Jean Adair (born Violet McNaughton; June 13, 1873 – May 11, 1953) was a Canadian actress.
Jean Adair | |
|---|---|
 Jean Adair | |
| Born | Violet McNaughton June 13, 1873 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | May 11, 1953 (aged 79) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1922–1953 |
Life and career
Born as Violet McNaughton in Hamilton, Ontario, she worked primarily on stage but also made several film appearances late in her career, most notably as Aunt Martha, one of Cary Grant's dotty old aunts in Arsenic and Old Lace, a role she originated on Broadway. Her final performance was as the beloved matriarch Rebecca Nurse in the original production of The Crucible. Like many stage actresses of her era, she also appeared in vaudeville.[1]
She died at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City on 11 May 1953, aged 79. She was cremated at Ferncliff Crematory in Hartsdale NY. Her ashes were collected by playwright Howard Lindsay.[2]
Broadway productions
- It's a Boy! (1922-?)
- The Jay Walker (1926)
- Devils (1926)
- The Good Fellow (1926)
- Machinal (1928) (*with a young unknown Clark Gable)
- That Ferguson Family (1928-9)
- Scarlet Pages (1929)
- Everything's Jake (1930)
- Rock Me, Julie (1931)
- Blessed Event (1932)
- Best Years (1932)
- Black Sheep (1932)
- The Show Off (1932-3)
- For Services Rendered (1933)
- Murder at the Vanities (1933-4)
- Broomsticks, Amen! (1934)
- Picnic (1934-?)
- Mid-West (1936-?)
- Sun Kissed (1937-?)
- On Borrowed Time (1938)
- Morning's at Seven (1939–40)
- Goodbye in the Night (1940)
- Arsenic and Old Lace (1941-4)
- Star-Spangled Family (1945)
- The Next Half Hour (1945)
- Detective Story (1949–50)
- Bell, Book and Candle (1950-1)
- The Crucible (1953)
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1933 | Advice to the Lovelorn | Mrs. Prentiss | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Aunt Martha Brewster | |
| 1947 | Living in a Big Way | Abigail Morgan | |
| 1947 | Something in the Wind | Aunt Mary Collins | |
| 1948 | The Naked City | Little Old Lady | Uncredited |
Bell, Book and Candle
References
- ^ Laurie, Jr., Joe (1953). Vaudeville: From the Honky-tonks to the Palace. New York: Henry Holt. p. 50. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Resting Places: The Burial Site of 14,000 Famous Persons by Scott wilson
External links
- Jean Adair at IMDb
- Jean Adair at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jean Adair, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
- Jean Adair papers 1914-1936 (bulk 1914-1929) , held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
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