Edith Atwater (April 22, 1911 – March 14, 1986) was an American stage, film, and television actress.

Career

Born in Chicago, Atwater made her Broadway debut in 1933. In 1939, she starred in '' The Man Who Came to Dinner''. Her film career included roles in ''

The Body Snatcher "The Body Snatcher" is a short story by the Scottish people, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. First published in ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' in December 1884, its characters were based on criminals in the employ of the surgeon Robert Knox ...

'' (1945), ''

Sweet Smell of Success ''Sweet Smell of Success'' is a 1957 American film noir Satire (film and television), satirical drama (film and television), drama film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison, and Martin Milner, ...

'' (1957), ''

It Happened at the World's Fair ''It Happened at the World's Fair'' is a 1963 American musical film, musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley as a Aerial application, crop-dusting pilot. It was filmed in Seattle, Washington, site of the Century 21 Exposition. The governor of ...

'' (1963), '' Strait-Jacket'' (1964), '' Strange Bedfellows'' (1965), '' True Grit'' (1969), '' The Love Machine'' (1971), '' Die Sister, Die!'' (1972), '' Mackintosh and T.J.'' (1975), and ''

Family Plot ''Family Plot'' is a 1976 American black comedy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in his final directing role. It was based on Victor Canning's 1972 novel '' The Rainbird Pattern'', which Ernest Lehman adapted for the screen. The f ...

'' (1976). From 1964 to 1965, Atwater appeared in several episodes of the television series '' Peyton Place'' in the role of Grace Morton, wife of Dr. Robert Morton, who was played by her real-life husband

Kent Smith Frank Kent SmithGordon, Dr. Roger L. (2018). Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures: Volume II'. Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing. pp. 130, 131. . "Kent Smith: Frank Kent Smith was born on March 19, 1907, in New York City. ..He was marrie ...

. During the 1966–1967 television season, she appeared in the series '' Love on a Rooftop''. She was also a regular on the television series '' Kaz'' during the 1978–1979 season. Her other television work included appearances on ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'', ''

Hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

'', ''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially cente ...

'', and numerous other series. Atwater's work on Broadway included performances in ''Flahooley'' (1951), ''King Lear'' (1950), ''Metropole'' (1949), ''The Gentleman From Athens'' (1947), ''Parlor Story'' (1947), ''State of the Union'' (1945), ''R.U.R.'' (1942), ''Broken Journey'' (1942), ''Johnny on a Spot'' (1942), ''Retreat to Pleasure'' (1940), ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' (1939), ''Susan and God'' (1937), ''The Masque of Kings'' (1937), ''The Country Wife'' (1936), ''This Our House'' (1935), ''Brittle Heaven'' (1934), ''Are You Decent'' (1934), and ''Springtime for Henry'' (1931). Atwater was a member of the governing board of

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions w ...

Personal life and death

In November 1941, Atwater married actor Hugh Marlowe; they divorced in 1946. She was married to actor

from 1962 until his death in 1985. She died of cancer in 1986 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at age 74. She had no children.

Legacy

Atwater's likeness was drawn in caricature by

Alex Gard Alex Gard (born Alexei Mikhailovich Kremkov, ; also tr. Kremkoff; June 17, 1898 – June 1, 1948) was a Russian American cartoonist. He was a regular cartoonist for newspapers, magazines and books, but is most well known for his celebrity caric ...

for

Sardi's Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City. Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the caric ...

, the theatre-district restaurant in New York City. The picture is now part of the collection of the New York Public Library.The New York Public Library Inventory of Sardi's Caricatures
/ref>

Filmography

References

Sources

* "Edith Atwater Is Dead at 74; Actress in Theater and Film
''New York Times'', March 17, 1986

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atwater, Edith 1911 births 1986 deaths Actresses from Chicago American film actresses American television actresses American stage actresses Deaths from cancer in California Actresses from Greater Los Angeles 20th-century American actresses