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Edna Munsey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edna Munsey
A young white woman with dark hair, wearing a large hat, a low-cut beaded gown, and pearls.
BornJune 8, 1891
DiedAugust 11, 1951 (aged 60)
New York, New York
OccupationActress
Years active1910s
Spouse
Thomas J. Dillon
(m. 1928)

Edna Munsey Dillon (June 8, 1891 – August 11, 1951) was an American stage actress.

Early life

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Edna Munsey was from Duluth, Minnesota, the daughter of English-born parents.[1] She trained as a pianist,[2] and graduated from the National Park Seminary in Washington, D.C.[3][4]

Career

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Munsey was an actress and singer in several musicals and comedies,[5] including The Gingerbread Man (1915), The Little Cafe (1915), The Only Girl (1915–1916) by Victor Herbert,[2] and Rock-a-Bye Baby (1918) with music by Jerome Kern.[6][7] She was also seen on the vaudeville stage[8] in the United States and Canada.[1][9] She appeared in one silent film, Patsy (1917), starring June Caprice.[10] Of her soprano singing voice, a Chicago critic hailed her sweet tone but criticized her enunciation: "You can't tell whether Edna is singing in French, Latin or Greek," he complained, adding "but who cared, not on a sweltering, accursed day like yesterday, anyhow."[11]

She traveled with her mother as her chaperone and companion during her career.[12] "It is strange what erroneous ideas most people have of the life of a girl who is really in earnest on the stage," she commented in a 1915 interview, in which she described a life of discipline and sacrifice for her career.[13]

She married Thomas Dillon, a steel company executive. She died in 1951 in New York.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Bright Future in Store for Her". The Buffalo Enquirer. 1913-06-04. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Edna Munsey, Popular Duluth Actress, to Appear at Lyceum in 'The Only Girl'". The Labor World. 1916-04-15. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Miss Edna Munsey". Evening Star. 1915-06-06. p. 22. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Commencement Exercises". The Washington Herald. 1909-06-03. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Edna Munsey Expresses of Her Philosophy on Ambition". Star Tribune. 1916-04-16. p. 33. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Thorold, W. J.; Hornblow, Jr., Arthur; Maxwell, Perriton; Beach, Stewart (July 1918). "Mr. Hornblow Goes to the Play". Theatre Magazine. 28: 23.
  7. ^ Allen, Eugene Kelcey. "Selwyn's First Musical Show Wins Success: "Rock-a-Bye Baby" Contains Everything to Make Play a Decided Hit" Women's Wear (May 23, 1918): 8. via ProQuest.
  8. ^ "Making Success in Vaudeville". The Indianapolis News. 1916-10-19. p. 11. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Today's Orpheum Bill Promises to be Good". Calgary Herald. 1913-10-30. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Personal Items about the Movie Stars". Middletown Times-Press. 1917-06-08. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Little, Richard Henry (June 17, 1913). "Edna Munsey is Heat 'Life Saver'". Chicago Examiner. p. 9. Retrieved August 23, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  12. ^ "Sells a Car to 'The Only Girl'". Muskogee County Democrat. 1915-11-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Personal Items about the Movie Stars". Middletown Times-Press. 1917-06-08. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-08-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Thomas J. Dillon, 79, Steel Company Exec". Newsday. December 30, 1961. p. 38. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
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