Janet Beecher

Janet Beecher
Beecher in 1916
Born Janet Meysenburg
(1884-10-21)October 21, 1884
Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S.
Died August 6, 1955(1955-08-06) (aged 70)
Washington, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1903-1944
Spouse(s) Harry R. Guggenheimer (?-1919) (divorced)
Richard H. Hoffman (?-1935) (divorced)
Children 1 (a son, with Hoffman)

Janet Beecher (October 21, 1884 – August 6, 1955) was an American stage and screen actress.

Early years

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Von Meysenburg,[1] Beecher was born in Jefferson City, Missouri.[2] Her sister was actress Olive Wyndham.[3] The sisters were related to Harriet Beecher Stowe on their mother's side.[4]

Her father's work as a vice-consul for Germany led to her growing up in Chicago.[5]

Career

Beecher was a supporting player and lead on the Broadway stage between the 1900s and 1940s. Her Broadway debut came in The Education of Mr. Pipp (1905).[6] Her final Broadway play was The Late George Apley (1944).[5]

Between 1915 and 1943, she appeared in about motion pictures. She remains perhaps best-remembered as a character actress during Hollywood's golden age, often seen in roles as "firm but compassionate matriarchs".[7] She was known for her roles as Ginger Rogers' mother in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939), Tyrone Power's mother in the adventure film The Mark of Zorro (1940), and Henry Fonda's mother in Preston Sturges' screwball comedy The Lady Eve (1941). She retired from film business in 1943, but managed to play a role in the television series Lux Video Theatre in 1952.

Personal life

Beecher was married twice: first to Harry R. Guggenheimer and then to Richard H. Hoffman. She had a son named Richard.[8][9][10][11]

"Automatic writing" controversy

Automatic writing played a pivotal role in Beecher's divorce from Hoffman. Beecher's mother, Mrs. Oral J. Wyndham, produced messages that she said were sent by spirits, but which Hoffman said were created by Wyndham's subconscious mind. After six years of marriage, both Beecher and Hoffman filed suit for separation, based on both the contentious messages and a disagreement about religion's influence in raising their son. Beecher, her sister, and their mother were members of the Unity Scientific Christianity Association. The judge who granted the divorce wrote, "both the practice of spirit writing and the content of the messages undoubtedly affected the family society. The plaintiff was frankly hostile to the practice, while some of the writings criticized his character and behavior in unmistakable terms."[3]

Death

On August 7, 1955, Beecher died at her sister's home in Washington, Connecticut, at age 70.[12]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ↑ "Janet Beecher, Actress, Passes". Democrat and Chronicle. New York, Rochester. Associated Press. August 8, 1955. p. 9. Retrieved February 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Fisher, James; Londré, Felicia Hardison (2009). The A to Z of American Theater: Modernism. Scarecrow Press. p. 52. ISBN 9780810870475. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 "How Spooks Wrecked the Doctor-Actress Threesome". Hamilton Evening Journal. Ohio, Hamilton. July 10, 1926. p. 20. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Tildesley, Alice L. (June 30, 1935). "How to keep from growing old". The Nebraska State Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. p. 33. Retrieved February 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Hischak, Thomas S. (2003). Enter the Players: New York Stage Actors in the Twentieth Century. Scarecrow Press. pp. 26–27. ISBN 9780810847613. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "("Janet Beecher" search results)". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  7. ↑ Janet Beecher profile, Allmovie.com; accessed April 28, 2017.
  8. ↑ Obituary Billboard magazine, August 20, 1955; mentions surviving family, her sister Olive Wyndham and son Richard
  9. ↑ Who Was Who in the Theatre 1912-1976; originally published annually by John Parker, 1976 editions by Gale Research
  10. ↑ Silent Film Necrology 2nd edit. by Eugene M. Vazanno c. 2001
  11. ↑ Janet Beecher profile, alexanderstreet.com; accessed April 28, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Janet Beecher, Ex-Actress, Dies at 70". The Courier-Journal. Kentucky, Louisville. Associated Press. August 8, 1955. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
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