Evelyn Varden (born Mae Evelyn Hall;"Girl Claims Oil Land; Cherokee Indian Maiden Sues to Enforce Allotment"
''The Washington Post''. July 28, 1907. p. 59. Retrieved May 15, 2020."Vinita Girls Making Good on Broadway
''The Vinita Daily Chieftain''. November 26, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved May 15, 2020."Estate of Actress Goes to Relatives"
''The Los Angeles Times''. October 10, 1931. p. 32. Retrieved May 15, 2020. June 12, 1893 – July 11, 1958) was an American

character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...

Stage

Born in Adair, Oklahoma, Varden was

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

and is listed on the

Dawes Rolls The Dawes Rolls (or Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes, or Dawes Commission of Final Rolls) were created by the United States Dawes Commission. The commission was authorized by United States Congress in 1893 to exec ...

as 1/32nd Cherokee by Blood. She began her career as a teenager in the first decade of the 20th century, acting with her aunts in a troupe that toured the western United States. She was on

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 ...

by age sixteen in 1910. It was not until the 1930s and into her forties that her stage career took off in the theater, notably playing Mrs. Gibbs, the small town matron who dreams of Paris, in the original production of ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...

''. Varden's stage work mainly consisted of showy supporting roles although she did star in the ill-fated ''Return Engagement'' by

Lawrence Riley Lawrence Riley (1896–1974) was a successful United States, American playwright and screenwriter. He gained fame in 1934 in literature, 1934 as the author of the Broadway theatre, Broadway hit ''Personal Appearance'', which was turned by Mae West ...

. The 1950 melodrama ''Hilda Crane'' was a personal success for Varden although the play itself ran only two months. The following year she played the Nurse in a production of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' starring

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

. Her final Broadway appearance in ''

The Bad Seed ''The Bad Seed'' is a 1954 novel by American writer William March, the last of his major works published before his death. Nominated for the 1955 National Book Award for Fiction, ''The Bad Seed'' tells the story of a mother's realization that h ...

'' was one of her acclaimed performances.

Radio and television

Varden occasionally appeared on radio from the early 1940s and well into the 1950s. She starred in radio productions of ''

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

'', '' The Silver Cord'', and ''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

'' among several other programs. She would later appear in a number of television productions during the 1950s, including an adaptation of ''Cradle Song'', opposite

Judith Anderson Dame Frances Margaret Anderson, (10 February 18973 January 1992), known professionally as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress who had a successful career in stage, film and television. A pre-eminent stage actress in her era, she won two ...

Film

Varden did not make her first film appearance until 1949 at age 56 with the film '' Pinky''. She then went on to make over a dozen more films, including recreating her stage roles in the motion picture adaptations of ''

Hilda Crane ''Hilda Crane'' (also known as ''The Many Loves of Hilda Crane'') is a 1956 American drama film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Philip Dunne and produced by Herbert B. Swope Jr. from a screenplay adapted by Dunne from the play by ...

'' (1956) and ''

'' (1956). Varden's best-known motion picture performance was as the gregarious storekeeper Icey Spoon in the 1955 film classic, '' The Night of the Hunter, '' based on the like-named novel. That performance garnered considerable acclaim, not least from the book's author,

Davis Grubb Davis Alexander Grubb (July 23, 1919 – July 24, 1980) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his 1953 novel '' The Night of the Hunter'', which was adapted as a film in 1955 by Charles Laughton. Biography Born in M ...

. "Varden is almost my favorite person in the whole film. ..I thought she was perfect as Icey Spoon. She put things into that characterization that she should have gotten ''extra'' for. ..Because she got across the very subtle way of middle-aged women who are promoting the marriage of a younger woman to an attractive male, they themselves are very sexually excited by the whole thing. It's a sixty-year-old ''

yenta Yenta or Yente ( yi, יענטע) is a Yiddish women's given name. It is a variant form of the name ''Yentl'', which ultimately is thought to be derived from the Italian word ''gentile'', meaning 'noble' or 'refined'. The name has entered Yinglish ...

's'' way of getting off. She did more with a little sigh..." Varden's career was still going strong at the time of her death. Immediately prior to taking ill in January, Varden was appearing in London, earning kudos for her portrayal of an American mother in

Lesley Storm Lesley Storm was the pen-name of Mabel Cowie (1898–1975), also known by her married name of Mabel Clark. She was a Scottish writer, who wrote a number of plays, some of which were filmed. ''Black Chiffon'' and '' Roar Like a Dove'' were ma ...

's comedy, ''Roar Like a Dove''. Just weeks before her death, that turn earned Varden the award for Best Supporting Performance (in a Play or Musical) for 1957/1958, as judged by drama critics of the National British press.

Personal life

Varden was married twice: first to fellow thespian Charles Pearce Coleman, from 1914 until their divorce in 1921, and then, from 1921 until her death, to Baltimore-based hotel operator William J. Quinn.

