Helen Curry

Helen Curry (October 22, 1896 – November 15, 1931) was an American stage actress.

Helen Curry
Helen Curry (1920)
Born(1896-10-22)October 22, 1896
Chester, Pennsylvania, US
DiedNovember 15, 1931(1931-11-15) (aged 35)
Norwalk, Connecticut, US
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Years active1913–1920
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1916⁠–⁠1931)​

Biography

Early life and family

Helen Curry was born October 22, 1896 in Chester, Pennsylvania[1] to Thomas A. Curry and Sarah Jeffries both of whom were playwrights.[2] Curry had one brother, pulp fiction writer Tom Curry (1900-1976).[1] In 1916 Curry married author F. R. Buckley.[3]

The American Academy of Dramatic Arts

Curry studied at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA)[4] which at the time was housed in the Lyceum Theatre. Her father, in addition to being a playwright, was the personal secretary to theatrical impresario David Belasco[5] from 1914 until Belasco's death in 1931 and subsequently held the same position for Morris Gest.[6] David Belasco was an important early supporter of the AADA. He taught acting there and also acted as stage manager (in today's terms, director or artistic director) for several productions at the Lyceum Theatre.[7]

Theda Bara and Helen Curry in The Blue Flame

Career

She appeared in amateur theatricals with her parents as a child.

In 1913 at the age of 17 Curry had her first professional role touring with Doris Keane in Edward Sheldon's play Romance.

Curry played Miss Carpenter in Good Night, Nurse! , later renamed Sick-A-Bed, by Ethel Watts Mumford at the Tremont Theatre in Boston.[8]

She also appeared in Cleves Kinkead's Common Clay with Jane Cowl.

She played the title character in Mary Broome at the Neighborhood Playhouse, part of the early 20th century Little Theatre Movement, similar to the Off-Broadway movement of the 1950s. O. W. Firkins of The Weekly Review said of her "Miss Helen Curry as Mary Broome was perfect".[9]

In 1920 Curry appeared on Broadway with silent film star Theda Bara in The Blue Flame, a four-act play written by George V. Hobart and John Willard.[10]

Death

Curry died November 15, 1931 at the age of 35 at her home in Norwalk, Connecticut an apparent suicide.[3] She was interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut.[1]

References
  1. "Wife of Norwalk Writer Ends Life in Husband's Car", Hartford Courant, November 16, 1931
  2. The Baronet and The Butterfly, The Evening Journal, Wilmington, DE, June 3, 1924
  3. David K. Frasier, "Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases"
  4. Ends Life In Car Seated By Husband. The New York Times, November 16, 1931
  5. "Experiences of 18 years as Late David Belasco's secretary", Hartford Courant, September 23, 1933
  6. Plays and Players, The Brooklyn Eagle, September 25, 1931
  7. The American Academy of Dramatic Arts ,History & Heritage
  8. Good Night Nurse at the Tremont Boston Globe, March 2, 1915
  9. O. W. Firkins "Mary Broome at the Neighborhood Playhouse", The Weekly Review, Jan – Jun 1920
  10. Alexander Woolcott, The Play, The New York Times, Tuesday March 16, 1920. Retrieved January 28. 2019.
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