Cornelia Otis Skinner
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Cornelia Otis Skinner (b. May 30, 1901, Chicago, Illinois; d. July 9, 1979, New York, New York) was an American author and actress. She was the daughter of the actor Otis Skinner and his wife Maud (Durbin) Skinner.
After attending Bryn Mawr College (1918-1919) and studying theatre at the Sorbonne in Paris, she began her career on the stage in 1921. She appeared in several plays before embarking on a tour of the United States from 1926 to 1929 in a one-woman performance of short character sketches she herself wrote. She wrote numerous short humorous pieces for publications like The New Yorker. These pieces were eventually compiled into a series of books, including Nuts in May, Dithers and Jitters, Excuse It Please!, and The Ape In Me, among others.
With Emily Kimbrough, she wrote Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, a hilarious description of their European tour after college. Kimbrough and Skinner went to Hollywood to act as consultants on the film of the book, which resulted in We Followed our Hearts to Hollywood.
In later years Skinner wrote "Madame Sarah", a biography of Sarah Bernhardt, and "Elegant Wits and Grand Horizontals" about the Belle Epoque.
She also appeared with Orson Welles on The Campbell Playhouse radio play of The Things We Have on May 26, 1939.
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[edit] Quotes
"It is disturbing to discover in oneself these curious revelations of the validity of the Darwinian theory. If it is true that we have sprung from the ape, there are occasions when my own spring appears not to have been very far."
"One learns in life to keep silent and draw one's own confusions."
"To cement a new friendship, especially between foreigners or persons of a different social world, a spark with which both were secretly charged must fly from person to person, and cut across the accidents of place and time."
"Women have a special corner of their hearts for sins they have never committed."
"Women's virtue is man's greatest invention."
[edit] Filmography
[edit] As an actress
- Kismet (1920)
- The Things We Have (1939)
- The Uninvited (1944)
- General Electric Guest House (1951). Episode dated 1 July 1951 (TV Episode)
- Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955)
- Max Liebman Presents: Dearest Enemy (1955) (TV Episode)
- The Alcoa Hour (1956). Merry Christmas, Mr. Baxter (TV Episode)
- The Swimmer (1968)
[edit] As a writer
- Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944). (Book)
- The Pleasure of His Company (1961). (Play)
- The Girls (1950). (TV Series)
- Edna, His Wife, dramatization of the 1935 novel of the same name by Margaret Ayer Barnes (Play)
[edit] As herself
- Stage Door Canteen (1943)
- Toast of the Town Episode #4.7 (1950). (TV Episode), Episode #4.14 (1950). (TV Episode), Episode #5.32 (1952). (TV Episode) and Episode #7.8 (1953). (TV Episode)
- What's It For (1957). Episode dated 12 October 1957 (TV Episode)
- What's My Line? (1959). Episode dated 29 March 1959 (TV Episode)
- This Is Your Life (1959). Charlie Ruggles (TV Episode)
