Alfred Lunt
Alfred Davis Lunt Jr. (born August 12, 1892 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , † August 3, 1977 in Chicago , Illinois ) was an American film and stage actor .
Life
Alfred Lunt, the son of Finnish parents, was active as an actor at an early age and was on stage on Broadway as early as 1903 . After graduating from school, Lunt continued his acting career in 1917. In his more than 30 plays, Lunt soon developed into one of the most sought-after theater actors of his time, winning the Tony Award in 1959 and two more times .
In 1923, Lunt stood in front of the film camera for the first time in the classic film Backbone . All in all, his film career was relatively manageable with around 9 film roles. His sustained most successful film was the film drama The Guardsman , produced in 1931 , for which Lunt was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in 1932 .
In May 1926, Lunt married actress Lynn Fontanne . The two, who appeared on stage together in over 20 plays, are still considered the first couple in history to act. Both also founded the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in New York City in 1958, where the first play was staged on May 5, 1958, Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Visit of the Old Lady . And even in private the picture of a harmonious marriage seemed to be confirmed, since Lunt and Fontanne had a marriage that lasted 55 years.
Alfred Lunt himself was 84 years old and died of blood cancer in 1977 .
Others
- After Fontanne's death in July 1983, a theater museum was established at the Lunt / Fontanne family estate in Waukesha County, Wisconsin.
- In 1999, a 33-cent stamp with the couple's likeness was sold exclusively in New York City.
- The couple's changeable relationship is said to have served as a model for the main characters in the musical Kiss Me, Kate .
- In JD Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye , the main character Holden Caulfield visits a performance of the couple.
Awards
- 1932: Oscar nomination, Best Actor for: The Guardsman
- 1954: Tony Award / Best Theater Director , for: Ondine
- 1955: Tony Award / Best Actor , for: Quadrille
- 1964: Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 1970: Tony Award (Special Award)
Web links
- Alfred Lunt in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Alfred Lunt in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lunt, Alfred |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lunt, Alfred Davis Jr. (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | US-American actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 12, 1892 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Milwaukee , Wisconsin , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | 3rd August 1977 |
| Place of death | Chicago , Illinois , United States |