Katherine Squire (March 9, 1903 – March 29, 1995) was an American actress who appeared on Broadway and in regional theater, movies and television, from the 1920s through the 1980s.
Early life
Squire was born in
Defiance, Ohio
Defiance is a city in and the county seat of Defiance County, Ohio, United States, about southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo and northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Ohio's northwestern corner. The population was 16,494 at the 2010 United State ...
. She attended
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...
and, after graduation, began acting in regional theater at the
Cleveland Play House
Cleveland Play House (CPH) is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1915 and built its own noted theater complex in 1927. Currently the company performs at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square whe ...
. Squire later studied acting at the American Laboratory Theater.
Career
Squire made her Broadway stage debut in 1927 in ''
Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
''. She later appeared in Broadway productions of ''Goodbye Again'' (1932), ''Hipper's Holiday'', ''
Three Men on a Horse
''Three Men on a Horse'' is a three-act farce co-authored by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. The comedy focuses on a man who discovers he has a talent for choosing the winning horse in a race as long as he never places a bet himself. Originally ...
'' (1937), and ''Lady of Letters'' (1935), among other plays.
In 1951, Squire made her television debut in an episode of ''
Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
''Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' is an American television anthology drama series which offered adaptations of Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, novels, and stories. The distinguished journalist Elmer Davis was the host and narrator of this 1950-1952 ...
''. For the remainder of the decade, she appeared in guest roles on ''
Goodyear Playhouse'', ''
Robert Montgomery Presents
''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...
'', ''
Westinghouse Studio One
''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Sept ...
'', ''
The United States Steel Hour
''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S ...
'', and ''
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...
''. In 1954, she portrayed Gertrude Harper in the CBS drama ''
Woman with a Past
''Woman with a Past'' is an American daytime soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to July 2, 1954.
The sustaining program originated at WCBS-TV and replaced ''Action in the Afternoon'' in the CBS schedule.
Synopsis
The soap focuse ...
''. From 1956 to 1957, Squire had a recurring role in the soap opera ''
Valiant Lady''. She made her feature film debut in the 1959 drama ''
The Story on Page One
''The Story on Page One'' is a 1959 American drama film written and directed by Clifford Odets, and starring Rita Hayworth, Anthony Franciosa, and Gig Young. Shot in CinemaScope, the film was distributed by 20th Century Fox.
Plot
As the film beg ...
''. Squire also continued acting on the stage with roles in ''The Traveling Lady'', ''
Six Characters in Search of an Author
''Six Characters in Search of an Author'' ( it, Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore, link=no ) is an Italian play by Luigi Pirandello, written and first performed in 1921. An absurdist fiction, absurdist metatheatrical, metatheatric play about th ...
'', ''The Sin of Pat Muldoon'', and ''
The Shadow of a Gunman
''The Shadow of a Gunman'' is a 1923 tragicomedy play by Seán O'Casey set during the Irish War of Independence. It centres on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin.
It is the first in O'Casey's "Dublin ...
''.
During the 1960s, Squire continued her career in films, television and stage roles. In 1960, she made two guest appearances on ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'', and appeared as the mother of
Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Organ ...
's character in ''
Song Without End
''Song Without End'', subtitled ''The Story of Franz Liszt'', is a 1960 biographical film romance made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Charles Vidor, who died during the shooting of the film and was replaced by George Cukor. It was produ ...
''. Squire returned to the stage the following year in a co-starring role in the New York production of ''
Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
'', by
Arnold Wesker
Sir Arnold Wesker (24 May 1932 – 12 April 2016) was an English dramatist. He was the author of 50 plays, four volumes of short stories, two volumes of essays, much journalism and a book on the subject, a children's book, some poetry, and oth ...
. On television, she portrayed the title character's mother in ''
Dr. Kildare
Dr. James Kildare is a fictional American medical doctor, originally created in the 1930s by the author Frederick Schiller Faust under the pen name Max Brand. Shortly after the character's first appearance in a magazine story, Paramount Pictur ...
''.
From 1962 to 1963, she guest starred on two episodes of ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
'': "
One More Pallbearer
" One More Pallbearer" is episode 82 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone'', and was the 17th episode of the third season. The episode originally aired on January 12, 1962, was written by series creator/showrunner Rod ...
" and "
In His Image". She made three guest appearances on ''
Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...
'': Clara Thorpe in the 1960 episode "The Case of the Credulous Quarry," murderer Vera Hargrave in the 1964 episode "The Case of the Nervous Neighbor," and murderer Esther Norden in the 1965 episode "The Case of the Wrongful Writ." She had additional guest roles on ''
The Road West
The Road West is an American television Western series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1966, to May 1, 1967.
Overview
Ben Pride moves with his children Timothy, Midge, and Kip, his new wife Elizabeth, his father Tom, and his brother-in-law C ...
'', ''
Peyton Place'', and ''
Adam-12
''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...
''.
In 1971, Squire co-starred in the
road film
A road movie is a film genre in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alienatio ...
''
Two-Lane Blacktop
''Two-Lane Blacktop'' is a 1971 American road movie directed by Monte Hellman, written by Rudy Wurlitzer and starring songwriter James Taylor, the Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates, and Laurie Bird.
Plot
Two street racers, the Dri ...
''. Starting in 1970, she had a recurring role in the long-running soap opera ''
The Doctors''. In 1974 and 1975, Squire had her third recurring role on the soap opera ''
Search for Tomorrow
''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986.
Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focu ...
''. Her last television appearance was in 1975 in the ''
Hallmark Hall of Fame
''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...
'' television film ''Eric'', as Mrs. Harris. For the remainder of her career, Squire appeared in roles in regional theater. In 1979, she had a leading role in ''Hillbilly Women'' at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. In the early 1980s, she acted in ''
Hedda Gabler
''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been can ...
'' (starring
Susannah York
Susannah Yolande Fletcher (9 January 1939 – 15 January 2011), known professionally as Susannah York, was an English actress. Her appearances in various films of the 1960s, including '' Tom Jones'' (1963) and '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' ...
) at the Roundabout Theater, and in ''Memory of Whiteness'' at the American Place Theater, both in New York. Squire's final onscreen role was in the romantic comedy film ''
When Harry Met Sally...'' in 1989.
Personal life
On 19 January 1930, she married actor Byron McGrath, in Cleveland. They subsequently divorced.
["Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2Q7G-1S7 : accessed 12 May 2015), Byron Mcgrath and Katherine M Squire, 19 Jan 1930; citing Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States, reference ; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 1,901,661.]
In 1940, Squire married actor
George Mitchell, with whom she often worked on stage, in film, and on television. They remained married until his death in 1972.
Death
Squire died on March 29, 1995, in
Lake Hill, New York, at the age of 92. She was survived by three stepdaughters.
Broadway credits
Filmography
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Squire, Katherine
1903 births
1995 deaths
20th-century American actresses
Actresses from Ohio
American film actresses
American soap opera actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Ohio Wesleyan University alumni
People from Defiance, Ohio