Edna Louise Hibbard (May 12, 1894 – December 26, 1942) was a

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

from

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

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. She had a sharp tongue and was known for her roles in comedy.

Theatrical prominence

She made her stage debut in

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, in 1907 as the child in ''

The Kreutzer Sonata ''The Kreutzer Sonata'' (russian: Крейцерова соната, ) is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, named after Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 9 (Beethoven), Kreutzer Sonata. The novella was published in 1889, and was promptly censored by the Rus ...

''. Hibbard trained with the Poli Stock Company in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

, and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Soon she performed in ''Officer 666'', ''Ready Money'', and ''Stop Thief''. She spent a year in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

with

Lynne Overman Lynne may refer to: *Lynne (surname) *Lynne (given name) *Lynne, Florida, an unincorporated community *Lynne, Wisconsin Lynne is a town in Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 210 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated comm ...

in a rendition of ''The Highest Bidder''. Hibbard first came to theatrical prominence as the ingenue lead in ''Rock-a-Bye Baby'' in 1918. The play was staged at the Rialto Theater in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

with the ingenue role being the primary part in the cast. She graduated from drama school in New York before being sent to train under the Selwyns.

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

described Hibbard as a combination of

Madge Kennedy Madge Kennedy (April 19, 1891 – June 9, 1987) was a stage, film and TV actress whose career began as a stage actress in 1912 and flourished in motion pictures during the silent film era. In 1921, journalist Heywood Broun described her as "the ...

and

Marguerite Clark Helen Marguerite Clark (February 22, 1883 – September 25, 1940) was an American stage and silent film actress. As a movie actress, at one time, Clark was second only to Mary Pickford in popularity. All but five of her films are considered ...

in appearance. One of her best-received roles was chorus girl Dot Miller in ''Ladies of the Evening'', performed at the Lyceum Theater in 1924. Two years after she gained critical acclaim as the brunette partner of Lorelei Lee in ''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes''. She made her

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

debut in the same part in 1928. Hibbard played the role of Ethel Brooks at the Belasco Theater in September 1929 in a production of ''The Door Between''. Her final

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

appearance was in December 1932 at the Belasco Theater. She played Lulu Corliss in ''Anybody's Game''.

Marriage and death

Edna Hibbard was married to Lester Bryant at the time of her death. Earlier marriages were to John C. Seager, Jr., Treasurer of the Seager Steamship Company; Stuart Gage; playwright

Philip Dunning Philip Hart Dunning (December 11, 1889 – July 20, 1968) was a playwright and theatrical producer. Early years and education Dunning, one of six children, was the son of John M. Dunn, an electrochemist, and Mary Dunn. Theater and films Dun ...

,EDNA HIBBARD IS HAPPY BRIDE: Happiest In Hartford, She Says and She Should Know POLI PLAYER WEDS PHILIP DUNNING Ceremony Performed In New Haven--Secret Several Days The Hartford Courant 18 Aug 1914: 16 and James Dunne, who served as a private in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. On October 9, 1918, Edna gave birth to a son, David, who was given up for adoption. She died in 1942 at Mother Cabrini Hospital, 611 Edgecombe Avenue, New York City, at the age of 47.

Partial filmography

*'' The Fight'' (1915) *''

The Apaches of Paris ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1915) *''

The Weavers of Life ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1917) *''

Island Wives ''Island Wives'' is a lost 1922 American silent adventure drama film directed by Webster Campbell and starring Corinne Griffith. The Vitagraph Company of America produced and distributed. Some of the film was shot in Florida. The famous writer ...

'' (1922)

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hibbard, Edna 1894 births 1942 deaths 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses American film actresses American silent film actresses Actresses from California Actresses from Detroit