Phyllis Povah (July 21, 1893 – August 7, 1975) was an American stage and film actress.

Career

Povah made her

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...

debut in ''Mr. Pim Passes By'' in 1921 and acted in minor roles in several productions over the next two decades as well as one of the leads in the 1923 play Icebound. She achieved a notable success in a featured role in the stage production of '' The Women'', and the play ran for 18 months, from 1936 until 1938. When a film version was planned, Povah and

Marjorie Main Mary Tomlinson (February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975), professionally known as Marjorie Main, was an American character actress and singer of the Classical Hollywood period, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s and 1 ...

were the only members of the cast who were chosen to reprise their roles in the film which was released in 1939. (The film was directed by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head ...

). The film was a success, but Povah continued to work steadily in theatre, and appeared in the film '' Let's Face It'' (1943) with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

and

Betty Hutton Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. Early life and education Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 2 ...

. ''Dear Ruth'', in which Povah starred with John Dall and Virginia Gilmore played on Broadway from 1944 until 1946, and provided her with a substantial role and her biggest success during the 1940s. She made two films in 1952, ''

The Marrying Kind ''The Marrying Kind'' is a 1952 comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor, starring Judy Holliday and Aldo Ray. Other cast members include John Alexander, Charles Bronson, Peggy Cass, Barry Curtis, Tom Farrell, Frank Ferguson, Ruth Gordon (w ...

'' with Judy Holliday and

Aldo Ray Aldo Ray (born Aldo Da Re; September 25, 1926 – March 27, 1991) was an American actor of film and television. He began his career as a contract player for Columbia Studios before achieving stardom through his roles in ''The Marrying Kind, ...

, and '' Pat and Mike'' with

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

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 ...

, both directed by

. Her final Broadway role was in ''Anniversary Waltz'' with

MacDonald Carey Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast member. ...

and

Kitty Carlisle Kitty Carlisle Hart (born Catherine Conn; September 3, 1910 – April 17, 2007) was an American actress, singer, and spokeswoman for the arts. She was the leading lady of the Marx Brothers movie '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) and was a regula ...

in 1954 and 1955. The film version, retitled '' Happy Anniversary'' (1959) and costarring

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

and

Mitzi Gaynor Mitzi Gaynor (born Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber; September 4, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her notable films include '' We're Not Married!'' (1952), '' There's No Business Like Show Business'' (1954), '' The Birds ...

, was her final film.

Death

She died from a heart attack in

Port Washington, New York Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the Cow Neck Peninsula in the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York. The hamlet is the anchor community of the Greater Port Wa ...

, aged 82. Her cremains are buried at Nassau Knolls Cemetery in Port Washington, New York.

Filmography

* '' The Women'' (1939) * '' Let's Face It'' (1943) * ''

'' (1952) * '' Pat and Mike'' (1952) * '' Happy Anniversary'' (1959)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Povah, Phyllis 1893 births 1975 deaths American stage actresses American film actresses Actresses from Detroit People from Long Island 20th-century American actresses New York (state) Republicans