Edith Taliaferro

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Edith Taliaferro
Edith Taliaferro, juvenile stage actress
Taliaferro in 1907
Born(1894-12-21)December 21, 1894
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 1958(1958-03-02) (aged 63)
Newtown, Connecticut, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1896–1935
Spouses
  • Earl Browne (divorced)
​
(m. 1928)​
RelativesMabel Taliaferro (sister)
Bessie Barriscale (cousin)

Edith Taliaferro (December 21, 1894 – March 2, 1958) was an American stage and film actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was active on the stage until 1935 and had roles in three silent films. She is best known for portraying the role of Rebecca in the 1910 stage production of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

Early life and family[edit]

Taliaferro was born in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of theatre workers.[1] She was the younger sister of Mabel Taliaferro who also became a stage actress, and the cousin of actress Bessie Barriscale.[2][3] Her ancestors were originally from England, of remote Italian descent (from the 1500s). They were one of the families who settled in Virginia in the 17th century.[4]

Career[edit]

Early years[edit]

Taliaferro in Metropolitan Magazine, January 1899

Taliaferro made her acting debut at the age of two in the stock stage production of Shore Acres, with James A. Herne.[1] However, two newspapers reported her as being 4-years-old in early 1896.[5][6] It was rumored that she obtained the part because her sister Mabel was too old to depict the character.[7] Her Broadway debut came in 1900 with the play The Sunken Bell'.[8]

Newspapers reported during June 1904 that Taliaferro was signed to a personal contract and paid $100 per week by George C. Tyler of Liebler & Company.[9] She signed a contract for the following season to appear with Ezra Kendall. She was the youngest Shakesperean actress on the stage. She portrayed Puck in a Ben Greet production of A Midsummer Night's Dream before an audience at Princeton University in May 1904.[4] She was lauded by professors there, and they sent her a Princeton University flag and pin. By then, she had performed in six to eight juvenile roles after her professional debut. When she returned to New York, Taliaferro appeared with Clara Bloodgood in The Girl with the Green Eyes.[10]

Edith Taliaferro (right), with her sister Mabel in 1913.

In 1907, Frederic Thompson produced Polly of the Circus, written by Margaret Mayo, for his new wife Mabel Taliaferro, and at times during its run, Edith took on the lead role of the youthful circus rider in her sister's place.[11]

She is most noted for her 1910 performance in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.[12] It was staged at the Republic Theater (New Victory Theater), 209 West 42nd Street. Her other successful theatrical performances include roles in Young Wisdom (1914), Tipping The Winner (1914), and Mother Carey's Chickens (1917).[8]

Films, later career and retirement[edit]

Edith Taliaferro age 17

Taliaferro made her silent film debut in Young Romance in 1915.[13] She made only two more films, The Conquest of Canaan (1916) and Who's Your Brother? (1919). She returned to Broadway in 1919 in Please Get Married followed by roles in Kissing Time (1920), A Love Scandal (1923), and as "Amanda Prynne" in the touring company production of Private Lives in 1931.[14] She performed in London, England and in Australia with the Toronto Theatre Guild. In vaudeville she appeared at the Palace Theater in New York City. Most of her later work was with summer theaters and on radio. Taliaferro retired from stage work in the late 1930s after she lost her vision.[15]

Personal life[edit]

Taliaferro's first husband was actor Earl Browne. The marriage was announced in July 1913.[16] Taliaferro's second husband was actor House B. Jameson, whom she married around 1928.[17] Jameson appeared in various stage productions and later became known for his role as Sam "Papa" Aldrich on the radio and television series The Aldrich Family.[18] The couple had no children and remained married until Taliaferro's death.[19]

Death[edit]

On March 2, 1958, Edith Taliaferro died at age 63 from undisclosed causes at her home in Newtown, Connecticut.[19]

Stage performances[edit]

