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Sandy Dennis

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Sandy Dennis
Dennis in 1967
Born
Sandra Dale Dennis

(1937-04-27)April 27, 1937
Hastings, Nebraska,U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 1992(1992-03-02)(aged 54)
Westport, Connecticut,U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1956–1991
Partners

Sandra Dale Dennis(April 27, 1937 – March 2, 1992) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the dramaSplendor in the Grass(1961). For her performance in the comedy-drama filmWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966), she received theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Dennis appeared in the filmsUp the Down Staircase(1967),The Fox(1967),Sweet November(1968),That Cold Day in the Park(1969),The Out-of-Towners(1970),God Told Me To(1976),The Four Seasons(1981),Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean(1982), andAnother Woman(1988). Her final film appearance came in the crime drama filmThe Indian Runner(1991).

Dennis had a successful career on stage, appearing in the original stage production ofCome Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.For her performance in the playA Thousand Clowns,she received theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.For her performance in the playAny Wednesday,she received theTony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Dennis was a renowned animal activist. She rescued stray cats from the bowels ofGrand Central Terminal.At the time of her death in Westport, Connecticut, she lived with more than 20 cats, who were adopted out by longtime friends to new homes.

Early life[edit]

Dennis was born inHastings, Nebraska,the daughter of Yvonne (née Hudson), a secretary, and Jack Dennis, a postal clerk.[1][2]Her parents divorced in 1966 after 38 years of marriage.[3]She had one brother, Frank, who was eight years older. Dennis grew up inKenesaw, Nebraska,andLincoln, Nebraska,graduating fromLincoln High Schoolin 1955; one of her classmates was writer and comedianDick Cavett.[4]She attendedNebraska Wesleyan Universityand theUniversity of Nebraska,appearing in the Lincoln Community Theater Group before moving toNew York Cityat age 19.[5]She studied acting atHB Studio[6]in New York City.

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Dennis made her television debut in 1956 in the soap operaThe Guiding Light.

She had an early break when cast as an understudy in the Broadway production ofWilliam Inge'sThe Dark at the Top of the Stairs(1957) directed byElia Kazan.Kazan cast Dennis in her first feature film, a small part inSplendor in the Grass(1961), which starredNatalie WoodandWarren Beatty.

Dennis was cast inFace of a Hero(1960) on Broadway alongsideJack Lemmon.The play had only a short run, but Dennis received good notices.The Complaisant Lover(1961–62) byGraham Greenewas more successful, running for 101 performances;Michael RedgraveandGoogie Witherswere also in the cast.

Broadway stardom[edit]

Dennis achieved Broadway fame with her leading role inHerb Gardner'sA Thousand Clowns(1962–63), for which she won a Tony award for her performance alongsideJason Robards.[7]The show ran for 428 performances.[8]

Around this time, Dennis guest-starred on episodes of the TV seriesNaked City( "Idylls of a Running Back", 1962, "Carrier", 1963),The Fugitive( "The Other Side of the Mountain", 1963),Arrest and Trial( "Somewhat Lower Than the Angels" 1964), andMr. Broadway( "Don't Mention My Name in Sheboygan", 1964).[9]She was the lead of the Broadway comedyAny Wednesday(1964–66), which ran for 983 performances[10]and won her a second Tony.[7]

Film stardom[edit]

Dennis' second film role was as Honey, the fragile, neurotic young wife ofGeorge Segal's character, inWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966). Directed byMike Nicholsand starringElizabeth TaylorandRichard Burton,the film was a huge critical and commercial success and Dennis won theOscarforBest Supporting Actressfor her role.[11]

Dennis inUp the Down Staircase(1967)

Dennis returned to the stage in a production ofThe Three Sisters(1966) withGeraldine PageandKim Stanleythat went to London and was filmed.

Dennis' first lead role in a movie was inUp the Down Staircase(1967), directed byRobert Mulligan.In his review forThe New York Times,Bosley Crowthercited her for "a vivid performance of emotional range and depth… engagingly natural, sensitive, literate and thoroughly moving."[12]The film was a box-office success, as wasThe Fox(1967), directed byMark Rydell,despite its controversial subject matter. In 1967 Dennis was voted the 18th biggest star in the US.[13]

Dennis briefly returned to Broadway to star inDaphne in Cottage D(1967), which had a short run.

