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American actress and dancer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Toni Darnay (born Mercy Mustell,[3] April 11, 1921 – January 5, 1983)[4] was an American actress and dancer.
Darnay was born in Chicago, Illinois.[4] Her father, Robert R. Mustell,[5] was a doctor, and her mother had acted in silent films[6]: 71 and on stage in theaters owned by Darnay's grandfather, Landon Gates.[7] She attended College Prep High School in Chicago,[8] and at the Chicago Art Theatre she studied acting, dancing, and singing.[6]: 71 As a youngster, she danced in clubs, including The Palmer House and Chez Paree[7] and performed in vaudeville, repertory theater, and summer stock but often found her ventures ended by her father.[9] After taking night classes for a year at Northwestern University (often dashing from the campus to a night club to dance), she went to New York, looking for work on Broadway at age 19.[6]: 71
In Chicago in 1940, Darnay was a member of Winnie Hoveler's Dancing Darlings, performing in the floor show at Harry's New Yorker.[10]
Darnay acted in stock theater companies at Oconomowac Walk, Wisconsin, and Bridgehampton, Long Island, among other places.[7] She toured with a company of Arsenic and Old Lace, as the ingenue lead, and acted in Black Narcissus, The Duenna, and Name Your Own Poison.[11] On Broadway, Darnay danced in Sadie Thompson (1944), was an understudy in The Women (1973), and was both a performer and an understudy in Molly (1973), The Heiress (1976), and Vieux Carre (1977).[4] Other stage productions in which she performed included The Heiress, Life with Father, Molly, and The Women.[3]
While Darnay was in an out-of-town opening for her first Broadway play, she auditioned for, and won, the title role in the radio serial The Strange Romance of Evelyn Winters,[6] which ran on CBS from November 20, 1944, to November 12, 1948.[12] She also acted on other radio soap operas, including starring as Nona Dutell on Nona from Nowhere,[12]: 257 and playing Sylvia Field in When a Girl Marries,[12]: 351-352 Libby Allen on Stella Dallas,[13] and Nancy on Just Plain Bill.[14] She was also heard regularly on Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories on radio[15] and appeared frequently on television programs.[16] Her work on TV included Eleanor and Franklin, nine Hallmark Hall of Fame programs,[3] and several soap operas, including running roles in The Doctors, The Edge of Night and Search for Tomorrow.[17]
Darnay also appeared in films, including The Exorcist, Pendulum, and The Swimmer.[3]
Darnay was married to writer Elwood (Bill) Hoffman from March 1947 until his death in January 1962.[1][2] They had two children,[6] including noted defense attorney Darnay Hoffman.[18] In 1964, she married theatrical columnist Hobe Morrison, and they remained wed until her death.[3]
On January 5, 1983, Darnay died of lung cancer at her home in Manhattan at age 61.[3]
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