Maude Simmons | |
|---|---|
 Simmons inNo Way Out (1950) | |
| Born | (1893-10-02)October 2, 1893 Augusta, Georgia, US |
| Died | September 30, 1951(1951-09-30) (aged 57) New York City, US |
| Education | Howard University |
| Notable work | Portrait of Jennie No Way Out |
Maude Simmons (October 2, 1893 – September 30, 1951) was an American singer and actress on the stage and screen. She is best known for her film roles inPortrait of Jennie (1948) andNo Way Out (1950). Simmons also performed over nearly 20 years onBroadway, as part of the original cast ofShow Boat andFinian's Rainbow, as well as many other musical theatre roles. In the 1947 original cast recording forFinian's Rainbow, she sang "Necessity" with Dolores Martin. Over the course of her career, she portrayed the mother of African American characters played byPaul Robeson andSidney Poitier.
Simmons was born inAugusta, Georgia, on October 2, 1893.[1][2] She was awarded aRoland Hayes scholarship toHoward University, where she studied withLulu Vere Childers.[1]
Simmons moved to New York City and was soon cast in the originalBroadway production ofShow Boat, as part of the ensemble.[1][3] The hit musical, which opened on May 19, 1932, launched the career ofPaul Robeson.[1] She stayed withShow Boat for four years.[1]
In 1937, Simmons sang originalNegro spirituals written byArthur Schwartz as part ofWill Vodery's choir inVirginia.[3][1][4] She then appeared inSing Out the News, which ran from 1937 to 1938, in which she played the fortune teller and guest.[1][3]
In 1940, Simmons was reunited with Robeson, playing his mother inJohn Henry.[1][3] In 1943, she played Mother Kanda in a revival ofRun, Little Chillun.[5][3]
From 1947, Simmons was part of the original cast ofFinian's Rainbow.[3][1] For the original cast recording, she sang the song "Necessity" with Dolores Martin and the Lyn Murray Singers with an orchestra under the direction ofRay Charles.[6] Simmons subsequently toured withFinian's Rainbow and performed at thePhilharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1949.[1]The California Eagle called her a "brilliant dramatic actress and singer" whose performance was "outstanding".[1][7] Later that year, she toured withFinian's Rainbow to San Francisco, but took a leave of absence from the show after she was cast in the filmNo Way Out.[8]
Simmons appeared as Lady inJunction 88, a musical produced byAlfred N. Sack and directed byGeorge P. Quigley with songs written byJ. Augustus Smith.[9]
Her first major motion picture role was in the 1948 filmPortrait of Jennie, withJennifer Jones,Joseph Cotten,Lillian Gish andEthel Barrymore.[8] The project was filming in New York, and Simmons,David Wayne andAlbert Sharpe, all appearing onstage inFinian's Rainbow, were recruited by producerDavid O. Selznick[10] to perform simultaneously inPortrait of Jennie.[11] Simmons played the part of Clara Morgan, a "kindly theatre dresser" who knew Jennie as a child, after she was cast in the role overHattie McDaniel by Selznick.[12][13] Author Jacqueline T. Lynch has argued that Clara as played by Simmons is "an African-American character which is not stereotyped or demeaned".[13]
Simmons's final film role was in the 1950 filmNo Way Out, adapted from a novel byLesser Samuels.[14][15] She played the mother of Dr. Luther Brooks, portrayed bySidney Poitier in his film debut.[16][17][18] Literary scholar Barbara Lupack has noted that "the film's positive portrayal of a black middle class family, including Luther Brooks' attractive wife Cora (Mildred Joanne Smith), his pleasant mother (Maude Simmons), and their supportive friends" was unusual for this period of American film-making.[16]
Simmons died in New York City on Sunday, September 30, 1951, at the age of 57.[19][20]
Simmons's films include:
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| Other | |
