Jeanne Eagels (born Eugenia Eagles; June 26, 1890 – October 3, 1929) was an American stage and film actress.[1] A former Ziegfeld Girl, Eagels went on to greater fame on Broadway and in the emerging medium of sound films. She was posthumously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her 1929 role in The Letter after dying suddenly that year at the age of 39.
Eugenia Eagles[2] was the second of six children born to Edward, of German and French Huguenot descent, and his wife Julia Eagles (née Sullivan), who was of Irish descent.[3] Her birth year – depending on the source – is given as 1888,[4] 1890 (official bio year), 1891,[4] 1892, [5] 1893[6] (death certificate), or 1894.[7] Jeanne, who later changed the spelling of her surname to "Eagels", would later claim that her father was a Spanish architect and she was born in Boston. In reality, she was born in Kansas City, Missouri and her father was a carpenter.[8]
Eagels attended St. Joseph's Catholic School and Morris Public School. She quit school shortly after her First Communion to work as a cash girl in a department store.[3]
Career
Eagels began her acting career at a young age in Kansas City, appearing in a variety of small venues. She left Kansas City around the age of 15 and toured the midwestern U.S. with the Dubinsky Brothers' traveling theater show as a dancer. She later played the leading lady in several comedies and dramas put on by the Dubinskys. As a teenager, she married Morris Dubinsky, who frequently played a villain.
Around 1911, she moved to New York City, working in chorus lines and eventually becoming a Ziegfeld Girl. Her hair was brown, but she bleached it when she went to New York. During this period, one of her acting coaches was Beverley Sitgreaves. She was in the supporting cast of Mind the Paint Girl at the Lyceum Theatre in September 1912. Eagels played opposite George Arliss in three plays in 1916 and 1917.
In 1915, she appeared in her first motion picture. She also made three films for Thanhouser Film Corporation in 1916–17. In 1918, she appeared in Daddies, a David Belasco production. She quit this show due to illness and subsequently traveled to Europe. She appeared in several other Broadway shows between 1919 and 1921.
In 1922, she had her first starring role, in the play Rain by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, based on a short story by W. Somerset Maugham. In this, her favorite role,[citation needed] Eagels played Sadie Thompson, a free-wheeling and promiscuous spirit who confronts a fire-and-brimstone preacher on a South Pacific island. She went on tour with Rain for two more seasons and returned to Broadway to give a farewell performance in 1926.
Eagels with George Arliss in the Broadway play Hamilton, 1917
In 1926, Eagels was offered the part of Roxie Hart in Maurine Dallas Watkins's play Chicago, but she walked out during rehearsals. She next appeared in the comedy Her Cardboard Lover (1927) with Leslie Howard, touring for several months. After missing a few performances due to ptomaine poisoning, Eagels returned to the cast in July 1927 for an Empire Theater show.
After a season on Broadway, she took a break to make a movie. She appeared opposite John Gilbert in the MGM film Man, Woman and Sin (1927), directed by Monta Bell. In 1928, after failing to appear for a performance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Eagels was banned from the stage for 18 months by Actors Equity. The ban did not stop Eagels from working in film, and she made two sound films for Paramount Pictures: The Letter and Jealousy (both released in 1929).
