Cecil Cunningham
Cunningham in 1912
Born	Edna Cecil Cunningham (1888-08-02)August 2, 1888 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	April 17, 1959(1959-04-17) (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Chapel Of The Pines Crematory
Occupation(s)	Stage and film actress, singer, dancer, comedian
Years active	1906–1957
Spouse	Jean C. Havez (1915–1917) (divorced)

Edna Cecil Cunningham (August 2, 1888 – April 17, 1959)^[1] was an American film and stage actress, singer, and comedienne.

Early years

Cunningham's early experience in music came as a member of the choir in the Fifth Baptist Church in St. Louis.^[2]

Career

Cunningham's first show business job was in the chorus line of Mlle. Modiste at the age of 18. She trained as a singer and appeared in opera. She worked as a vaudeville comedian at the Palace Theatre in New York City until the commencement of her movie career in 1929.

Cunningham's Broadway credits include Somewhere Else (1913), Iolanthe (1913), Oh, I Say! (1913), Maids of Athens (1914), Dancing Around (1914), Greenwich Village Follies (1919), The Rose of China (1919), and Dance With Your Gods (1934).^[3] She also performed in Paris with the Boston Grand Opera Company, singing in Italian operas.^[4]

Cunningham was a Hollywood character actress with whitish hair cut like a man's, often in roles as a general "know-it-all".^[1] She made more than 80 appearances in movies from 1929 to 1946, many of them uncredited.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Cunningham was married to writer Jean C. Havez from 1915 to 1917.^[1]

Death

On April 17, 1959, Cunningham died of heart disease at the Motion Picture Country Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was 70 years old. Her remains are interred in Chapel of the Pines Crematory.^[1]

Complete filmography