Straight, Beatrice

Actress.

Actress. Beatrice Straight, daughter of Willard Dickerman Straight and Dorothy Whitney Straight, was born August 2, 1914 in Old Westbury, N. Y. Some time after her father's death in 1918, her mother married Leonard Elmhirst and moved to England where Beatrice attended a progressive school in Devon called Dartington Hall. She persuaded Michael Chekhov, nephew of Anton Chekhov, to move his studio from Moscow to Dartington Hall, where he taught for a number of years, and later to Ridgefield, Connecticut. All through her career Beatrice strongly supported other actors and took part in acting companies both large and small. She was particularly interested in the stage and education of those interested in acting, especially children. She made her Broadway debut in 1935 in "Bitter Oleander" and performed until 1991, sometimes in roles with her husband, Peter Cookson, was a singer, dancer, actor and playwright. Many scripts in the collection bear his name or pseudonym. Honors she received include a Tony Award in 1953 for her role in "The Crucible" and an Academy Award in 1977 for her supporting role as the wife of William Holden in "Network," a scene which lasted approximately five minutes in the final version of the film. She enjoyed a wide variety of roles ranging from Shakespearean productions to Wonder Woman's queen mother, and "Deadly Voyage" a performance aboard a cruise ship. She died in 2001 at age 86.