Personal life
Eagels was married twice. Her first marriage was to actor Morris Dubinsky whom she married when she was a teenager. The couple reportedly had a son who either died (causing Eagels to have a nervous breakdown) or who was given up for adoption after the couple separated. Eagels and Dubinsky eventually divorced.[9] In August 1925, Eagels married Edward Harris "Ted" Coy, a former football star at Yale University who became a stockbroker. They had no children and divorced in July 1928.[10]
Death and legacy
During the peak of her success, Eagels began abusing drugs and alcohol and eventually developed an addiction. She went to several sanatoriums in an effort to kick her dependency. By the mid-1920s, she had begun using heroin. When she entered her 30s, Eagels began suffering from bouts of ill health that were exacerbated by her excessive substance abuse.[11]
In September 1929, Eagels underwent eye surgery at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. At the time, she was also suffering from breathing problems and neuritis. After a ten-day stay, Eagels returned to her apartment on Park Avenue. On October 3, 1929, Eagels and her secretary walked to the Park Avenue Hospital where Eagels had an appointment. While talking to the doctor, she began having convulsions and died shortly thereafter.[12] The assistant chief medical examiner who performed Eagels' autopsy concluded that she died of "alcoholic psychosis". The medical examiner stated that while Eagels had not consumed alcohol in the two days preceding her death, she had been "acting strangely" and suffering from hallucinations three or four days before she died.[10] Toxicology reports revealed that Eagels still had alcohol in her organs when she died in addition to heroin and chloral hydrate (a sedative that Eagels regularly took to sleep).[12][13] Her death was attributed to an overdose of the chloral hydrate.[13][14][15]
After services in New York at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, Eagels received a second funeral service when her body was returned to Kansas City on October 7, where she was buried in Calvary Cemetery.[16] She was survived by her mother Julia Eagles and several brothers and sisters.[15]
Eagles was nominated posthumously for Best Actress for her role in The Letter at the 2nd Academy Awards in 1930. She was the first performer to be nominated by the Academy after her death, though hers, like all the nominations at the 2nd Academy Awards, was unofficial, being among several actresses "under consideration" by a board of judges.[17]
In 1957, a mostly fictionalized film biography entitled Jeanne Eagels was made by Columbia Pictures, with Eagels portrayed by Kim Novak. Eagels' family sued Columbia over the way Eagels had been depicted in the movie.[18]
Filmography
Eagels featured in The Bellman, Volume 23, July 7, 1917
^Although many biographies state that her birth name was Amelia Jeanne Eagles, her actual birth name was "Eugenia Eagles" according to both the 1900 and 1910 United States Federal Censuses for Kansas City, Missouri
^ abJames, Edward T.; Wilson James, Janet; Boyer, Paul S., eds. (1971). Notable American Women, 1607–1950: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume 1. Harvard University Press. p. 537. ISBN0-674-62734-2.
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This article is about the actress For the film see Jeanne Eagels film Jeanne Eagels born Eugenia Eagles June 26 1890 October 3 1929 was an American stage and film actress 1 A former Ziegfeld Girl Eagels went on to greater fame on Broadway and in the emerging medium of sound films She was posthumously nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her 1929 role in The Letter after dying suddenly that year at the age of 39 Jeanne EagelsBornEugenia Eagles 1890 06 26 June 26 1890Kansas City Missouri U S DiedOctober 3 1929 1929 10 03 aged 39 New York City U S Resting placeCalvary CemeteryOccupationActressYears active1913 1929Spouse s Morris Dubinsky m 1909 div 1911 Edward Harris Ted Coy m 1925 div 1928 wbr Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Death and legacy 5 Filmography 6 See also 7 References 8 Footnotes 9 External linksEarly life EditEugenia Eagles 2 was the second of six children born to Edward of German and French Huguenot descent and his wife Julia Eagles nee Sullivan who was of Irish descent 3 Her birth year depending on the source is given as 1888 4 1890 official bio year 