Sylvia Sidney

Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow;^[1] August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen, and film actress whose career spanned 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams in 1973. She later gained attention for her role as Juno, a case worker in the afterlife, in Tim Burton's 1988 film Beetlejuice, for which she won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Sylvia Sidney
Sidney c. 1940s
Born	Sophia Kosow (1910-08-08)August 8, 1910 Bronx, New York, U.S.
Died	July 1, 1999(1999-07-01) (aged 88) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1925–1998
Spouses	Bennett Cerf ​ ​ (m. 1935; div. 1936)​ Luther Adler ​ ​ (m. 1938; div. 1946)​ Carleton Alsop ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1951)​
Children	1
Signature

Early life

Sidney was born Sophia Kosow in the Bronx, New York, the daughter of Rebecca (née Saperstein), a Romanian Jew, and Victor Kosow, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who worked as a clothing salesman.^[2] Her parents divorced by 1915, and she was adopted by her stepfather Sigmund Sidney, a dentist. Her mother became a dressmaker and renamed herself Beatrice Sidney.^[3] Now using the surname Sidney, Sylvia became an actress at the age of 15 as a way of overcoming shyness. As a student of the Theater Guild's School for Acting, she was praised by theater critics for her performances. In 1926, she made her first film appearance as an extra in D.W. Griffith's The Sorrows of Satan.^[4]

Career

Sidney in 1932

During the Depression, Sidney appeared in a string of films, often playing working-class heroines,^[5] or the girlfriend or sister of a gangster. She appeared with Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda, Joel McCrea, Fredric March, George Raft and Cary Grant. Among her films from this period were: An American Tragedy, City Streets, and Street Scene (all 1931), Alfred Hitchcock's Sabotage and Fritz Lang's Fury (both 1936), You Only Live Once and Dead End (both 1937), and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, an early three-strip Technicolor film. During this period, she developed a reputation for being difficult to work with.^[6] At the time of making Sabotage with Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney was one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry, earning $10,000 per week—earning a total of $80,000 for Sabotage.^[7]

Sidney's career diminished somewhat during the 1940s. In 1949, exhibitors voted her "box-office poison".^[8] In 1952, she played the role of Fantine in Les Misérables, and although the film itself did not meet the studio's expectations, Sidney received critical praise for her performance.^[9]

Sidney in The Wagons Roll at Night (1941)

Sidney appeared three times on Playhouse 90. On May 16, 1957, she appeared as Lulu Morgan, mother of singer Helen Morgan in "The Helen Morgan Story". Four months later, Sidney rejoined her former co-star Bergen on the premiere of the short-lived The Polly Bergen Show.^[10] She also worked in television during the 1960s on such programs as Route 66, The Defenders, and My Three Sons.

In 1973, Sidney received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams. As an elderly woman, Sidney continued to play supporting screen roles, and was identifiable by her husky voice, the result of cigarette smoking. She was the formidable Miss Coral in the film version of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and later was cast as Aidan Quinn's grandmother in the television production of An Early Frost where she spoke the memorable line "AIDS is a disease, not a disgrace!" and for which she won a Golden Globe Award. She played Aunt Marion in Damien: Omen II and had key roles in Beetlejuice (directed by longtime Sidney fan Tim Burton), for which she won a Saturn Award, and Used People. Her final role was in Mars Attacks!, another film by Burton, in which she played an elderly woman whose beloved records by Slim Whitman help stop an alien invasion from Mars.

On television, she appeared in the pilot episode of WKRP in Cincinnati as the imperious owner of the radio station, and she appeared in a memorable episode of Thirtysomething as Melissa's tough grandmother, who wanted to leave her granddaughter the family dress business, though Melissa wanted a career as a photographer. Sidney also appeared at the beginning of each episode as the crotchety travel clerk on the short-lived late-1990s revival of Fantasy Island. She also was featured on Starsky & Hutch; The Love Boat; Magnum, P.I.; Diagnosis Murder; and Trapper John, M.D.