She starred inSweet November(1968) as a terminally ill woman who takes multiple lovers, and made a TV version of the playA Hatful of Rain(1968).

Dennis went to London to star inA Touch of Love(1969), alternately titledThank You All Very Muchin the USA, which flopped at the box office.That Cold Day in the Park(1969) did not fare much better, despite being directed byRobert Altman.The Out-of-Towners(1970), aNeil Simoncomedy withJack Lemmon,was a hit.[9]

Television and supporting roles[edit]

Dennis made a TV movie withStuart Whitman,Only Way Out Is Dead(1970). She returned to Broadway forHow the Other Half Loves(1971) byAlan Ayckbourn,which ran for over 100 performances, then did another TV movieSomething Evil(1972), directed bySteven Spielberg,which drew a mixed reception.

Let Me Hear You Smile(1973) on Broadway only lasted one performance, butAbsurd Person Singular(1974–76) was a big hit, running 591 performances.

In 1974 she playedJoan of Arcin the pilot ofWitness to Yesterday,Patrick Watson's series of interviews with great figures out of the past.

Dennis was inMr. Sycamore(1975) withJason Robardsand had a small role in the low-budget horror filmGod Told Me To(1976) byLarry Cohen.Her performance in the British comedyNasty Habits(1977) drew harsh criticism fromVincent Canbyin theNew York Times.[14]

Dennis guest starred inPolice Story( "Day of Terror... Night of Fear", 1978), and starred in the TV moviesPerfect Gentlemen(1979) (written byNora Ephron), andWilson's Reward(1981). On Broadway she briefly joined the cast of the long-runningSame Time, Next Year.

She had a well-received part inAlan Alda'sThe Four Seasons(1981) and was inThe Supporting Cast(1981) on Broadway forGene Saks.She was in the stage production and film version ofRobert Altman'sCome Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean(1982).[9]

Later career[edit]

In the mid- and late 1980s, Dennis acted less, owing to growing health problems. She appeared on TV inYoung People's Specials( "The Trouble with Mother", 1985),The Love Boat( "Roommates/Heartbreaker/Out of the Blue", 1985),Alfred Hitchcock Presents( "Arthur, or the Gigolo", 1985) andThe Equalizer( "Out of the Past", 1986). In motion pictures, she had supporting roles in a 1986 remake ofLaughter in the Dark,which was never completed,Woody Allen'sAnother Woman(1988), and the horror films976-EVIL(1989) andParents(1989).

Her final role was in the crime dramaThe Indian Runner,filmed in 1990 and released in 1991. The movie markedSean Penn's debut as a film director. ActorViggo Mortensen,who played one of her two sons, wrote of the preparations for the movie and filming in the vicinity ofOmaha, Nebraska:

When I first met with Sean Penn and his producer,Don Phillips,to discuss the possibility of my playing Frank, one of the first questions I asked them was who, if anyone, they had in mind to play the mother. When Sean answered that he did not want to consider anyone other than Sandy Dennis for the part, I couldn't have been happier, or more in agreement. Aside from my feelings for her as a friend, I believed she would be a great asset to the movie and would inspire us all to do our best. This proved to be true. As it turned out, most of her work was cut from the movie. This was not due to any shortcoming on her part. On the contrary, she was brilliant throughout… She was working on a level far above the rest of us. The concentration and vulnerability that she invested in the scene were remarkable. Heart-breaking. The fact that most of us knew that she was dying of ovarian cancer as she showed us the emotional disintegration of the character made the experience all the more poignant.[15]

Death[edit]

Dennis died fromovarian canceron March 2, 1992, at her home inWestport, Connecticut,at age 54.[16]

Personal life[edit]

Dennis lived with prominent jazz musicianGerry Mulliganfrom 1965 to 1974. In October 1965, her hometown newspaper,The Lincoln Star,published anAssociated Pressarticle stating she and Mulligan had married in Connecticut in June of that year.[17]In a 1989 interview withPeople,however, Dennis admitted that they only pretended to be married after she unintentionally became pregnant.[3]Dennis miscarried, adding, "If I'd been a mother, I would have loved the child, but I just didn't have any connection with it when I was pregnant... I never, ever wanted children. It would have been like having an elephant."[3]

