Hume Cronyn

He was born in London, Ontario, Canada, one of three children of Hume Blake Cronyn (a businessman and a Member of Parliament for London, and for whom Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory is named) and his wife Frances Amelia Labatt, of the brewing company family. His great-grandfather was Bishop Benjamin Cronyn, founder of Huron College[?] at the University of Western Ontario.

Hume Cronyn studied drama at McGill University, and continued his acting studies under Max Reinhardt and at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts[?]. In 1934, he made his Broadway debut as a janitor in "Hipper's Holiday" and became known for his versatility, playing a number of different roles on stage.

His initial Hollywood film was in 1943 in Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt; he later appeared in that director's Lifeboat[?], and was a writer for the screenplays of Rope and Under Capricorn. He was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in The Seventh Cross in 1944.

Cronyn was married to actress Jessica Tandy from 1942 until her death in September 1994, and appeared with her in many of their more memorable dramatic outings, including The Gin Game[?], Foxfire[?], and Cocoon[?].

He became an American citizen late in life. His 1991 autobiography was called A Terrible Liar[?] (ISBN 0688128440). He married author Susan Cooper in July 1996.

He died at age 91 of prostate cancer at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Broadway appearances

• Hipper's Holiday - 1934
• High Tor - 1937
• There's Always a Breeze - 1938
• Escape This Night - 1938
• Off to Buffalo - 1939
• Three Sisters - 1939
• The Weak Link - 1940
• Retreat to Pleasure - 1940
• Mr. Big - 1941
• Portrait of a Madonna - 1946 (Director)
• The Survivors - 1948
• Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - 1950
• Hilda Crane - 1950
• The Little Blue Light - 1951
• The Fourposter - 1951
• The Honeys - 1955
• A Day By The Sea - 1955
• The Egghead - 1957
• The Man in the Dog Suit - 1958
• Triple Play - 1959
• Big Fish, Little Fish - 1961
• Hamlet - 1964 (Tony Award for role of Polonius)
• The Physicists - 1964
• Slow Dance on the Killing Ground - 1964
• A Delicate Balance - 1966
• Promenade, All! - 1972
• Noël Coward in Two Keys - 1974
• The Gin Game - 1977 (performed, produced)
• Foxfire - 1982 (performed, wrote play and lyrics)
• The Petition - 1986

Film appearances

• Shadow of a Doubt - 1943
• Phantom of the Opera[?] - 1943
• The Cross of Lorraine - 1943
• Lifeboat[?] - 1944
• The Seventh Cross - 1944
• Main Street After Dark - 1945
• The Sailor Takes a Wife - 1945
• A Letter for Evie - 1945
• Ziegfeld Follies - 1946
• The Postman Always Rings Twice[?] - 1946
• The Green Years - 1946
• The Beginning or the End - 1947
• Brute Force - 1947
• The Bride Goes Wild - 1948
• Top o' the Morning - 1949
• People Will Talk - 1951
• Crowded Paradise - 1956
• The Moon and Sixpence - 1959 (television)
• A Doll's House - 1959 - (television)
• Juno and the Paycock - 1960 - (television)
• Sunrise at Campobello - 1960
• Cleopatra - 1963
• Hamlet - 1964
• The Arrangement - 1969
• Gaily, Gaily - 1969
• There Was a Crooked Man... - 1970
• The Parallax View - 1974
• Conrack - 1974
• Rollover - 1981
• Honky Tonk Freeway - 1981
• The Gin Game[?] - 1981 - (television)
• The World According to Garp - 1982
• Impulse - 1984
• Brewster's Millions - 1984
• Cocoon[?] - 1985
• *batteries not included - 1987
• Foxfire[?] - 1987 - (television)
• Cocoon: The Return - 1988
• Day One - 1989 - (television)
• Age-Old Friends - 1989 - (television)
• Christmas on Division Street - 1991 - (television)
• Broadway Bound - 1992 - (television)
• To Dance with the White Dog - 1993) - (television)
• The Pelican Brief - 1993
• Camilla - 1994
• Marvin's Room[?] - 1996
• 12 Angry Men - 1997 - (television)
• Seasons of Love - 1998 - (television)
• Sea People - 1999 - (television)
• Santa and Pete - 1999 - (television)
• Yesterday's Children - 2000 - (television)
• Off Season - 2001 - (television)
• Alone - 1997- (television)