Dorothy Tennant (actress)

Dorothy Tennant
Tennant circa 1902
BornJuly 10, 1865
California
DiedJuly 3, 1942
West Palm Beach, Florida
OccupationActress
SpouseRobert M. Catts (m. 1911)
Parent(s)Richard E. Tennant and Louisa N. Short

Dorothy Tennant (July 10,[1] 1865 - July 3, 1942) was an American stage and screen actress, best known for her stage roles in the first decade of the 20th century, and most prominently her starring role in George Ade's 1904 comedic play The College Widow.

Tennant was born up in San Jose, California and moved to New York around 1900, first appearing on stage in 1901 in the one-act play White Roses.[2][3] She then obtained a small role in Lover's Lane which opened in Chicago, and was able to jump to a leading role without rehearsal. After that she did a road tour of When We Were Twenty-one where she played Maxine Elliott's role.[4]

Tennant's biggest hit was as the lead role in the 1904 popular play The College Widow, which she performed on Broadway and on tour. Her last prominent stage appearance seems to have been in 1910's Miss Patsy, though she later appeared in some movie roles.[5]

Tennant married Robert M. Catts in December 1911 in a secret wedding.[6] Catts had previously been married and was in disputes with his wife, so the marriage grabbed some press attention when it was first reported on in July 1912.[7][8]

She died in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 3, 1942, following a long illness.[9] Though Billboard reported her age at death at 77 (born circa 1865), she was more likely born in the 1880s based on her biography.

  1. ^ The actors' birthday book, p. 165 (Third Series, 1909)
  2. ^ Who's who in Music and Drama, p. 297 (1914)
  3. ^ (10 December 1905). With the Players and the Music Folk, San Francisco Call
  4. ^ Plays and Players, Sunset Magazine (1904, pp. 500-01)
  5. ^ (24 January 1934). George Edward Tennant (obituary), Palm Beach Post (Obituary for brother George; "He is survived by one sister, Miss Dorothy Tennant, former stage star who is now in the motion pictures.")
  6. ^ (6 July 1912). Dorothy Tennant was Married Last Winter, The Sun (New York)
  7. ^ (7 July 1912). Dorothy Tennant's Husband Penniless, The Sun (New York)
  8. ^ (22 August 1921). Georgian Sues for Millions, Abbeville Press and Banner
  9. ^ The Final Curtain, Billboard (July 18, 1942), p. 27