Cecil Kern

Tabitha Cecil Kern[1][2] (c. 1880s – June 1, 1928) was an American stage and film actress and theater director. The daughter of a prominent publisher in Portland, Oregon, Kern studied dramatic art in San Francisco before making her Broadway debut in The Revellers (1909), followed by a portrayal of Hélène in the original Broadway production of Madame X (1910). The next year, she appeared as Esther in a Broadway production of Ben-Hur. She also appeared in several films, including Rainbow (1921) for Vitagraph Studios.

Cecil Kern
Kern in a 1909 photo
Born
Tabitha Cecil Kern

c. 1883 (1883)—1887 (1887)
Portland, Oregon, or Thayer, Nebraska, U.S. (sources differ)
DiedJune 1, 1928 (aged 41–45)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Resting placeRose City Cemetery
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Actress, theater director
Years active1907–1928

Kern died in a Manhattan hotel in June 1928, following weeks of reported isolation. Upon the discovery of her body, the press deemed her death mysterious, though law enforcement suggested it appeared to have been due to natural causes. It was subsequently reported that she had died of a pulmonary hemorrhage.

Biography

Early life

Tabitha Cecil Kern was born in the 1880s,[lower-alpha 1] the daughter of John Jacob Kern,[lower-alpha 2] a publisher of the Portland, Oregon Deutsche Zeitung,[2] and Henrietta Kern (née Marburg).[1] Both of her parents were German immigrants.[3] 1910 census New York City census records[3] and some news articles[9] indicate she was born in Portland, though the 1885 U.S. Census notes that she was born in Nebraska, where she was residing in Thayer with her family at age 2.[8]

Kern spent the majority of her early life in Portland, where she received her primary education.[2] She became interested in acting at a young age, and relocated to San Francisco to study dramatic art in her teenage years.[2] According to her sister, Meta: "She had a remarkable memory when a child of but three years old and never tired of mimicking and reciting. She must have inherited some of my father's qualities of application and ability to study."[2] Kern's elder brother, Albert E. Kern, later became the president of the First National Bank in Portland, as well as in Madras, Oregon.[6]

Career

Kern's first major stage role was that of Cynthia, a stenographer, in a production of The Man of the Hour, which began its tour in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the fall of 1907.[2] During a performance at the Moore Theatre in Seattle in January 1908, Kern was physically assaulted by co-star Ruby Bridges, who punched her in the face at the performance's conclusion.[5] Bridges, who claimed Kern had been ridiculing her from offstage, pleaded guilty to assault and was fined $25 for the crime.[5]

She made her Broadway debut 1909's The Revellers.[10] Next, she portrayed Hélène in the original Broadway production of Madame X (1910).[11] The following year, she starred as Esther opposite Oscar Adye in the Broadway production of Ben-Hur,[12] followed by The Governor's Boss in 1914.[13] In 1917, she joined the New Denham Players, appearing in a Denver production of Marrying Money.[14] Kern subsequently appeared in several films, including Rainbow (1921) for Vitagraph Studios.[15] She also appeared in 1921's The House of Mystery.[16]

In 1923, Kern directed the Seattle Theatre Guild's opening season performance of In Love with Love.[17]

Death

Kern was found dead of apparent natural causes in a residential hotel at 24 Fifth Avenue[1] in Manhattan on June 5, 1928.[18] The press deemed her death "mysterious" as she had gone into seclusion during the weeks before, remaining isolated in the hotel room where she lived; a "do not disturb" sign was left hanging from her door for approximately three days before her body was discovered.[7][18] Per a New York Daily News report, Kern, "tall, blonde and about 40, was found fully dressed and wrapped in a silk comfortable."[7] According to maids at the hotel, Kern had informed them in the preceding days that she had been "distressed."[18]

A subsequent report in Variety noted that her cause of death was pulmonary hemorrhage,[4] which was pronounced by Dr. Hitchley of New York Hospital.[7] The New York City municipal death records list her date of death as June 1, 1928.[1] Her remains were cremated by Fresh Pond Crematory in Queens, and she was interred at Rose City Cemetery in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.[1]

