Cronyn, Hume Blake, 1864-1933

Biographical Note

Hume Cronyn

• 1911, July 18: Born, London, Ontario, Canada
• 1930 - 1931 : Studied at McGill University, Montreal, Canada
• 1931: Professional stage debut in Up Pops the Devil with Cochran's Stock Co., National Theater, Washington, D.C.
• 1932 - 1934 : Attended American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York, N.Y.
• 1934: Married Emily Woodruff (divorced 1936) Broadway debut as a janitor in Hipper's Holiday, New York, N.Y.
• 1939: First television appearance, Her Master's Voice, NBC
• 1942: Produced Junior Miss for “U.S.O. Camp Shows” [United Service Organizations] Coproduced and appeared in revue It's All Yours for “U.S.O. Camp Shows” [United Service Organizations] Married Jessica Tandy
• 1943: Film debut in Shadow of a Doubt as Herbie Hawkins
• 1946: Directed Portrait of a Madonna, Actors' Laboratory Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif., featuring Jessica Tandy Director, Screen Actors Guild
• 1950: Directed Hilda Crane in which Jessica Tandy played title role, New York, N.Y.
• 1951 - 1953 : Played Michael in Jan de Hartog's The Fourposter, in New York, N.Y. and on national tour
• 1953: Codirected with Norman Lloyd and appeared as Dr. Brightlee in Madam, Will You Walk, first production of the Phoenix Theatre, New York, N.Y.
• 1953 - 1954 : Produced and appeared as Ben Marriott in the series The Marriage with Jessica Tandy on NBC radio and television
• 1954: Toured with Jessica Tandy in “Face to Face,” a program of readings
• 1957: Directed The Egghead, New York, N.Y.
• 1961 - 1962 : Played Jimmie Luton in Big Fish, Little Fish in New York, N.Y. and in London, England
• 1963: Performed in The Miser, The Three Sisters, and Death of a Salesman in first season of Tyrone Guthrie's Minnesota Theatre Co., Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minn.
• 1964: Played Polonious in Hamlet with Richard Burton, New York, N.Y.
• 1965: Received 1964 Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for performance in Hamlet
• 1969: Played Frederick William Rolfe in Hadrian VII with Stratford National Theatre Co, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, and on national tour
• 1971: Member of organizing committee of Solar Theatre, Inc.
• 1974 - 1976 : Toured in “Many Faces of Love,” a program of readings
• 1977 - 1979 : Coproduced with Mike Nichols and played Weller Martin in The Gin Game with Jessica Tandy in New York, N.Y. and on tour
• 1977 - 1980 : Member, board of governors, Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada
• 1977 - 1983 : Coauthored Foxfire with Susan Cooper Played Hector Nations in Foxfire with Jessica Tandy at the Stratford Festival, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minn., and in New York, N.Y.
• 1982 - circa 1992 : Board of directors, Sundance Institute, Sundance, Utah
• 1985: Broadcast of teleplay The Dollmaker, coauthored with Susan Cooper
• 1986: Played General Sir Edmund Milne in The Petition with Jessica Tandy, New York, N.Y. Received John F. Kennedy Center Honors Award for the Arts
• 1990: Awarded National Medal of Arts Received Emmy Award for performance in Age Old Friends
• 1991: Published A Terrible Liar: A Memoir (New York, N.Y.: William Morrow and Co. 431 pp.)
• 1992: Received Emmy Award for performance in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound
• 1993: Received, with Jessica Tandy, an Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award for Lifetime Achievement
• 1994: Received Emmy Award for performance in To Dance with the White Dog
• 1996: Married Susan Cooper
• 1998: Played Juror #9 in the television movie 12 Angry Men
• 2003: Died, Fairfield, Conn.

Jessica Tandy

• 1909, June 7: Born Jessie Alice Tandy, London, England
• 1924 - 1927 : Studied, Ben Greet Academy of Acting, London, England
• 1927: Professional stage debut in The Manderson Girls as Sara Manderson, Playroom Six, London, England
• 1928: Joined Birmingham Repertory Theatre, England
• 1929: London West End debut in The Rumour as Lena Jackson
• 1930: Changed stage name to Jessica Tandy Broadway debut in The Matriarch as Toni Rakonitz, New York, N.Y.
• 1932: Appeared as Manuela in Children in Uniform, London, England Married Jack Hawkins (divorced 1942)
• 1933: Film debut in The Indiscretions of Eve
• 1934: Played Ophelia opposite John Geilgud in Hamlet, London, England
• 1940: Moved to the United States
• 1942: Married Hume Cronyn
• 1944: Appeared with Hume Cronyn in first Hollywood film, The Seventh Cross
• 1946: Played Miss Lucretia Collins in Portrait of a Madonna, by Tennessee Williams, directed by Hume Cronyn, Actors' Laboratory Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif.
• 1947 - 1949 : Played Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, New York, N.Y. Received 1947 Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award for Best Actress
• 1950: Played Hilda Crane directed by Hume Cronyn, New York, N.Y.
• 1951 - 1953 : Played Agnes in The Fourposter in New York, N.Y. and on national tour
• 1953 - 1954 : Appeared as Liz Marriott in the series The Marriage with Hume Cronyn on NBC radio and television
• 1954: Toured with Hume Cronyn in “Face to Face,” a program of readings
• 1959 - 1960 : Played Louise Harrington in Five Finger Exercise, New York, N.Y.
• 1963: Performed in Hamlet, The Three Sisters, and Death of a Salesman, in first season of Tyrone Guthrie's Minnesota Theatre Co., Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minn.
• 1971: Played role of Wife in Edward Albee's All Over, New York, N.Y. Founding member Solar Theatre, Inc.
• 1972: Performed in world premiere of Samuel Beckett's Not I as part of “Samuel Beckett Festival,” Forum Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York, N.Y.
• 1974 - 1976 : Toured in “Many Faces of Love,” a program of readings
• 1977 - 1979 : Played Fonsia Dorsey in The Gin Game with Hume Cronyn in New York, N.Y. and on tour Received 1977 Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award for Best Actress
• 1982 - 1983 : Played Annie Nations in Foxfire with Hume Cronyn, New York, N.Y. Received 1982 Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award for Best Actress
• 1983: Played Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie, New York, N.Y.
• 1986: Played Lady Elizabeth Milne in The Petition with Hume Cronyn, New York, N.Y. Received John F. Kennedy Center Honors Award for the Arts
• 1988: Received Emmy Award for performance in Hallmark Hall of Fame, production of Foxfire
• 1989: Appeared as Daisy Werthan in film Driving Miss Daisy
• 1990: Received 1989 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences “Oscar” Award for Best Actress in Driving Miss Daisy Awarded National Medal of Arts
• 1991: Appeared in television film The Story Lady in which daughter, Tandy Cronyn, played a supporting role
• 1993: Received, with Hume Cronyn, an Antoinette Perry “Tony” Award for Lifetime Achievement
• 1994, Sept. 11: Died, Easton, Conn.
• 1994: Appeared in films Nobody's Fool and Camilla, released posthumously

From the guide to the Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy Papers, 1885-2007, (bulk 1935-2000), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)