From 1980 to 1985, Dennis lived with actorEric Roberts,nineteen years her junior. On June 4, 1981, her German Shepherd was riding with Roberts when he crashed his vehicle into a tree. Roberts, who was under the influence of cocaine at the time, was in a coma for 72 hours and had to withdraw from the Broadway showMass Appeal.[18]Dennis' dog survived the accident.[3]She and Roberts were engaged to be married in spring 1983, but the ceremony never took place.[19]

Dennis' sexual orientation was subjected to public discussion as early as 1968, when the scandal magazineUncensoredran a story that labeled her a lesbian.[20]In an article published less than four years after Dennis' death, Eric Roberts identified her as bisexual.[21][22][23][24]According to Roberts, Dennis told him she had many lesbian relationships and that she "appreciated the beauty of women. But she also liked and appreciated what a very, very young man could do to a woman, I suppose."[25]

During Dennis' lifetime, in-depth published interviews with her, such as one withThe Christian Science Monitorduring her stint performing in an ensemble cast at theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Artsin 1981, made no mention of close relationships with women. That interview included the following exchange about her marital status:

At one point I say, "When you were married to Gerry Mulligan..." but she breaks in, tersely: "I was never married to anybody." I point out that "Who's Who" says she was married to Mulligan.

She says, "It's not—I'm not fussy about that—the truth is I was never married. We had a long association but we never married..."

But there it is in Current Biography: "In June, 1965, after a three-week courtship, Sandy Dennis was married to Gerry Mulligan, the jazz saxophonist and composer."

She sits bolt upright and repeats: "I've never been married. And I'm not fussy about it. It's just the truth is, that I was never married. It isn't true that I was ever married, which means that I never got a divorce. The newspapers jumped to that conclusion. It's so hard to get to somebody and say... Oh, they're so funny about it."[26]

Dennis also dated actorGerald S. O'Loughlin.[27]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1961 Splendor in the Grass Kay
1966 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? "Honey" Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Laurel Award for Top Female Supporting Performance
Laurel Award for Top Female New Face
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
The Three Sisters Irina
1967 Up the Down Staircase Sylvia Barrett Moscow International Film Festival Best Actress Award(tied withGrynet MolvigforA Time in the Sun)
The Fox Jill Banford
1968 Sweet November Sara Deever
1969 A Touch of Love Rosamund Stacey
That Cold Day in the Park Frances Austen
1970 The Out of Towners Gwen Kellerman Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated—Laurel Award for Top Female Comedic Performance
1975 Mr. Sycamore Jane Gwilt
1976 God Told Me To Martha Nicholas
1977 Nasty Habits Sister Winifred
1981 The Four Seasons Anne Callan
1982 Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Mona
1986 Laughter in the Dark Unknown
1988 Another Woman Claire
976-EVIL Aunt Lucy Wilmoth
1989 Parents Millie Dew
1991 The Indian Runner Mrs. Roberts Final film role

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1956 Guiding Light Alice Holden Unknown episodes
1962 Naked City Eleanor Ann Hubber Episode: "Idylls of a Running Back"
1963 Naked City Lorraine Episode: "Carrier"
The Fugitive Cassie Bolin Episode: "The Other Side of the Mountain"
1964 Arrest and Trial Molly White Episode: "Somewhat Lower Than the Angels"
Mr. Broadway Patricia Kelsey Episode: "Don't Mention My Name in Sheboygan"
1968 A Hatful of Rain Celia Pope Television film
1970 Only Way Out Is Dead Dr. Enid Bingham Television film
1972 Something Evil Marjorie Worden Television film
1978 Police Story Sharon Bristol Episode: "Day of Terror... Night of Fear"
Perfect Gentlemen Sophie Rosenman Television film
1980 Wilson's Reward Martha James Television film
1985 The Execution Elsa Spahn Television film
The Love Boat Gina Caldwell Episode: "Roommates/Heartbreakers/Out of the Blue"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Helen Episode: "Arthur, or the Gigolo"
Young People's Specials Patricia Benson Episode: "The Trouble with Mother"
1986 The Equalizer Kay Wesley Episode: "Out of the Past"

Theater[edit]