Her Broadway career spanned five decades, from her debut performance as a graduate of the Theatre Guild School in June 1926 at age 15, in the three-act fantasy Prunella to the Tennessee Williams play Vieux Carré in 1977.^[11] Other stage credits included The Fourposter, Enter Laughing, and Barefoot in the Park. In 1982, Sidney was awarded the George Eastman Award by George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film.

Personal life

Sidney was married three times, first to publisher Bennett Cerf on October 1, 1935; they divorced on April 9, 1936. She married actor and acting teacher Luther Adler in 1938, by whom she had her only child, a son Jacob ("Jody"; 1939–1987), who died of ALS 12 years before his mother. Adler and Sidney divorced in 1946.^[1] On March 5, 1947, she married radio producer Carlton Alsop;^[12] roughly four years later, attorney Melvin Belli assisted Sidney in her divorce suit,^[13] brought on grounds of extreme cruelty. Waiving any alimony request and seeking only restoration of her maiden name,^[14] Sidney was granted the decree and the divorce was finalized on July 24, 1951.^[15]

A Democrat, Sidney supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.^[16]

She published two books on the art of needlepoint, and raised and showed pug dogs.^[17]

Death

Sidney died on July 1, 1999 from esophageal cancer at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan at age 88.^[18]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1927	Broadway Nights	Herself	Lost film
1929	Thru Different Eyes	Valerie Briand
1930	Five Minutes from the Station	Carrie Adams	Short film
1931	City Streets	Nan Cooley
	Confessions of a Co-Ed	Patricia Harper
	An American Tragedy	Roberta "Bert" Alden
	Street Scene	Rose Maurrant
	Ladies of the Big House	Kathleen Storm McNeill
1932	The Miracle Man	Helen Smith
	Merrily We Go to Hell	Joan Prentice
	Make Me a Star	Unknown	Uncredited
	Madame Butterfly	Cho-Cho San
1933	Pick-Up	Mary Richards
	Jennie Gerhardt	Jennie Gerhardt
1934	Good Dame	Lillie Taylor
	Thirty-Day Princess	Nancy Lane / Princess Catterina
	Behold My Wife	Tonita Storm Cloud
1935	Accent on Youth	Linda Brown
	Mary Burns, Fugitive	Mary Burns
1936	The Trail of the Lonesome Pine	June Tolliver
	Fury	Katherine Grant
	Sabotage	Mrs. Verloc
1937	You Only Live Once	Joan Graham
	Dead End	Drina Gordon
1938	You and Me	Helen Dennis
1939	...One Third of a Nation...	Mary Rogers
1941	The Wagons Roll at Night	Flo Lorraine
1945	Blood on the Sun	Iris Hilliard
1946	The Searching Wind	Cassie Bowwman
	Mr. Ace	Margaret Wyndham Chase
1947	Love from a Stranger	Cecily Harrington
1952	Les Misérables	Fantine
1955	Violent Saturday	Elsie Braden
1956	Behind the High Wall	Hilda Carmichael
1971	Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate	Elizabeth Gibson	TV movie
1973	Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams	Mrs. Pritchett	Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1975	The Secret Night Caller	Kitty	TV movie
	Winner Take All	Anne Barclay	TV movie
1976	God Told Me To	Elizabeth Mullin
	Raid on Entebbe	Dora Bloch	TV movie
	Death at Love House	Clara Josephs	TV movie
1976	I Never Promised You a Rose Garden	Miss Coral
	Snowbeast	Mrs. Carrie Rill	TV movie
1978	Damien - Omen II	Aunt Marion