1891 4 1892 5 1893 6 death certificate or 1894 7 Jeanne who later changed the spelling of her surname to Eagels would later claim that her father was a Spanish architect and she was born in Boston In reality she was born in Kansas City Missouri and her father was a carpenter 8 Eagels attended St Joseph s Catholic School and Morris Public School She quit school shortly after her First Communion to work as a cash girl in a department store 3 Career EditEagels began her acting career at a young age in Kansas City appearing in a variety of small venues She left Kansas City around the age of 15 and toured the midwestern U S with the Dubinsky Brothers traveling theater show as a dancer She later played the leading lady in several comedies and dramas put on by the Dubinskys As a teenager she married Morris Dubinsky who frequently played a villain Eagels photographed by Adolph de Meyer in 1921 wearing a dress and cape by Paris couturier Louise Cheruit Around 1911 she moved to New York City working in chorus lines and eventually becoming a Ziegfeld Girl Her hair was brown but she bleached it when she went to New York During this period one of her acting coaches was Beverley Sitgreaves She was in the supporting cast of Mind the Paint Girl at the Lyceum Theatre in September 1912 Eagels played opposite George Arliss in three plays in 1916 and 1917 In 1915 she appeared in her first motion picture She also made three films for Thanhouser Film Corporation in 1916 17 In 1918 she appeared in Daddies a David Belasco production She quit this show due to illness and subsequently traveled to Europe She appeared in several other Broadway shows between 1919 and 1921 In 1922 she had her first starring role in the play Rain by John Colton and Clemence Randolph based on a short story by W Somerset Maugham In this her favorite role citation needed Eagels played Sadie Thompson a free wheeling and promiscuous spirit who confronts a fire and brimstone preacher on a South Pacific island She went on tour with Rain for two more seasons and returned to Broadway to give a farewell performance in 1926 Eagels with George Arliss in the Broadway play Hamilton 1917 In 1926 Eagels was offered the part of Roxie Hart in Maurine Dallas Watkins s play Chicago but she walked out during rehearsals She next appeared in the comedy Her Cardboard Lover 1927 with Leslie Howard touring for several months After missing a few performances due to ptomaine poisoning Eagels returned to the cast in July 1927 for an Empire Theater show After a season on Broadway she took a break to make a movie She appeared opposite John Gilbert in the MGM film Man Woman and Sin 1927 directed by Monta Bell In 1928 after failing to appear for a performance in Milwaukee Wisconsin Eagels was banned from the stage for 18 months by Actors Equity The ban did not stop Eagels from working in film and she made two sound films for Paramount Pictures The Letter and Jealousy both released in 1929 Personal life EditEagels was married twice Her first marriage was to actor Morris Dubinsky whom she married when she was a teenager The couple reportedly had a son who either died causing Eagels to have a nervous breakdown or who was given up for adoption after the couple separated Eagels and Dubinsky eventually divorced 9 In August 1925 Eagels married Edward Harris Ted Coy a former football star at Yale University who became a stockbroker They had no children and divorced in July 1928 10 Death and legacy EditDuring the peak of her success Eagels began abusing drugs and alcohol and eventually developed an addiction She went to several sanatoriums in an effort to kick her dependency By the mid 1920s she had begun using heroin When she entered her 30s Eagels began suffering from bouts of ill health that were exacerbated by her excessive substance abuse 11 In September 1929 Eagels underwent eye surgery at St Luke s Hospital in New York City At the time she was also suffering from breathing problems and neuritis After a ten day stay Eagels returned to her apartment on Park Avenue On October 3 1929 Eagels and her secretary walked to the Park Avenue Hospital where Eagels had an appointment While talking to the doctor she began having convulsions and died shortly thereafter 12 The assistant chief medical examiner who performed Eagels autopsy concluded that she died of alcoholic psychosis The medical examiner stated that while Eagels had not consumed alcohol in the two days preceding her death she had