Death

Varden died on July 11, 1958 at 65 in

Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital New York Medical College (NYMC or New York Med) is a private medical school in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1860, it is a member of the Touro College and University System. NYMC offers advanced degrees through its three schools: the School o ...

in Manhattan.

Filmography

* '' Pinky'' (1949) as Melba Wooley * ''

When Willie Comes Marching Home ''When Willie Comes Marching Home'' is a 1950 World War II comedy film directed by John Ford and starring Dan Dailey and Corinne Calvet. It is based on the 1945 short story "When Leo Comes Marching Home" by Sy Gomberg. The film won the Golden L ...

'' (1950) as Mrs. Gertrude Kluggs * ''

Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsell ...

'' (1950) as School Principal (uncredited) * '' Stella'' (1950) as Flora Stella's mother * ''

Elopement Elopement is a term that is used in reference to a marriage which is conducted in a sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving a hurried flight away from one's place of residence together with one's beloved with the intention of getting ma ...

'' (1951) as Millie Reagan * ''

Finders Keepers Finders, keepers, sometimes extended as the children's rhyme finders, keepers; losers, weepers, is an English language, English adage with the premise that when something is unowned or abandoned, whoever finds it first can claim it for themself pe ...

'' (1952) as Ma Kipps * ''

Phone Call from a Stranger ''Phone Call from a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on the 1950 novelette of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. The film centers on the survivor of an ai ...

'' (1952) as Sally Carr * ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

'' (1954) as Queen * ''

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

'' (1954) as Grandma Salome Mulvain * '' Désirée'' (1954) as Marie * '' The Night of the Hunter'' (1955) as Icey Spoon * ''

'' (1956) as Mrs. Burns * '' Cradle Song'' (1956, TV Movie) as The Vicaress"Noel Coward, Edna Best Star Saturday; 'Cradle Song' Next"
''Green Bay Press-Gazette''. May 4, 1956. Retrieved May 16, 2020.Lowery, Raymond (April 10, 1960)
"Goings On"
''The Raleigh News and Observer''. Retrieved May 16, 2020. * ''

'' (1956) as Monica Breedlove * ''

Ten Thousand Bedrooms ''Ten Thousand Bedrooms'' is a 1957 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Dean Martin, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Eva Bartok. Martin's first film in the wake of the dissolution of his partnership with Jerry Lewi ...

'' (1957) as Countess Alzani (final film role)

Broadway Appearances

* ''The Nest Egg'' (Nov 22, 1910 - Jan 1911) * ''Seven Days' Leave'' (Jan 17, 1918 - Jun 1918) * ''Allegiance'' (Aug 1, 1918 - Sep 1918) * ''The Honor of the Family'' (Mar 17, 1919 - May 1919) * ''Alley Cat'' (Sep 17, 1934 - Sep 1934) * ''A Woman of the Soil'' (Mar 25, 1935 - Apr 1935) * ''Life's Too Short'' (Sep 20, 1935 - Sep 1935) * ''Weep for the Virgins'' (Nov 30, 1935 - Dec 1935) * ''Russet Mantle'' (Jan 16, 1936 - Apr 1936) * ''Prelude to Exile'' (Nov 30, 1936 - Jan 1937) * ''Now You've Done It'' (Mar 5, 1937 - Apr 1937) * ''To Quito and Back'' (Oct 6, 1937 - Dec 1937) * ''

'' (Feb 4, 1938 - Nov 19, 1938) * ''Family Portrait'' (Mar 8, 1939 - Jun 1939) * ''Ladies and Gentlemen'' (Oct 17, 1939 - Jan 13, 1940) * ''Grey Farm'' (May 3, 1940 - Jun 1, 1940) * '' Return Engagement'' (Nov 1, 1940 - Nov 7, 1940) * ''The Lady Who Came to Stay'' (Jan 2, 1941 - Jan 4, 1941) * ''Candle in the Wind'' (Oct 22, 1941 - Jan 10, 1942) * ''The Family'' (Mar 30, 1943 - Apr 3, 1943) * ''Our Town'' (revival) (Jan 10, 1944 - Jan 29, 1944) * ''Dream Girl'' (Dec 14, 1945 - Dec 14, 1946) * ''Present Laughter'' (Oct 29, 1946 - Mar 15, 1947) * ''

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays from the 18th ...

'' (Dec 28, 1949 - Jan 8, 1950) * ''Hilda Crane'' (Nov 1, 1950 - Dec 31, 1950) * ''

'' (Mar 10, 1951 - Apr 21, 1951) * ''A Date With April'' (Apr 15, 1953 - Apr 25, 1953) * ''The Bad Seed'' (Dec 8, 1954 - Sep 27, 1955)

References

External links

* * *
1947 radio production
of ''

'' at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Varden, Evelyn 1893 births 1958 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century Native Americans 20th-century Native American women Actresses from Oklahoma American film actresses American radio actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Cherokee Nation artists Cherokee Nation people (1794–1907) People from Adair, Oklahoma