	Siege	Lillian Gordon	TV movie
1980	The Gossip Columnist	Alma Lewellyn	TV movie
	F.D.R.: The Last Year	Cousin Polly	TV movie
	The Shadow Box	Felicity	TV movie
1981	A Small Killing	Sadie Ross	TV movie
1982	Hammett	Donaldina Cameron
1983	Copkiller	Margaret Smith
	The Brass Ring	Grandmother	TV movie
1985	Finnegan Begin Again	Margaret Finnegan	TV movie
	An Early Frost	Beatrice McKenna	TV movie Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
1987	Pals	Ferb Stobbs	TV movie
1987	The Witching of Ben Wagner	Grammy	TV movie
1988	Beetlejuice	Juno	Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1990	Andre's Mother	Mrs. Downs – Andre's Grandmother	TV movie
1992	Used People	Becky
1996	Mars Attacks!	Grandma Florence Norris	Final film role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	Cameo Theatre	Unknown	Episode: "The Gathering Twilight"
1952	Schlitz Playhouse of Stars	Unknown	Episode: "Experiment"
1952	Tales of Tomorrow	Natalie	Episode: "Time to Go"
1952	Lux Video Theatre	Joyce	Episode: "Night Be Quiet"
1952	Lux Video Theatre	Laura Barrie	Episode: "Pattern for Glory"
1953–1955	The Ford Television Theatre	Unknown	2 episodes
1954	The Philco Television Playhouse	Unknown	Episode: "Catch My Boy on Sunday"
1955	Star Stage	"famous stage actress"	title unknown[19]
1955–1956	Celebrity Playhouse	Meg Fraser	2 episodes
1955–1957	Climax!	Louella Wheedron	2 episodes
1957	Kraft Television Theatre	Unknown	Episode: "Circle of Fear"
1960	The DuPont Show with June Allyson	Beulah	Episode: "Escape"
1961	Naked City	Florence	Episode: "A Hole in the City"
1961	Route 66	Hannah Ellis	Episode: "Like a Motherless Child"
1962	The Defenders	Adela Collins	2 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
1963	The Eleventh Hour	Mrs. Arnold	Episode: "Five Moments Out of Time"
1964	Route 66	Lonnie Taylor	Episode: "Child of a Night"
1964	The Nurses	Mrs. Sands	Episode: "To All My Friends on Shore"
1969	My Three Sons	Miss Houk	Episode: "Teacher's Pet"
1975–1976	Ryan's Hope	Sister Mary Joel	3 episodes
1976	Starsky & Hutch	Olga Grossman	Episode: "Gillian"
1977	Westside Medical	Unknown	Episode: "Tears for Two Dollar Wine"
1977	Eight Is Enough	Evelin (Abby’s Aunt)	2 episodes
1978	WKRP in Cincinnati	Mother Carlson	Episode: "Pilot – Part 1"
1978	Kaz	Molly	Episode: "A Fine Romance"
1979	Supertrain	Agatha	Episode: "Superstar"
1979	California Fever	Mother	Episode: "Movin' Out"
1981	The Love Boat	Natalie	Episode: "I Love You Too, Smith"
1982	American Playhouse	Mrs. Flanner	Episode: "Come Along with Me"
1983	Magnum, P.I.	Elizabeth Barrett	Episode: "Birdman of Budapest"
1984	Domestic Life	Mrs. Moscewicz	Episode: "Small Cranes Court"
1984	Whiz Kids	Dolly	Episode: "The Lollipop Gang Strikes Back"
1984	Trapper John, M.D.	Mildred Prosser	Episode: "Aunt Mildred Is Watching"
1986	Morningstar/Eveningstar	Binnie Taylor	7 episodes
1988	Dear John	Mrs. Lumenski	Episode: "Dancing in the Dark"
1989	The Equalizer	Judge	Episode: "Trial by Ordeal"
1989	Thirtysomething	Rose Waldman	Episode: "Be a Good Girl"
1993	Diagnosis: Murder	Alice	Episode: "Miracle Cure"
1998	Fantasy Island	Clia	7 episodes, (final appearance)

Radio appearances

Year	Program	Episode/source
1941	Philip Morris Playhouse	Angels with Dirty Faces[20]
1941	Philip Morris Playhouse	Wuthering Heights[21]

