Katharine Cornell

Katharine Cornell, born on February 16, 1893, in Berlin to American parents, was a remarkable figure in the American theatre. Raised in Buffalo, New York, she became known as 'The First Lady of the Theatre,' a title bestowed upon her by critic Alexander Woollcott. Her illustrious career was marked by her powerful performances in serious dramas, often under the direction of her husband, Guthrie McClintic. Together, they founded C. & M.C. Productions, Inc., a venture that allowed them the artistic freedom to choose and produce plays that showcased some of the most notable actors of the twentieth century.

Cornell's most celebrated role was that of Elizabeth Barrett Browning in the 1931 Broadway production of The Barretts of Wimpole Street. Her Broadway repertoire also included significant performances in W. Somerset Maugham's The Letter (1927), Sidney Howard's The Alien Corn (1933), and a Tony Award-winning portrayal of Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (1947). Despite her success on stage, she was known for her reluctance to embrace film roles, appearing only once in the Hollywood film Stage Door Canteen, where she played herself.

Her contributions to theatre extended beyond acting; she also narrated the Oscar-winning documentary Helen Keller in Her Story and appeared in television adaptations of her stage works. Cornell was primarily regarded as a tragedienne, admired for her refined and romantic presence. Critics noted her ability to convey a unique emotional depth, often described as an aspiring girlishness influenced by theatrical nuances.

Katharine Cornell passed away on June 9, 1974, in Tisbury, Massachusetts, at the age of eighty-one. She is interred at Tisbury Village Cemetery on Martha's Vineyard, leaving behind a legacy as one of the great actresses of American theatre.