Madge Haley
Released: October 5, 1951
Type: TV
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to Schlitz Playhouse, beginning with the fall 1957 season.
bee
Into the Blue
Title: Into the Blue
Character: Kate Fergusson
Released: December 27, 1950
Type: Movie
Enjoying a holiday in the sun, Mr and Mrs Fergusson are relaxing on board a chartered yacht off the coast of France - their only crew, the skipper-owner and his adopted daughter. On taking a turn around the deck, Mr Fergusson is rather put-out to discover a stowaway helping himself to the comforts of their dinghy. Though very charming, the stranger refuses to give any explanation for his presence - and the Fergussons soon find themselves involved in a rather more eventful sailing trip than they had expected!
bee
Title: Lux Video Theatre
Character: Intermission Guest
Released: October 2, 1950
Type: TV
Lux Video Theatre is an American anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.
bee
Blithe Spirit
Title: Blithe Spirit
Character: Ruth Condomine
Released: April 5, 1945
Type: Movie
An English mystery novelist invites a medium to his home, so she may conduct a séance for a small gathering. The writer hopes to gather enough material for the book he's working on, as well as to expose the medium as a charlatan. However, proceedings take an unexpected turn, resulting in a chain of supernatural events being set into motion that wreak havoc on the man's present marriage.
bee
The Foreman Went to France
Title: The Foreman Went to France
Character: Anne Stafford
Released: June 22, 1942
Type: Movie
Based on the true story of Melbourne Johns, an aircraft factory foreman sent to France to prevent the Nazis getting hold of some vital equipment.
bee
This England
Title: This England
Character: Ann
Released: July 22, 1941
Type: Movie
Set in Claverly Village, it follows the fortunes of the Rookebys (Clements) and the ne'r-do-well Appleyards (Williams) from the time of the Normans, 1588, 1804, 1914, and 1940. Made to support morale during the war, its message is basically that you can't suppress the British; they've been there since the beginning; they'll be there to the end.
bee
Busman's Honeymoon
Title: Busman's Honeymoon
Character: Harriet Vane
Released: July 22, 1940
Type: Movie
When Lord Peter Wimsey marries Harriet Vane, a crime author, they both promise to give up crime for good. As a wedding present, Peter purchases the old house where Harriet grew up, but when they try to move in the previous owner is nowhere to be found, until they start to clean the house and find his body in the cellar...
bee
Cyrano de Bergerac
Title: Cyrano de Bergerac
Character: Roxane
Released: October 30, 1938
Type: Movie
Inspired by Edmond Rostand's 1897 play, this 1938 BBC Television studio production retells the comic and heroic drama of the 17th-century Gascon swordsman, poet, and philosopher, Cyrano de Bergerac (1990). Secretly and passionately in love with beautiful Roxane, Cyrano, who is embarrassed by his elongated nose, is shocked to find out that she has fallen head-over-heels in love with the handsome but superficial recruit to the Cadets de Gascogne, Christian de Neuvillette. As a result, convinced that he stands no chance against the handsome but tongue-tied suitor, Cyrano steps aside and becomes Christian's tutor in the delicate matters of love, composing poems and ardent letters to help him woo Roxane.
bee
Seven Sinners
Title: Seven Sinners
Character: Caryl Fenton
Released: June 1, 1936
Type: Movie
Ed Harwood, a wisecracking private investigator from New York, discovers a crime at an hotel in Nice during a carnival. The unraveling of the mystery which lies behind will lead him and Caryl Fenton, a female insurance agent, who will become his companion, first to Paris, then to London, later through the English countryside and finally to Southampton, in search of a criminal train wrecker.
bee
Remember Last Night?
Title: Remember Last Night?
Character: Carlotta Milburn
Released: October 28, 1935
Type: Movie
After a night of wild partying at a friend's house, a couple wake up to discover the party's host has been murdered in his bed.
bee
This Man Is Mine
Title: This Man Is Mine
Character: Francesca Harper
Released: April 13, 1934
Type: Movie
The seemingly happy relationship between Tony and Jim is threatened when his manipulative, drama-queen ex-wife visits.
bee
Glamour
Title: Glamour
Character: Linda Fayne
Released: April 9, 1934
Type: Movie
bee
Looking for Trouble
Title: Looking for Trouble
Character: Ethel Greenwood
Released: March 28, 1934
Type: Movie
Joe and Casey trouble-shoot for the phone company. They try to prove that Joes's girl Ethel's boss Dan is a crook but are trapped by criminals and left in a burning building.