References

1. "Sylvia Sidney, 30's Film Heroine, Dies at 88". The New York Times. July 2, 1999. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
2. Bergan, Ronald (July 6, 1999). "Obituary: Sylvia Sidney". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
3. "Sylvia Sidney Sued By Father". The New York Times. November 19, 1933. p. 20. Archived from the original on May 1, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
4. O'Brien, Scott (2016). Sylvia Sidney: Paid by the Tear. BearManor Media. p. 16; ISBN 978-1593939434
5. "Actress Sylvia Sidney born". Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
6. Vallance, Tom (July 21, 1999). "Obituary: Sylvia Sidney". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022.
7. "Sylvia Sidney Interview". YouTube. October 30, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
8. "Mary Armitage's FILM CLOSE-UPS". The Mail. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. January 29, 1949. p. 3 Supplement: Sunday Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
9. O'Brien, Scott (2016). Sylvia Sidney: Paid by the Tear. BearManor Media. pp. 266–267; ISBN 978-1593939434
10. "The Polly Bergen Show". Classic Television Archives. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
11. "Prunella Charming in Guild Youths' Hands". The New York Times. June 16, 1926. p. 23.
12. Acme Telephoto (March 10, 1947). "Sylvia's Secret's Out". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. p. 6. ProQuest 1928196904. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via ProQuest. Screen actress Sylvia Sidney and Carleton Alsop, radio producer, disclosed their secret Mar. 5 marriage in Los Angeles. Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Reynolds were the only witnesses.
13. Kilgallen, Dorothy (March 22, 1951). "On Broadway". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 23. ProQuest 1854531795. Retrieved September 27, 2024 – via ProQuest. Sylvia Sidney has engaged Prince Troubetzkoy's lawyer, Mel Belli, to help in her divorce suit against Carlton Alsop.
14. "Sylvia Sidney Sues to Divorce Third Husband". The Los Angeles Times. March 23, 1951. p. 14. ProQuest 166212557. Retrieved September 27, 2024 – via ProQuest. The complaint, filed in Superior Court, said that on many occasions, Alsop, 51, berated his 41-year-old wife in the presence of other persons without cause or justification. Miss Sidney charged that her husband's conduct caused her great mental and physical suffering and impaired her health. [...] No specific request for alimony was made in the document and Miss Sidney informed the court that there is no community property. She asked for the legal right to resume her maiden name. The petition said she and Alsop parted last Oct. 5. They were married here March 5, 1947.
15. "Divorces". The Billboard. August 4, 1951. p. 41. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
16. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
17. Frankel, Haskel (March 18, 1979). "Theater". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
18. "Actress Sylvia Sydney Talks with Designer Mel Odom 1999". YouTube. March 22, 2009. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
19. "Debut". Long Beach Independent. September 9, 1955. p. 30. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Johnny Presents". Harrisburg Telegraph. September 19, 1941. p. 17. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Raymond Massey and Sylvia Sidney in 'Wuthering Heights'". Harrisburg Telegraph. October 11, 1941. p. 26. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

Sources

• Miller, Sally, Sylvia: A Memoir Of Hollywood Star Sylvia Sidney, Synergy Book Service (September 15, 2004), ISBN 0-9758581-0-6/ISBN 978-0975858103
• Sylvia Sidney at IMDb
• Sylvia Sidney at the Internet Broadway Database
• Sylvia Sidney at the TCM Movie Database
• Sylvia Sidney at AllMovie
• Sidney accepting her Golden Globe (1986) on YouTube

External links

• Biography portal
• New York City portal
• California portal
• Judaism portal

• Cum a ajuns Sylvia Sydney, fiica unei croitorese din Bacău, să ia minţile bărbaţilor de la Hollywood. Românca era văzută ca simbol al frumuseţii perfecte, 21 May 2016, Ionela Stănilă, Adevărul