By year of Edith Taliaferro's first performance in the work
Year Play Role Venue Notes
1896 Shore Acres Millie Berry Touring company Two newspapers reported her as being 4-years-old during this production, in contrast to later secondary sources which claimed she was only two.[5][6]
1900 The Sunken Bell Second Boy Knickerbocker Theatre This was an English translation by a "Mr. Meltzer", that starred E. H. Sothern and Virginia Harned.[20]
1901 The Bonnie Brier Bush Jeannie Touring company/Theatre Republic Loosely adapted from Ian Maclaren's Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush.[21][22]
1902 The Girl with the Green Eyes Susie Savoy Theatre/Touring Company Taliaferro is a "slangy little sister" to Clara Bloodgood, in this play written by Clyde Fitch.[23][24][25]
1904 Uncle Tom's Cabin Eva Chestnut Street Opera House [26]
A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck Princeton University An outdoor one-night Ben Greet production, it would also play other universities.[27]
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Australia Wiggs Grand Opera House She took Edith Storey's place temporarily, from July 10 thru August 6.[28]
Weatherbeaten Benson Little Miss Moses Touring company Liebler & Company three-act comedy by Ezra Kendall who also starred in it.[29]
1906 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Lovey Mary New York Theatre/Touring company This revival played three weeks on Broadway then went on tour.[30]
1907 The Evangelist[fn 1] Ione Nuneham Knickerbocker Theatre Taliaferro played a "precocious child".[31] This was made into a 1916 silent film.
Marta of the Lowlands Muri Touring company This starred Bertha Kalich,[32] who later reprised her role in a 1914 silent film.
1908 Polly of the Circus Polly Liberty Theatre Although the play debuted in 1907, Edith Taliaferro didn't start subbing for her sister Mabel until February 1908.[33]
Brewster's Millions Peggy Gray McVicker's Theater Chicago reviewer Charles W. Collins gave a profile of her family[34] and mentioned she "wasn't more than 17 or 18".[35]
Polly of the Circus Polly Touring company She led the second company but had to replace her sister Mabel in the first due to appendicitis.[36]
1910 Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Rebecca Touring company/Republic Theatre The play debuted at the Tremont Theatre,[37] then toured until its Broadway premiere in October.[38]
1914 Young Wisdom Gail Claffenden Criterion Theatre/Touring company The Taliaferro sisters had joint top billing in this three-act comedy satire by Rachel Crothers.[39][40]
Tipping the Winner Dorothy Gay Longacre Theatre Taliaferro had top billing in this comedy by George Rollit,[41] described as an English "racing farce" in three acts, adapted by Richard Norton.[42]
1915 A Breath of Old Virginia Mary Davis Palace Theatre Taliaferro's first vaudeville appearance was this one-act play set during the Civil War.[43]
1916 Captain Kidd, Jr. Mary MacTavish Cohan & Harris Theatre Called Buried Treasure during tryouts, this Rida Johnson Young three-act comedy was made into a 1919 silent film.[44]
1917 Mother Carey's Chickens Nancy Carey Touring company/Cort Theater John Cort production based on the 1911 novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin with dramatic help from Rachel Crothers.[45]
1918 The Best Sellers[fn 2] Queen Wilhelmina/Lady Clare/Faro Kate Fulton Theatre Taliaferro plays three damsels rescued in three "books" (scenes) of this one-act satire of popular romances.[46][47]
1919 Please Get Married Muriel Ashley Little Theatre Taliaferro was second billed to Ernest Truex in this farce, which was made into a silent film that same year.[48]
1920 Kissing Time Clarice Lyric Theatre Taliaferro shared lead billing with William Norris in this updated two-act musical revival.[49]
1923 Fashions of 1924 Neil Barton Lyceum Theatre Nunnally Johnson panned this musical revue as a "dressmaker's show", disparaging the songs and lyrics.[50]
A Love Scandal Bettina Tilton Comedy Theatre Taliaferro had lead billing at first tryout,[51] but was demoted to distant second billing to Norman Trevor on Broadway.[52]
1924 Tarnish Tishy Majestic Theatre Brooklyn revival of 1923 Broadway drama by Gilbert Emery had already been released as a silent film.[53]
1925 The Bride Retires![fn 3] Raymonde National Theatre Taliaferro took over the female lead for the September reopening of this comedy.[54]
1930 (Various stock plays) (Misc roles) Touring Company Taliaferro and her husband House Jameson performed six plays in Sydney and Melbourne with their own stock company.[55]
1931 Dishonored Lady Madeline Cary Touring company Taliaferro joined the Bainbridge Players to star in two week-long productions in various cities.[56]
Peg o' My Heart Peg Touring company Another stock play performed by the Bainbridge Players.[57]
Private Lives Amanda Prynne Touring company Taliaferro led the second of four touring companies for this Broadway hit.[58]
1935 The Hook-Up Mary Bainbridge Cort Theatre A satirical farce on radio advertising; Taliaferro plays the sweet colleague whom Ernest Truex really loves.[59]

