Carrie W. Colburn

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Carrie W. Colburn (c. 1859 – May 23, 1932) was an American theater and silent film actor, as well as a playwright. She sometimes acted on the stage under the name Ray Harrison.[1][2]

Life and career[edit]

Colburn was born in 1858[2] or 1859[3] in Gardiner, Maine. Her brother was Frank S. Colburn.[1]

She wrote plays, skits, and acted in theatrical productions, including in Little Minister by J. M. Barrie and Over the Hill.[4]

She wrote the three-act, comedy play His Last Chance or The Little Joker.[3][5] In 1893, a performance of the play was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[6] That year in September, the play was produced in Winthrop Centre in Massachusetts,[5] after she was living in the area for the summer.[7] The year after, the play was produced in Boston, with Trixie Friganza playing the lead, and Colburn playing as a character named Buttons.[8] Later on, His Last Chance was plagiarized and republished under the name My Uncle from India and My Uncle; the plagiarized version was produced by at least four acting companies.[9]

Colburn wrote a "society comedy" play titled Bob's Uncle, which was produced in Boston in 1894. During the performance, Colburn played the part of a boy.[10] She wrote the war drama play, The Girl in Blue, which premiered in March 1894 at the Columbia Theater in Boston; during the performance, she played the part of a "youngster". Half of the proceeds from the production were planned to be donated to charity.[11][12] After the performance at Columbia, Colburn was quoted in the Boston Globe asking for the public to "suspend judgement" until a better performance of the play was produced, stating her work wasn't represented properly.[13]

In 1894, Colburn was the manager of the Star school of acting, based in Boston. That same year, she started a stock company that was meant to perform in suburban towns.[14][15]

Once motion pictures began gaining popularity, Colbrun left stage acting to become an actor in films.[4] She played as the parson's mother in the film, Smilin' Through,[16] which was released in 1922.

Colburn retired from acting later in her life.[17] At the time of her death, she was living with Sarah Bird, a retired actress and musician who previously worked in the theater. She died on May 23, 1932, at her home in Manhattan, New York City.[1][16] She was buried by the Actors Fund of America.[1] After her death, a neighbor mentioned she was sick for the week prior.[16]

Works[edit]

  • Bob's Uncle (c. 1894)[10]
  • The Girl in Blue (c. 1894)[12]
  • His Last Chance; or, The Little Joker. A Comedy in Three Acts (1895) - published by W. Baker (Baker's Edition of Plays)[18]
  • Superno (c. 1897)[19] - music composed by Fred Arundel
  • A Romantic Rogue. A Comedy-Drama in One Act (c. 1902) - published by W. Baker (Baker's Edition of Plays)[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Carrie Colburn Dies". Times Union. 24 May 1932. p. 12A. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). Silent Film Necrology. McFarland. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-7864-1059-0.
  3. ^ a b Truitt, Evelyn Mack (1977). Who was who on screen. Bowker. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-8352-0914-4. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Carrie Colburn, Once Prominent On Stage, Dies". Chicago Tribune. 24 May 1932. p. 14. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "From Monday's Eagle". The Berkshire County Eagle. 24 December 1902. p. 11. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  6. ^ "A Society Comedy". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 23 May 1893. p. 8. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  7. ^ "At the Resorts". The Philadelphia Times. 16 August 1893. p. 4. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Foyer and Greenroom Gossip". The Boston Globe. 30 September 1894. p. 23. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Music and Drama". Boston Evening Transcript. 16 June 1899. p. 20. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Theatres and Concerts". Boston Evening Transcript. 6 April 1894. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  11. ^ ""The Girl in Blue"". The Boston Globe. 30 March 1894. p. 4. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Amusement Notes". The Boston Globe. 25 March 1894. p. 23. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Amusement notes". The Boston Globe. 3 April 1894. p. 7. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Drama and Music". The Boston Globe. 9 September 1894. p. 24. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Foyer and Greenroom Gossip". The Boston Globe. 14 October 1894. p. 18. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  16. ^ a b c "Just Wraiths of Broadway Left Now, For Carrie Colburn Is Dead". The Pittsburgh Press. 26 May 1932. p. 12. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Carrie Colburn". Variety. Vol. 106, no. 12. New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. May 31, 1932. p. 63.
  18. ^ a b Plays by early American women, 1775-1850. University of Michigan Press. 1995. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-472-06598-1. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Dramatic Notes". Democrat and Chronicle. 6 June 1897. p. 11. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
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