Run Title Role Notes
Dec. 5, 1957–Jan. 17, 1959 The Dark at the Top of the Stairs Reenie Flood / Flirt Conroy Understudy
Oct. 20, 1960–Nov. 19, 1960 Face of a Hero Millicent Bishop Theatre World Award
Nov. 1, 1961−Jan. 27, 1962 The Complaisant Lover Ann Howard
Apr. 5, 1962−Apr. 13, 1963 A Thousand Clowns Sandra Markowitz Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
Feb. 18, 1964−Jun. 26, 1966 Any Wednesday Ellen Gordon Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
Oct. 15, 1967–Nov. 18, 1967 Daphne in Cottage D Daphne
Mar. 29, 1971–Jun. 26, 1971 How the Other Half Loves Teresa Phillips
Jan. 16, 1973 Let Me Hear You Smile Hannah Heywood
Oct. 8, 1974−Mar. 6, 1976 Absurd Person Singular Eva
Mar. 14, 1975–Sept. 3, 1978 Same Time, Next Year Doris Replacement
Aug. 6, 1981–Sept. 5, 1981 The Supporting Cast Sally
Feb. 18, 1982–Apr. 4, 1982 Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Mona

References[edit]

  1. ^Peter Shelley (8 November 2013).Sandy Dennis: The Life and Films.McFarland.ISBN978-1-4766-0589-0.
  2. ^"The Hour - Google News Archive Search".
  3. ^abcdHutchings, David."The Queen of Artfully Oddball Roles Finds Peace as a Cat-Crazed Recluse".People Magazine.Time, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-03-31.Retrieved2011-08-29.
  4. ^Lincoln High School (1955).The Links, vol. 39.Lincoln, NE: Lincoln High School. p. 38.
  5. ^Sandy Dennis.Yahoo Movies.
  6. ^HB Studio Alumni
  7. ^ab"WINNERS (SANDY DENNIS)".Tony Awards.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  8. ^"A Thousand Clowns".IBDB.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  9. ^abc"Sandy Dennis".IMDb.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  10. ^"Any Wednesday".IBDB.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  11. ^"Results".Oscars.org.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  12. ^Daniels, Lee A. (March 5, 1992)."Sandy Dennis, Veteran Actress And Prize Winner, Is Dead at 54".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  13. ^'Star Glitter Is Catching' By Richard L. Coe.The Washington Post and Times-Herald(1959–1973) [Washington, D.C] 07 Jan 1968: H1.
  14. ^Canby, Vincent (19 March 1977)."'Nasty Habits' of Nuns in Politics ".New York Times.Retrieved20 March2015.
  15. ^Mortensen, Viggo(August 7, 2008)."Missing Sandy Dennis".focusfeatures.
  16. ^Daniels, Lee A."Sandy Dennis, Veteran Actress And Prize Winner, Is Dead at 54"The New York Times,March 5, 1992
  17. ^"Actress Sandy Dennis, Lincoln Native, Is Wed".The Lincoln Star.16 October 1965 – viaNewspapers.
  18. ^Kelly, Kevin (October 4, 1981). "Eric Roberts has 'Mass Appeal'".The Boston Globe.p. B16.
  19. ^Baker, James M. (February 5, 1984). "An actor takes on the role of a loser".The Philadelphia Inquirer.p. 2-M.
  20. ^Uncensored.August 1968.
  21. ^Kroll, Gerry (February 6, 1996)."Resurrection".The Advocate.No. 700. p. 44.
  22. ^Stern, Keith (2009).Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals.Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books. p. 138.ISBN978-1933771878.
  23. ^Hadleigh, Boze (1996).Hollywood Lesbians.New York City: Barricade Books. p. 246.ISBN1569800677.
  24. ^Zimmerman, Bonnie (1999).Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1.New York City:Routledge.p. 375.ISBN0815319207.Retrieved19 March2015.
  25. ^Shelley, Peter (2013).Sandy Dennis: The Life and Films.Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland.ISBN978-0786471973.Retrieved19 March2015.
  26. ^Sweeney, Louise (August 20, 1981)."Sandy Dennis; The Talent Shows, the Cats Don't".Christian Science Monitor.RetrievedNovember 25,2016.
  27. ^"Family & Companions".TCM.

External links[edit]

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