Filmography[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1915 Young Romance Nellie Nolan
1916 The Conquest of Canaan Ariel Tabor
1919 Who's Your Brother? Esther Field Alternative title: Keep [It] to the Right.[60]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The first tryouts were given as The Galilean's Victory; by the time the play reached Broadway the title had been changed.
  2. ^ Written by Kenneth and Roy Webb, this was one of five playlets presented by Actors and Authors, Inc. during June 1918.
  3. ^ IBDb has this without the exclamation point, which contemporaneous newspapers used.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Fisher, James; Hardison Londre, Felicia (2009). The A to Z of American Theater: Modernism. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 465. ISBN 978-0-810-86884-7.
  2. ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2003). Enter the Players: New York Stage Actors in the Twentieth Century. Scarecrow Press. p. 304. ISBN 0-810-84761-2.
  3. ^ Lowe, Denise (2014). An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films: 1895-1930. Routledge. p. 1865. ISBN 978-1-317-71896-3.
  4. ^ a b "Women in History Month". ItalianTribune.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  5. ^ a b ""Shore Acres" Is Welcome". The Chicago Chronicle. Chicago, Illinois. February 16, 1896. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b "Foyer and Green Room Gossip". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. April 26, 1896. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Star Dust". Star Tribune. March 27, 1927. p. 46. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Edith Taliaferro". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  9. ^ "Theatrical Chatter". The Waterbury Democrat. Waterbury, Connecticut. June 4, 1904. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "The Girl with the Green Eyes Broadway Original Cast". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Munsey's Magazine - Volume 39 - 1908, Page 846
  12. ^ Munsey's Magazine - Volume 4 - 1913, Page 560
  13. ^ "Young Romance (1915)". CenturyFilmProject.org. Century Film Project. June 20, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  14. ^ Gaines, William (July 20, 1931). "Sidelights In New York". Gettysburg Times. p. 6.
  15. ^ ""Rebecca" Dies". The Spokesman-Review. March 2, 1958. p. 15.
  16. ^ "19 Jul 1913, Page 3 - The Rock Island Argus and Daily Union at Newspapers.com". Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  17. ^ Wolters, Larry (March 14, 1953). "Father Aldrich In Harem Class; Has 4 TV Wives".
  18. ^ Oliver, Wayne (January 25, 1953). "The Lone Ranger Gallops Into Third Decade This Week". The News and Courier. p. 10–D.
  19. ^ a b "Edith Taliaferro". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. March 3, 1958. p. 3.
  20. ^ "Dramatic and Musical". The New York Times. New York, New York. March 27, 1900. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Music and Drama". Boston Evening Transcript. Boston, Massachusetts. August 27, 1901. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "The Bonnie Brier Bush". New-York Tribune. New York, New York. September 22, 1901. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Theatrical Incidents and News Notes". New-York Tribune. December 21, 1902. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Clap-Trap and Some Fun In The New Olympic Play". The Republic. St. Louis, Missouri. November 17, 1903. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "The Olio". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, Ohio. January 10, 1904. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Plays and Play People". News-Journal. Mansfield, Ohio. April 28, 1904. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Ten Years Old; $100 a Week". The New York Times. New York, New York. May 24, 1904. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "News of the Theaters". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. July 11, 1904. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Weatherbeaten Benson". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. September 2, 1904. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "In Manhattan". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. September 18, 1906. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Discursive Play By Henry Arthur Jones". The New York Times. New York, New York. October 1, 1907. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Plays for This Week". Buffalo Courier Express. Buffalo, New York. November 10, 1907. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "Gossip of the Stage". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. February 19, 1908. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Collins, Charles W. (May 10, 1908). "Edith and Her Kinfolk". The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Collins, Charles W. (May 13, 1908). "Brewster's Millions". The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Actress Goes Under Knife". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. November 15, 1908. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "New England Types Brightly Pictured". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. January 4, 1910. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "The Heart of a Child in This Tender Play". The New York Times. New York, New York. October 4, 1910. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "Criterion (ad)". The New York Times. New York, New York. January 4, 1914. p. 77 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Charming Comedy Is 'Young Wisdom'". The New York Times. New York, New York. January 6, 1914. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Longacre (ad)". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. September 20, 1914. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ "Longacre Theater Has a Racing Farce". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. September 26, 1914. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "Calve at the Palace". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. March 2, 1915. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ ""Capt. Kidd, Jr." Has One Hilarious Act". The Sun. New York, New York. November 14, 1916. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Edith Taliaferro a John Cort Star". The Sun. New York, New York. September 26, 1917. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ "Actors and Authors in Five Short Plays". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. June 11, 1918. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "Amusements". The Standard UNion. Brooklyn, New York. June 12, 1915. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ "Ernest Truex Is Star In New Farce". The Sun. New York, New York. February 10, 1919. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ ""Kissing Time" Is Lively With Fun". The New York Herald. New York, New York. October 12, 1920. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ Johnson, Nunally (July 19, 1923). "The New Plays". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "Lyceum (ad)". Star-Gazette. Elmira, New York. November 1, 1923. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ "A Love Scandal (ad)". Daily News. New York, New York. November 19, 1923. p. 50 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ ""Tarnish" Is Offered at the Majestic Theatre". The Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, New York. September 16, 1924. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. ^ "Tonight Edith Taliaferro The Bride Retires! (ad)". Daily News. New York, New York. September 2, 1925. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ "Mistaken For Movie Star". The Victoria Daily Times. Victoria, British Columbia. January 2, 1931. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "Edith Taliaferro Shubert's Star in 'Dishonored Lady'". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 25, 1931. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ "Edith Taliaferro to Star in 'Peg o' My Heart' at Shubert". The Minneapolis Star. Minneapolis, Minnesota. May 2, 1931. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ^ "Theatre Notes". Daily News. New York, New York. July 6, 1925. p. 357 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ^ Pollock, Arthur (May 9, 1935). "The Theater". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ See photograph at http://www.shorpy.com/node/13082 which omits "It"

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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