See also

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1919 The Gray Towers Mystery Miss Sutherland [19]
1921 Rainbow Estelle Jackson [15]
1921 The House of Mystery Marion Lake [16]

Stage credits
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1908–1909 The Man of the Hour Cynthia Touring production [20]
1909 The Revellers Belasco Theatre [21]
1910 Madame X Hélène New Amsterdam Theatre, Lyric Theatre [11]
1911 Ben-Hur Esther New Amsterdam Theatre [12]
1914 The Governor's Boss Edith Shackleton Garrick Theatre [13]
1917 Marrying Money Denham Theatre, Denver, Colorado [14]
1925 Something To Brag About Edith Holmes Booth Theatre [11]
1925–1926 Morals Frau Bolland Comedy Theatre [11]
1928 La Gringa Bertha Beales Little Theater [11]

Notes
  1. Sources regarding Kern's official birthdate vary: The 1910 U.S. Census taken in Manhattan notes Kern was 24 years old at the time, meaning she would have been born in either 1886 or 1887.[3] However, the New York City municipal death records denote a birth year of 1883.[1] Alternately, at the time of her death, news outlets such as Variety stated Kern was 40 years old, suggesting a birth year of 1888–1889.[4]
  2. Some newspaper sources erroneously state that she was the daughter of Albert E. Kern,[5][6] who was in fact her elder brother,[7] born c. 1875.[8]

References
  1. New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949, Tabitha Cecil Kern, 01 Jun 1928; citing Death, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,056,681.
  2. "Portland Girl Wins Place On Stage After Years of Hard Work". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. January 5, 1908. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Cecil Kern", United States census, 1910; Manhattan, New York City, New York; roll T624 1048, page 12B, line 73, enumeration district 1387, Family History film 1,375,061. closed access
  4. "Cecil Kern, 40, retired actress". Variety: 46. June 6, 1928.
  5. "Hit By Leading Lady". The Morning Astorian. Astoria, Oregon. January 11, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Cecil Kern, Actress, Daughter of Madras Banker, Found Dead". Albany Democrat Herald. Albany, Oregon. June 5, 1928. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Actress Found Dead with Sign 'Do Not Disturb'". New York Daily News. New York City, New York. June 5, 1928. p. 131 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Tabitha Kern (entry for John Kern)", United States census, 1885; Friedensau, Thayer, Nebraska; line 48, enumeration district 755, Family History film 499,581. closed access Archived copy
  9. "Oregon Folk Are Screen Stars; Portland Training Is Valuable". The Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. June 6, 1920. p. 47 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "The Players: Biographical Sketches". Burr McIntosh Monthly. 19: 266. 1909.
  11. "Cecil Kern". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020.
  12. "Oscar Adye and Cecil Kern". New-York Tribune. New York City, New York. December 17, 1911. p. 58 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Garrick–"The Governor's Boss"". The Theatre. Meyer Bros. & Company. 19: 320. 1914.
  14. "New Denham Players Open Successfully in Denver, Co". Billboard. Vol. 29. May 12, 1917. p. 39.
  15. Munden, Kenneth White. The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States, Part 1. Los Angeles, California: American Film Institute. p. 631. ISBN 978-0-520-20969-5.
  16. "Cecil Kern". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020.
  17. "Community Theatres". The Drama Magazine. Drama League of America. 14–15: 12. 1923.
  18. The United Press (June 5, 1928). "Mystery Surrounds Death of Cecil Kern". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 2.
  19. Lentz, Harris M. (1996). Western and Frontier Film and Television Credits 1903-1995. Vol. 1. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 438. ISBN 978-0-786-40217-5.
  20. "Miss G. Cecil Kern". The New York Times. New York City, New York. April 18, 1909. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "'The Revellers' In Washington". New-York Tribune. New York City, New York. May 25, 1909. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
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