Cornell, Katharine, 1898–1974, American actress, b. Berlin. Cornell made her debut in 1916 with the Washington Square Players. In 1921 she married Guthrie McClintic, a producer-director. From their first production together, The Green Hat in 1925, they proved to be a successful team, with such productions as The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1931, repeated on television, 1956), Saint Joan (1936), Candida (1937), The Doctor's Dilemma (1941), and The Three Sisters (1942). She was often able to carry a weak production on the basis of her strong voice, expressive face, and acting style. Cornell played Mrs. Patrick Campbell in Dear Liar on Broadway in 1960. After McClintic's death in 1961, Cornell retired from the theater.
See her autobiography (1939); G. McClintic, Me and Kit (1955).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Theater: Biographies
