Judith Evelyn

Judith Evelyn (born Evelyn Morris,[2] March 20, 1909[2] – May 7, 1967) was an American-Canadian stage and film actress who appeared in around 50 films and television series.

Judith Evelyn
Judith Evelyn (1941)
Born
Evelyn Morris

(1909-03-20)March 20, 1909
Seneca, South Dakota, U.S.[1]
DiedMay 7, 1967(1967-05-07) (aged 58)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1941–62

Early years

Evelyn was born Evelyn Morris[2][3] in 1909 (later shaving four years off of her age) in Seneca, South Dakota, United States and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada.[3] She attended the University of Manitoba, where she was active in drama, and went on to develop her acting skills at Hart House, at the University of Toronto.[4]

Career

Evelyn worked on radio both for the British Broadcasting Corporation and for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.[5]

Her early stage experience included being a member of a Canadian Chautauqua unit in 1932. The next year, she performed with the Pasadena Community Playhouse in California.[5]

Evelyn appeared on Broadway in the following plays:

  • The Shrike as Ann Downs (January 15, 1952 – May 31, 1952)
  • Craig's Wife (February 12, 1947 – April 12, 1947) (revival)
  • The Rich Full Life (November 9, 1945 – December 1, 1945)
  • Angel Street as Bella Manningham (December 5, 1941 – December 30, 1944)

All of the four plays were made into films, but Evelyn did not appear in any of them. She did appear in other films, including as Miss Lonelyhearts, the lonely alcoholic spied on by James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window.[6] In 1956, Evelyn played the role of Nancy Lynnton in George Stevens' Giant. She also had a brief performance as Queen Mother Taia in Michael Curtiz's The Egyptian, and was featured with Vincent Price in The Tingler (1959).[7]

The gravesite of Judith Evelyn

In the fall of 1958, Evelyn guest-starred as Clara Keller, a lonely widow who falls prey to communist agents in the episode "Man in the Moon" of Bruce Gordon's short-lived Cold War docudrama Behind Closed Doors.[8]

Personal life

On September 3, 1939, she and her fiancé, Canadian radio producer Andrew Allan, survived the sinking of the Anchor-Donaldson liner SS Athenia. The Athenia was the first British passenger liner to be sunk by a German submarine in World War II.[9][10]

Recognition

In 1942, Evelyn won the Distinguished Performance Award from The Drama League, an award that is "bestowed each season on a single performer from over sixty nominated performances from Broadway and Off-Broadway."[11]

Death

Evelyn died from cancer in New York City on May 7, 1967. She was 58 years old. She is interred at the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1951The 13th LetterSister Marie Corbin
1954Rear WindowMiss Lonelyhearts
1954The EgyptianTaia
1955Female on the BeachEloise Crandall
1956Hilda CraneMrs. Stella Crane
1956GiantMrs. Nancy Lynnton
1958The Brothers KaramazovMme. Anna Hohlakov
1958Twilight for the GodsEthel Peacock
1959The TinglerMrs. Martha Ryerson Higgins
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References
  1. Sirvaitis, Karen (1 September 2001). South Dakota. Lerner Publications. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-8225-4070-0.
  2. Profile, ancestry.com; accessed January 28, 2020.
  3. "Judith Evelyn Dies". The Ottawa Journal. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. May 8, 1967. p. 36. Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "N.Y. Drama League Award Won by Canadian Actress". Ottawa Citizen. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. May 16, 1942. p. 25. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  5. "Prairie Star Shines On Broadway". The Winnipeg Tribune. Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba. December 8, 1941. p. 13. Retrieved July 10, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' invented suspense | Reading Eagle - VOICES". Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
  7. Staggs, Sam (2006-07-25). When Blanche Met Brando: The Scandalous Story of "A Streetcar Named Desire". Macmillan. ISBN 9781466830486.
  8. "Behind Closed Doors". ctva.biz. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  9. "Judith Evelyn Archives - Thomas C Sanger". Thomas C Sanger. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
  10. Carroll, Francis M. (2012). Athenia Torpedoed: The U-boat Attack that Ignited the Battle of the Atlantic. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781591141488.
  11. "Award History". Drama League. Retrieved 11 July 2016.


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