Cornelia Otis Skinner
Cornelia Otis Skinner (1901–1979) was a notable American actress, playwright, and author, recognized for her diverse contributions to the performing arts. Born in Chicago into a theatrical family, she pursued her education in theater at the Sorbonne in Paris after briefly attending Bryn Mawr College. Skinner launched her stage career in 1921 and gained prominence through a successful nationwide tour featuring her one-woman show. In addition to her acting, she authored several plays, including "Captain Fury" and "The Wives of Henry VIII," and collaborated with Emily Kimbrough on the comedic travelogue "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay," which became widely celebrated.
Throughout her career, Skinner appeared in various films and television shows, showcasing her versatility as a performer. She was also known for her sharp wit and social commentary in her essays and poetry collections, which included works like "Tiny Garments" and "Nuts in May." Skinner's contributions to the arts were recognized through numerous honorary degrees and accolades, including the Barter Theatre Award for outstanding Broadway acting. Additionally, she served as the second vice president of the Actors' Equity Association, reflecting her commitment to the theater community. Skinner’s legacy continues to resonate in the arts, highlighting her multifaceted talent and enduring influence.
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Subject Terms
Cornelia Otis Skinner
- Born: May 30, 1901
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: July 9, 1979
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Cornelia Otis Skinner was born in 1901 in Chicago, the daughter of actors Otis Skinner and Maud Durbin Skinner. She attended Bryn Mawr College from 1918 to 1919 and then studied theater at the Sorbonne in Paris. She returned to the United States to begin her stage career in 1921 with a role in the Empire Theater production of Blood and Sand. Skinner acted in several more plays before 1926, when she set off on a three- year nationwide tour, performing her own one-woman show.
She had begun writing plays, and her drama Captain Fury was produced in 1925. She wrote two other plays: The Wives of Henry VIII, first produced in 1931, and The Pleasure of His Company, cowritten with Samuel Taylor and published in 1959. Skinner also honed her acting skills under the tutelage of Jacques Copeau, a French actor, drama critic, and producer.
Over the decades, Skinner appeared in numerous stage productions as well as films and television programs. She acted in the films Kismet in 1920 and The Uninvited in 1944, and she later made television appearances on the National Broadcasting Company’s Arthur Murray Show and The Littlest Angel in 1957 and 1962, respectively. She also continued to perform her one-woman shows of sketches.
An essayist and poet as well as an actress, Skinner published such witty and socially conscious essay and poetry collections as Tiny Garments (1932), Nuts in May (1950), and The Ape in Me (1959). Her best-known work is Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, a comic travelogue written in collaboration with Emily Kimbrough and published in 1942. She also wrote a well-received biography of actress Sarah Bernhardt, Madame Sarah (1967).
Skinner married Alden S. Blodget in October, 1928, and the couple had a son, Otis Skinner Blodget. Skinner was the second vice president of the Actors’ Equity Association in 1941, and she also was a member of the Cosmopolitan Club, the Colony Club, and an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa. She was the recipient of many honorary degrees from such institutions as Clark University, the University of Pennsylvania, St. Lawrence University, New York University, the University of Rochester, Temple University, Hofstra University, Mills College, and Tufts College. In addition, she won the Barter Theatre Award in 1952 for outstanding Broadway acting and was named an officer of the Académie Française in 1954.