bee
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
Title: Broadway Thru a Keyhole
Character: Joan Whelan
Released: November 2, 1933
Type: Movie
Racketeer Frank Rocci is smitten with Joan Whelan, a dancer at Texas Guinan's famous Broadway night spot. He uses his influence to help her get a starring role in the show, hoping that it will also get Joan to fall in love with him. After scoring a hit, Joan accepts Frank's marriage proposal, more out of gratitude than love. The situation gets even stickier when she falls for a handsome band leader during a trip to Florida. Can she tell Frank she's in love with someone else?
bee
Channel Crossing
Title: Channel Crossing
Character: Marion Slade
Released: October 14, 1933
Type: Movie
Money isn't everything. Tycoon races against time to cross the English Channel in order to save a business deal, but along the way his whole value system is thrown into turmoil.
bee
Heads We Go
Title: Heads We Go
Character: Betty Smith / Dorothy Kay
Released: July 28, 1933
Type: Movie
A model inherits a great deal of money and pretends to be a movie star.
bee
The Mind Reader
Title: The Mind Reader
Character: Sylvia
Released: April 1, 1933
Type: Movie
Chandler, a con-man, and his helper Frank decide to create a clairvoyant act for the carny circuit, as a little research reveals Ameicans spent $125 million on mind-readers and astrology. The carny, renamed Chandra, falls for one of his marks, Sylvia, but their love is tested when he brings tragedy to other peoples' lives and she asks him to go straight.
bee
The Billion Dollar Scandal
Title: The Billion Dollar Scandal
Character: Doris Masterson
Released: January 6, 1933
Type: Movie
An ex-convict working for a wealthy oil baron uncovers trouble while his brother becomes involved with the boss's daughter.
bee
Night After Night
Title: Night After Night
Character: Miss Jerry Healy
Released: October 29, 1932
Type: Movie
A former boxer purchases a classy speakeasy and falls in love with a wealthy society girl.
bee
Washington Merry-Go-Round
Title: Washington Merry-Go-Round
Character: Alice Wylie
Released: October 15, 1932
Type: Movie
Button Gwinett Brown is a freshman congressman on a mission to rid Washington of corruption. He quickly runs afoul of the powerful Senator Norton...
bee
Movie Crazy
Title: Movie Crazy
Character: Mary Sears
Released: September 23, 1932
Type: Movie
After a mix-up with his application photograph, an aspiring actor is invited to a screen test and goes off to Hollywood.
bee
American Madness
Title: American Madness
Character: Helen
Released: August 15, 1932
Type: Movie
Socially-conscious banker Thomas Dickson faces a crisis when his protégé is wrongly accused of robbing the bank, gossip of the robbery starts a bank run, and evidence suggests Dickson's wife had an affair... all in the same day.
bee
Attorney for the Defense
Title: Attorney for the Defense
Character: Ruth Barry
Released: May 21, 1932
Type: Movie
A lawyer is haunted by a previous case in which he manipulated evidence and convicted an innocent man.
bee
The Big Timer
Title: The Big Timer
Character: Honey Baldwin
Released: March 10, 1932
Type: Movie
Loud-mouth hamburger flipper, Cooky, thinks he can box. His big chance comes when everyone else quits the gym when it is inherited by a dame.
bee
Behind the Mask
Title: Behind the Mask
Character: Julie Arnold
Released: February 25, 1932
Type: Movie
A Secret Service agent nabs a scalpel-happy doctor who runs drugs in caskets.
bee
The Guilty Generation
Title: The Guilty Generation
Character: Maria Palmero
Released: November 19, 1931
Type: Movie
The children of feuding gangsters fall in love and fight to escape their parents' notoriety.
bee
Traveling Husbands
Title: Traveling Husbands
Character: Ellen Wilson
Released: August 15, 1931
Type: Movie
A salesman gets in trouble with a party girl and a debutante in Detroit.
bee
The Last Parade
Title: The Last Parade
Character: Molly Pearson
Released: January 31, 1931
Type: Movie
During the war two friends love the same nurse. After the war one becomes a detective, the other a racketeer.
bee
The Criminal Code
Title: The Criminal Code
Character: Mary Brady
Released: January 3, 1931
Type: Movie
After young Robert Graham commits a murder while drunk and defending his girlfriend, he is prosecuted by ambitious Mark Brady and sentenced to 10 years. Six years later, Brady becomes the prison warden and offers the beleaguered Robert a job as his chauffeur. Robert cleans up his act, but, on the eve of his pardon, his cellmate drags him back into the world of violence, and he faces a difficult choice that could return him to prison.