Audrey Christie
Audrey Christie (June 27, 1912[lower-alpha 1] – December 19,[lower-alpha 2] 1989) was an American actress, singer and dancer.
Audrey Christie | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 27, 1912[lower-alpha 1] |
| Died | December 19, 1989 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1929–1982 |
| Spouse | Guy Robertson (divorced) Donald Briggs (1959-1986 his death)[1] |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and family
She was born in Chicago, Illinois,[3] to Charles Christie and Florence Ferguson.
She attended a fine arts school in Chicago, but she quit school at age 15 after finding success as a performer with the Six Chicago Steppers.[3]
Career
Originally, she worked as a singer and dancer, starting as a teenager in vaudeville shows,[2] but she later acted in dramatic roles as well.[1] Early roles on Broadway included Follow Thru (1929), Sailor, Beware! (1933), The Women (1936), I Married an Angel (1938),[2] and Without Love (1942). She had a lead role in The Desk Set (1956).
She performed in the films Keeper of the Flame (1943), Deadline – U.S.A. (1952), Carousel (1956), Splendor in the Grass (1961), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), Harlow (1965), Frankie and Johnny (1966), The Ballad of Josie (1967), Mame (1974), and Harper Valley PTA (1978).
Christie acted in several episodes of the anthology TV series Studio One and another TV series, Fair Exchange.[2] During the 1964–1965 television season, she had a recurring role on the situation comedy The Cara Williams Show. In 1975, she appeared on the sitcom Maude, playing the role of Maude’s overbearing mother. And on TV's Barney Miller appeared in two episode, 'The Courtesans' as a "Madame", and in the episode 'Old Love' as an overbearing stage mother.
She won a Donaldson Award for her performance in the play The Voice of the Turtle.[1]
Personal life and death
She was married to Guy Robertson, also a performer, and they had a daughter, Christie Jane.[3]
Her second marriage was to actor Donald Briggs (who was also born in Chicago),[3] who predeceased her. They had a son, Jeffrey;[3] and three grandchildren.[1]
Christie died of emphysema on December 19,[lower-alpha 2] 1989 at her home in West Hollywood, California.[1]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Keeper of the Flame | Jane Harding | |
| 1952 | Deadline – U.S.A. | Mrs. Willebrandt | |
| 1956 | Carousel | Mrs. Mullin | |
| 1961 | Splendor in the Grass | Mrs. Loomis | |
| 1964 | The Unsinkable Molly Brown | Mrs. Gladys McGraw | |
| 1965 | Harlow | Thelma | |
| 1966 | Frankie and Johnny | Peg | |
| 1967 | The Ballad of Josie | Annabelle Pettijohn | |
| 1974 | Mame | Mrs. Upson | |
| 1978 | Harper Valley PTA | Flora Simpson Reilly |
Notes
- Some sources cite 1910 as Christie's year of birth.
- The Los Angeles Times reported her death date as December 20.[2]
References
- "Audrey Christie, 79 - Singer and Dancer Became an Actress". The New York Times. 1989-12-29. Retrieved 2017-07-17.
- "Audrey Christie; Broadway, Film, TV Actress". Los Angeles Times. December 28, 1989. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- Kimbrough, Mary (April 2, 1959). "Muny Opera Revisited by Audrey Christie". St. Louis Dispatch. Retrieved May 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.