Biography for
Constance Cummings (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

15 May 1910, Seattle, Washington, USA

Date of Death

23 November 2005, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Birth Name

Constance Halverstadt

Height

5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography

Coming from a musical family - her mother was a concert soprano - Constance Cummings made her show business debut in 1926 in regional stock theater, and by 1928 had appeared in her first Broadway play. Her success in the theater resulted in an invitation to Hollywood, where she went 1931. Although she played in more than 20 films, she was never really comfortble in Hollywood nor satisfied with the parts she was getting, and in 1934 she left for England, UK. She continued her stage and film career there. but few of those films ever made it back to the U.S.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Benn W. Levy

(3 July 1933 - 7 December 1973) (his death) 2 children

Trivia

Discovered by Samuel Goldwyn while she was appearing on Broadway.

Awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1974.

Won Broadway's 1979 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for "Wings" in a tie with Carole Shelley for "The Elephant Man." Ms. Cummings recreated her Tony-winning performance in a television version with the same title, Wings (1983) (TV).

Graced a number of her husband's plays, including "Accent on Youth" (1934), "Young Madame Conti" (1936), "Madame Bovary" (adapted) (1937), "If I Were You" (1938), "The Jealous God" (1939), "Clutterbuck" (1946), "Return to Tyassi" (1950), "The Rape of the Belt" (191957) and "Public and Confidential" (1966).

Had two children: Jonathan and Jemina.

Daughter of Dallas Vernon, a lawyer, and Kate Logan (Cummings) Halverstadt, a concert soprano.

In 1974, the American-born Cummings, who resided in the UK for many decades, was made a Commander of the British Empire for her contributions to the British entertainment industry.

Was a committee member of the Royal Court Theatre and the Arts Council.

From an early age she wanted to be a classical dancer, but in her mid-teens, after a walk-on bit as a prostitute in a summer stock production of "Seventh Heaven", she switched gears and began acting and dancing in stage musicals.

Won the Tony Award (shared with Carole Shelley in "The Elephant Man"), an Obie Award, and a Drama Desk Award for her twilight role in "Wings" (1979).

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