Florence Eldridge

Florence Eldridge
Florence Eldridge in 1922
Born Florence McKechnie
(1901-09-05)September 5, 1901
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died August 1, 1988(1988-08-01) (aged 86)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1918-1978
Spouse(s) Howard Rumsey (1921 - ?)
Fredric March (m. 1927–1975)
(his death) 2 children
Parent(s) Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. McKechnie
Left to right: Fredric March with his wife Florence Eldridge, Helga Maria zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (born Schuylenburg) with husband Hubertus Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg at the Premiere of Anthony Adverse on 29. July 1936 in Los Angeles

Florence Eldridge (born Florence McKechnie,[1] September 5, 1901, in Brooklyn, New York - August 1, 1988, in Long Beach, California) was an American actress. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in Play in 1957 for her performance in Long Day's Journey into Night.[2]

Early years

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. McKechnie,[3] Eldridge was born Florence McKechnie in Brooklyn. She attended public schools, including P.S. 85 and Girls' High School.

Stage

Eldridge made her Broadway debut at age 17 as a chorus member of Rock-a-Bye Baby at the Astor Theatre.[4] The reference book American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1930-1969 noted, "In the 1920s she won major attention in such plays as The Cat and the Canary and Six Characters in Search of an Author."[5]

In 1965, she and husband Fredric March did a world tour under the auspices of the U.S. State Department. Eldridge wrote that they were "experimenting to see if an acting couple doing excerpts from plays on a bare stage could reach and appeal to a worldwide audience."[6]

Personal life

On March 19, 1921, Eldridge married Howard Rumsey, who owned the Empire Theater and the Knickerbocker Players (both in Syracuse) and the Manhattan Players of Rochester. They were wed at her aunt's home in Maplewood, New Jersey.[7]

She was married to Frederic March from 1927 until his death in 1975, and appeared alongside him on stage and in films.[8] Like her husband, she was a liberal Democrat.[9]

Death

She died of a heart attack aged 86. She was buried alongside her husband at the March Estate in New Milford, Connecticut.

Partial credits

Stage

Screen

Radio appearances

YearProgramEpisode/source
1953Star PlayhouseThere Shall Be No Night[10]

References

  1. ↑ Fisher, James (2011). Historical Dictionary of Contemporary American Theater: 1930-2010. Scarecrow Press. p. 238. ISBN 9780810879508. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "("Florence Eldridge" search results)". Tony Awards. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "'Seven Days' Leave' Thrills at Majestic". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. December 31, 1918. p. 8. Retrieved October 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Fredric March and Florence Eldridge Play Real Parents". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 1, 1946. p. 33. Retrieved July 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Bordman, Gerald (1996). American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1930-1969. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 177. ISBN 9780195090796. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  6. ↑ Eldridge, Florence (June 27, 1965). "March, Eldridge Conduct Great Cultural Experiment". Monroe Morning World. p. 19. Retrieved July 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Florence McKechnie Weds H. Rumsey, Theatrical Man". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. April 2, 1921. p. 2. Retrieved October 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Hischak, Thomas S. (2003). Enter the Players: New York Stage Actors in the Twentieth Century. Scarecrow Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780810847613. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  9. ↑ https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-socialist-who-won-a-democratic-primary-and-the-dirty-hollywood-politics-that-sunk
  10. ↑ Kirby, Walter (November 29, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 50. Retrieved July 14, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
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