been acting strangely and suffering from hallucinations three or four days before she died 10 Toxicology reports revealed that Eagels still had alcohol in her organs when she died in addition to heroin and chloral hydrate a sedative that Eagels regularly took to sleep 12 13 Her death was attributed to an overdose of the chloral hydrate 13 14 15 After services in New York at the Frank E Campbell Funeral Chapel Eagels received a second funeral service when her body was returned to Kansas City on October 7 where she was buried in Calvary Cemetery 16 She was survived by her mother Julia Eagles and several brothers and sisters 15 Eagles was nominated posthumously for Best Actress for her role in The Letter at the 2nd Academy Awards in 1930 She was the first performer to be nominated by the Academy after her death though hers like all the nominations at the 2nd Academy Awards was unofficial being among several actresses under consideration by a board of judges 17 In 1957 a mostly fictionalized film biography entitled Jeanne Eagels was made by Columbia Pictures with Eagels portrayed by Kim Novak Eagels family sued Columbia over the way Eagels had been depicted in the movie 18 Filmography Edit Eagels featured in The Bellman Volume 23 July 7 1917 Year Title Role Notes1913 The Ace of Hearts1913 The Bride of the Sea1914 A Lesson in Bridge Mrs Willis1915 The House of Fear Grace Cramp1916 The World and the Woman A Woman of the Streets1917 The Fires of Youth Billy s Sister Credited as Jeanne Eagles1917 Under False Colors Countess Olga1918 The Cross Bearer Liane de Merode1919 The Madonna of the Slums1927 Man Woman and Sin Vera Worth1929 The Letter Leslie Crosbie Nominated Academy Award for Best Actress1929 Jealousy Yvonne Lost filmSee also EditList of actors with Academy Award nominationsReferences Edit1900 United States Federal Census Kansas City Jackson County Missouri June 4 1900 ED 111 p 5 1910 United States Federal Census Kansas City Ward 9 Jackson County Missouri Enumeration District 111 Blum Daniel 1952 Great Stars of the American Stage Page 80 Kansas City Star Edward W Eagles Mortuary Notice February 15 1910 Kansas City Star Another Kansas City Girl Arrives October 5 1913 Page 15 Kansas City Post Jeanne Eagles passes up Wales to play Rain before mother April 10 1925 p 29 New York Times This Week To See Rush Of New Plays September 8 1912 Page X4 New York Times Jeanne Eagels Playing Again July 13 1927 Page 20 New York Times The Vacillating Vampire December 5 1927 Page 26 Footnotes Edit Obituary Variety October 16 1929 page 67 Although many biographies state that her birth name was Amelia Jeanne Eagles her actual birth name was Eugenia Eagles according to both the 1900 and 1910 United States Federal Censuses for Kansas City Missouri a b James Edward T Wilson James Janet Boyer Paul S eds 1971 Notable American Women 1607 1950 A Biographical Dictionary Volume 1 Harvard University Press p 537 ISBN 0 674 62734 2 a b Details about Eugenia eagles Ancestry com Passenger list Ancestry com Death certificate Ancestry com Passenger lists passport papers Ancestry com Golden Eve 2000 Golden Images 41 Essays on Silent Film Stars McFarland p 27 ISBN 0 786 48354 7 Golden 2010 p 28 a b Jeanne Eagels Actress Dies In Convulsions The Miami News October 3 1929 p 1 Retrieved September 12 2014 Golden 2010 p 29 a b Golden 2010 p 31 a b Sleep Potion Kills Actress Sarasota Herald Tribune October 5 1929 p 4 Retrieved September 12 2014 Onofrio Jan 2001 Missouri Biographical Dictionary 3 ed North American Book Dist LLC p 220 ISBN 0 403 09598 0 a b Plan Rites For Star The Pittsburgh Press October 5 1929 p 2 Retrieved September 12 2014 Jeanne Eagels Funeral Held The Pittsburgh Press October 7 1929 p 45 Retrieved September 12 2014 O Connor Clint July 13 2008 James Dean Spencer Tracy among posthumous Oscar nods The Plain Dealer Archived from the original on October 14 2012 Retrieved February 23 2014 Erickson Hal 2008 Jeanne Eagels 1957 Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times Archived from the original on June 16 2008 Retrieved April 8 2019 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jeanne Eagels Jeanne Eagels at IMDb Jeanne Eagels tribute site archived Jeanne Eagels at the Internet Broadway Database Jeanne Eagels photographs at New York Public Library Digital Collections Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jeanne Eagels amp oldid 1136516190, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
