Rosalind Russell | |
|---|---|
 Russell in 1955 | |
| Born | Catherine Rosalind Russell[1] June 4, 1907 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | November 28, 1976 (aged 69) |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Other names | C.A. McKnight |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1929–1972 |
| Known for | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Frederick Brisson (m. 1941) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical Hollywood Walk of Fame |
Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,[2] known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday (1940), opposite Cary Grant, as well as for her portrayals of Mame Dennis in the 1956 stage and 1958 film adaptations of Auntie Mame, and Rose in Gypsy (1962). A noted comedienne,[3] she won all five Golden Globes for which she was nominated. Russell won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 1953 for her portrayal of Ruth in the Broadway show Wonderful Town (a musical based on the film My Sister Eileen, in which she also starred). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress four times during her career before being awarded a Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1973.
In addition to her comedic roles, Russell was known for playing dramatic characters, often wealthy, dignified, and stylish women. She was one of the few actresses of her time to portray women in professional roles such as judges, reporters, and psychiatrists.[4] Russell's career spanned from the 1930s to the 1970s and she attributed this longevity to the fact that, although she had many glamorous roles, she never became a sex symbol.[5]
- ^ Dick, Bernard F. (2009). Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1604731392 – via Google Books.
- ^ Obituary Variety, December 1, 1976, p. 79.
- ^ "Rosalind Russell: Biography". tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ^ Basinger, Jeanine (1993). A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930–1960 (Reprinted. ed.). Hanover: Wesleyan University Press. p. 178. ISBN 0-8195-6291-2.
- ^ "Rosalind Russell Dies, Fought 15-Year Battle", Reading Eagle, November 29, 1976, p. 34