Carrie Reynolds

Carrie Reynolds was a stage actress in Broadway shows from the mid-1880s until the early 20th century. She was described as "a graceful and strking blonde"[1] and "a dainty and winsome actress."[2] She was trained in light opera.[1] Her married name was Carrie Reynolds Ross.[3]

Career

She appeared in a Robson and Crane production of A Comedy of Errors staged by the Star Theatre in 1885. Among the physical locations of the play are the ports and docks of Ephesus. The time frame runs from the very early morning through the twelve hours of the day, continuing until moonlight.[4] Reynolds was associated with the Rogers Brothers' companies for a number of seasons before she sang the prima donna role in The School Girl. It was presented by Daly's Theatre,[2] 1221 Broadway (Manhattan) (30th Street),[5] before touring on the road.[2]

She was in the company of The Newlyweds and Their Baby, a comedy based on the cartoons of George McManus. It premiered at the Majestic Theatre,[6] Broadway (Manhattan)[7] on March 22, 1909. The plot dealt with Mr. and Mrs. Newlywed and Napoleon Newlywed, the baby.[6] Reynolds depicted Dolly Jolly, a woman who was coveted by the character played by Fletcher Norton.[8]

She entered the cast of In Hayti in mid September 1909, singing the role of the actress.[9] Written by John J. McNally, the theatrical was presented by the Montauk Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The troupe included a chorus of sixty girls and the comedians McIntyre and Heath.[10]

Reynolds performed in King Dodo at the Plaza Music Hall in July 1910. It was the second week of the Aborn Comic Opera's engagement there. Robert Lett acted the title role with Agnes Finlay among the players.[11] Reynolds appeared in The Red Rose at the Globe Theatre (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre) in June 1911.[12] The venue featured an open roof and a system of cooling the air for comfort on hot summer nights. Valeska Suratt starred in the production.[13] The Red Rose was her final New York appearance in a leading soubrette role.[14]

In November 1911 the cast for Jacinta, an opera comique by Heinrich Berté, was announced by John Cort. Reynolds was a principal in the company for the play which was to debut in Providence, Rhode Island on November 27. The production first played in Europe under a different title. It was adapted from a book by Ignatz Schnitzer and Emerich von Gatti.[15] In December she retired from the opera comique and entered vaudeville in a single act.[14]

She acted with Robert Warwick at the[16] West End Theatre,[17] in The Kiss Waltz, in March 1912.[16] The Blue Envelope was staged at the Cort Theatre in March 1916. The comedy was written by Frank Hatch and Robert E. Homans. Walter Jones, Beth Franklyn, Reynolds, and Belle Theodore were some of the actors in the cast.[18] As The Angel, Reynolds was an adventuress whose actions were eventually frustrated. A critic observed that her background in light opera was somewhat of a hindrance in this role. Specifically, she sang all her speeches and her very empty laugh sounded discomforting after a while.[1]

Personal life

Reynolds was married to Fred Griffen Ross, a former actor and business manager for Lillian Russell and other performers. He died at the age of 84 at the Brunswick Home in Amityville, New York. The couple had a daughter, Ruby Bramall.[3] In September 1924, Ross published a public notice in The New York Times stating "...my wife, Carrie Reynolds Ross, having left my room and board, I will no longer be responsible for debts she contracts".[19]

Partial filmography
  • A Mother's Confession (1915)
  • Half a Million (1915)
  • An Accident Policy (1915)
  • His Wife's New Lid (1915)
  • Blaming the Duck, or Ducking the Blame (1915)
  • Which Is Which? (1915)
  • Playing the Same Game (1915)
  • Bashful Billie (1915)
  • An Unwilling Burglar (1915)
  • Beyond All Is Love (1915)

References
  1. Blue Envelope Opens, The New York Times, March 14, 1916, pg. 9.
  2. Theaters, Atlanta Constitution, January 20, 1906, pg. 8.
  3. F.G. Ross, Manager Of Lillian Russell, The New York Times, August 19, 1942, p. 19.
  4. Actor, Manager, and Play, The New York Times, August 2, 1885, pg. 3.
  5. IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information
  6. Article 16--No Title, The New York Times, March 21, 1909, pg 8.
  7. Display Ad 32--No Title, The New York Times, March 21, 1909, pg. X1.
  8. Fun By The Newlyweds, The New York Times, March 23, 1909, pg. 9.
  9. Theatrical Notes, The New York Times, September 17, 1909, pg. 9.
  10. Article 10-No Title, The New York Times, October 31, 1909, pg. SM14.
  11. Aborn Opera Company Gives King Dodo, July 12, 1910, pg. 7.
  12. Plays And Players, The New York Times, June 18, 1911, pg. X1.
  13. First Signs Of Theatrical Activity, The New York Times, July 30, 1911, pg. X8.
  14. Theatrical Notes, The New York Times, December 28, 1911, pg. 7.
  15. The Cast for Jacinta, The New York Times, November 20, 1911, pg. 11.
  16. Week's Bills At Theatres, The New York Times, March 19, 1912, pg. 8.
  18. The Blue Envelope on March 13, The New York Times, March 4, 1916, pg. 9.
  19. Public Notices, The New York Times, September 21, 1924, pg. 3.
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