Phyllis Kennedy (June 16, 1914 – December 29, 1998) was an American film actress.

Early life

She was born on June 16, 1914 in

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 ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Following her

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

graduation Graduation is the awarding of a diploma to a student by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day. The graduation ceremony is a ...

in 1932, she got employment as a clothes model in a local department store. During her modeling period, one of her friends recommended that she try her hand at acting. She began her acting career on the New York stage in a small role in a 1935 production of ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

''. Soon, she decided to try her hand in the film industry. Around 1935, she broke her back while dancing in a show in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

and was told she would never dance again. Two years later, she was able to dance again.

Hollywood years

Kennedy was noticed by

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

when she performed as a chorus girl in '' Shall We Dance?'' She did some comedy dances for Rogers offstage, which impressed the other actress. This relationship led to her being cast as a maid in ''

Stage Door ''Stage Door'' is a 1937 RKO film directed by Gregory La Cava. Adapted from the play of the same name, it tells the story of several would-be actresses who live together in a boarding house at 158 West 58th Street in New York City. The film ...

'' with Rogers and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

''.'' She was eventually signed onto

RKO Radio RKO General, Inc. (previously General Teleradio, RKO Teleradio Pictures, and RKO Teleradio) was, from 1952 through 1991, the main holding company for the noncore businesses of the General Tire and Rubber Company and, after General Tire's reorganiz ...

. She then began getting parts in films playing dimwitted servants; most notably in such films as ''

Vivacious Lady ''Vivacious Lady'' is a 1938 American black-and-white romantic comedy film directed by George Stevens and starring Ginger Rogers and James Stewart. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. The screenplay was written by P.J. Wolfson and Ernest Paga ...

'' (1938), '' Mother Carey's Chickens'' (1938), '' Love Affair'' (1939), ''

East Side of Heaven ''East Side of Heaven'' is a 1939 American musical film directed by David Butler and written by William M. Conselman and James V. Kern. The film stars Bing Crosby, Joan Blondell, Mischa Auer, Irene Hervey, C. Aubrey Smith, Robert Kent and Jer ...

'' (1939), and ''

Anne of Windy Poplars Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

'' (1940). Well into the 1940s Kennedy made over twenty film appearances although a lot of her film roles were uncredited. In later years she made appearances on shows like the '' Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour'', ''The Missourians'', and ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

''. She also appeared as an uncredited Cockney in the film ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' (1964). Her last screen appearance was in '' Finian's Rainbow'' in 1968 in an uncredited role.

Later years and personal life

Kennedy married to Paul Card Howell in 1944, they had 2 children. During her time in Hollywood, although she never elevated to real star status, she became friends with a great many reputable actors. They included: Lucille Ball, Katharine Hepburn,

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary ''Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...

, and

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

. Kennedy was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

and a registered

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

who supported

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

's campaign during the 1952 presidential election. After her 1968 retirement, she continued to live comfortably in Los Angeles, CA for the remainder of her life. In her later years she took up painting, collected commemorative

spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...

s, and she had a

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a British breed of toy dog of spaniel type. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim (chestnut and white), tricolour (black/white/tan), black and tan, and ruby; the coat is smooth and silky. The lifespan is u ...

named Dorian; she had a love for animals and when she was able she would make contributions to the

Doris Day Animal League The Doris Day Animal League was an animal advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. It established the annual observance Spay Day USA in 1994, which the group uses to bring attention to the pet overpopulation problem in the United States. On Sep ...

; Day was one of Kennedy's Hollywood friends. She had a deep love for letter writing and she would frequently write letters to her friends and relatives. Being able to "adjust to the times" she traded in her typewriter and learned how to use a computer which she would later own and type her letters from there with the help of a housekeeper who would show her how to adjust the margins for her Christmas letters.. Her

cremains Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre is ...

were scattered into the Garden of Roses at

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1937) - Maid * ''

'' (1938) * '' Mother Carey's Chickens'' (1938) - Annabelle * '' Love Affair'' (1939) * ''

'' (1939) * ''

Laugh Your Blues Away ''Laugh Your Blues Away'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and written by Harry Sauber and Ned Dandy. The film stars Jinx Falkenburg, Bert Gordon, Johnny Mitchell, Isobel Elsom, Roger Clark and George Lessey. The film w ...

'' (1942) - Patricia Conklin * ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Ro ...

'' (1942) - (uncredited) * ''

An American Romance ''An American Romance'' is a 1944 American epic drama film directed and produced by King Vidor, who also wrote the screen story. Shot in Technicolor, the film stars Brian Donlevy and Ann Richards and is narrated by Horace McNally. The film is ...

'' (1944) - Receptionist * ''

The Heavenly Body ''The Heavenly Body'' is a 1944 American romantic comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring William Powell and Hedy Lamarr. Based on a story by Jacques Théry, with a screenplay by Michael Arlen and Walter Reisch, the film is about the ...

'' (1944) - Maid * ''

Faithful in My Fashion ''Faithful in My Fashion'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Donna Reed, Tom Drake and Edward Everett Horton. Plot Jeff (Tom Drake) arrives home to New York City after being away in the Army for several years. ...

'' (1946) - Secretary * ''

Chicago Deadline ''Chicago Deadline'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Alan Ladd and Donna Reed. It was remade as '' Fame Is the Name of the Game'' (1966). Plot Chicago newspaper reporter Ed Adams is in a boardi ...

'' (1949) - Maid * ''

A Dangerous Profession ''A Dangerous Profession'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by Ted Tetzlaff, written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin, and starring George Raft, Ella Raines, and Pat O'Brien.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Compan ...

'' (1949) - Maid

References

Citations

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Phyllis 1914 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Detroit Actresses from Los Angeles Female models from Michigan American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses American women comedians American Methodists 20th-century American memoirists American women memoirists 20th-century American women writers Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery American female dancers Comedians from California 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American dancers California Republicans Michigan Republicans