Born: August 8, 1910
Died: July 1, 1999
Aged: 88 years of throat cancer
Real Name: Sophia Kossow
Marriages: 3 times-2nd to Luther Adler
Affairs: Budd Schulberg
Delicate, suffering beauty with the strength of steel! Grew up in the Bronx from Russian/Romanian Jewish parents. She was exceptionally shy but came out of her shell when she started acting. She went to the theatre but soon Hollywood beckoned and she became one of the top stars during the early 1930's. She made one film, "Madame Butterfly" that was horrible (except for her performance) but her name was popular in Japan for condoms which they called Sylvia Sidneys. She disliked being controlled by the Hollywood studios so she left! She signed with director, Walter Wanger, who was a bully and brought out her insecurities and whom she, ultimately, did not like at all. She worked with Fritz Lang (director) on 3 pictures also known for his roughness but she found him easier to deal with. In the 40's her film work slowed down but she enjoyed other outlets. She loved needlepoint and wrote and published 2 books on the subject. She was also known for breeding many prize-winning dogs(I heard pugs). Her only son passed away in the 70's from Lou Gehrig's disease. Her ex, Luther Adler consoled her and vice versa since they remained life-long friends. She continued to work often in TV but made a resurgence late in her career in comedies. She always felt it was easy to do tragic parts since she could cry on cue but comedy was much more difficult. She was a life long smoker which finally caught up with her.
Oscar Nomination: "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams"
Films: "American Tragedy", " City Streets", "Ladies of the Big House", "Merrily We Go To Hell", "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine", "Sabotage", "Fury", "You Only Live Once", "Dead End", "Beetlejuice", "Mars Attacks"
Quote: When she realized she could refuse roles she didn't like -"When I realized I didn't have to, I became a bitch on wheels!"
The films in bold I would see first-start with her earlier roles-she is great in the later 2 comedies
I didn't recognize her from the picture you posted. I think I only know her in her later years on TV. I think she got more lovely with age.
ReplyDeleteI always thought she was one of the most beautiful. I knew her first when she was younger. I then saw her in TV movies and saw her being interviewed-she was so spunky!
DeleteDespite being a smoker, she lived to age 89--we can all hope to live that long a life!
ReplyDeleteThat is so true! Her voice was affected but it worked well in beetlejuice and the grandmom who love Slim Whitman in Mars Attacks
DeleteMars Attacks? Wow. She was sure beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYup-she was the old grand mom who listened to the Slim Whitman records which saved the world!
DeleteBeautiful! Never heard of her. That was kind of sad about the Japanese and the condoms with her name.....Glad she made it to 88 before the smoking caught up with her though.
ReplyDeletebetty
I know all because she played a geisha in Madame Butterfly
DeleteI don't know her either - not sure why the condoms would be called after her - do you know?
ReplyDeleteAnabel's Travel Blog
Adventures of a retired librarian
Oh yes-the film, Madame Butterfly-she plays a geisha-the film tanked but because she played that role and the Japanese saw her in that, they called them after her name. She took it as a badge of honor and laughed about it
DeletePretty woman, don't know of her... have heard about many of the films.
ReplyDeleteShe is best remembered for her later films. She plays the lady who sets up the 2 undead people to find out more about being ghosts. In Mars Attacks she was the old lady who loved Slim Whitman and helped save the world
DeleteI don't recognize her or her name, although I'm a fan of Beetlejuice. She was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteShe was the old lady that the 2 ghosts meet in the other world. She gets them prepared and tell them to read the book
DeleteBeetlejuice and Mars Attacks! I remember her now.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the A to Z Challenge!
A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/
Yes! She is most known for that but she was a big star in the 30's and so beautiful
DeleteShe disliked being controlled by Hollywood studios?
ReplyDeleteHuh. You think she'd be peeved by that condom thing.
Nope-she laughed about the condoms but didn't like being controlled
DeleteI remember her performance in Beetlejuice. She made that part memorable.
ReplyDeleteShe did as she was such a spitfire:)
DeleteInteresting post, but I'm not familiar with her work. Maybe on TV?
ReplyDeleteShe did do some TV movies but did you ever see Beetlejuice?
Deletelol never knew that about the condoms. I've seen quite a few with her in them, never would have realized. Lived a long while before smoking caught up to her
ReplyDeleteShe did live a long life and makes me wonder how much longer she would have lived if she didn't smoke
DeleteI will have to see more of her movies.
DeleteWhat a beauty she was. I had never heard of her before now, thank you.
ReplyDeleteShe is a beauty and a great actress
DeleteShe was in Beetlejuice?
ReplyDeleteA very pretty lady.
Yup! She was the old lady in the dead world who helps out the ghost couple
DeleteShe was in Beetlejuice! She was the receptionist in the way station for dead people who had died in all sorts of unnatural ways. She herself had had her throat cut. She smoked and smoke came out of the slice.
ReplyDeleteYup! You got it:) That is the gal and I thought she was just great in that role.
DeleteI don't know her at all. It is a well known fact in the theatre that comedy is much more difficult than drama. Timing is so very important in comedy.
ReplyDeleteIt is so difficult to do comedy-timing is everything and delivery
Delete>>... her name was popular in Japan for condoms which they called Sylvia Sidneys.
ReplyDeleteHa!-Ha!
I didn't recognize her name at all. Not hard to look at, and I've apparently seen her because I've seen a few of the movies you listed, but... you had me beat with this one.
~ D-FensDogG
POSTSCRIPT:
I left some Q's for you to supply A's to in the comment section of my latest blog bit. No rush, but whenever you get a chance, I am genuinely interested in your thoughts on those matters.
I am only 27 minutes away from watching 'TORTILLA FLAT', one of my all-time Top Ten favorite movies. (Yep... gonna have some wine while I watch. How can ANYONE watch 'Tortilla Flat' and not drink some wine with it?!?!?!)
Poor Sylvia needs some more recognition:) I think she is only lovely lady. I shall look now:)
DeleteI remember Sylvia Sidney from her later work. How tragic about her son.
ReplyDeleteJulie
It is tragic. I remember her being interviewed-one strong lady
DeleteI know that name. I think my image of her is older.
ReplyDeleteOh I bet since she was in those comedies I mentioned above
DeleteSuch a variety of roles. Very sad about her son.
ReplyDeleteShe was suffering in the 30's, playing weird characters in the 70's and 80's and comedy in the 90's
DeleteSuch a variety of roles. Very sad about her son.
ReplyDeleteThey say any publicity is good, though I'm not sure how I'd feel about condoms named Robyn Engel. That's kinda weird.
ReplyDeleteShe was a talented beauty.
It is weird and silly actually but she took it in stride
DeleteSo pretty and sad. Love your "S".
ReplyDeleteShe is very pretty. Thanks-I grabbed it from Goggle search and since she did needle point-thought it was a good choice
DeleteSo pretty and sad. Love your "S".
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this lady but I love her quote. :D
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this beautiful lady. Good she stuck to her guns.
ReplyDeleteInventions by Women A-Z
Shells–Tales–Sails