Constance Adams DeMille
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Constance Adams DeMille | |
|---|---|
| Born | Constance Adams April 27, 1873 |
| Died | July 17, 1960 (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, US |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Katherine DeMille (adopted) and Richard de Mille (adopted) |
Constance Adams DeMille (April 27, 1873 – July 17, 1960) was an American actress and wife of filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille.
Early life[edit]
Born in Orange, New Jersey,[1] DeMille was the daughter of Judge Fredrick Adams,[2] New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals,[1] and Ella Adams, his first wife. She was raised in East Orange, New Jersey. Her father married a second time, to a woman also named Ella.[citation needed]
Career[edit]
After graduating from school, DeMille headed for the stage. She appeared briefly in Hearts are Trumps in Washington, D. C. and on Broadway, starring in The Man on the Box, from October 1905 to January 1906. She appeared in only one film, playing the part of 'Mrs. Rowland' in Where the Trail Divides (1914). In 1920 while still associated with Famous Players–Lasky, her husband formed his own new company Cecil B. DeMille Productions with his lawyer, Constance and his sister-in-law Ella King Adams who also worked as his script reader.[citation needed]
Personal life[edit]
While performing, she met and later married Cecil Blount DeMille. They married on August 16, 1902, at her parents' home 77 Washington Street, East Orange, New Jersey.[3] Richard DeMille was raised as their adopted son but was in fact the son of Cecil's brother William and Lorna Moon. Richard DeMille wrote about his background in the book My Secret Mother: Lorna Moon.[4]
Death[edit]
On July 17, 1960, DeMille died of pneumonia[5] in Hollywood, aged 86.[1] She is buried in Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery[5] and is remembered by a memorial banyan tree she planted in 1933 along Hilo, Hawaii's Banyan Drive.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Mrs. Cecil B. DeMille". The New York Times. United Press International. July 18, 1960. p. 27. ProQuest 115193929. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Scannell's New Jersey's First Citizens and State Guide ... J. J. Scannell. 1918.
- ^ Eyman, Scott (September 7, 2010). Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-8041-9. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Freeman, David (April 19, 1998). "L. A. Confidential". The New York Times. p. BR 12. ProQuest 109851794. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b "Mrs. De Mille Is Buried". The New York Times. July 20, 1960. p. 29. ProQuest 115092453. Retrieved November 17, 2020 – via ProQuest.