Eddie Dowling
Encyclopedia
Eddie Dowling was an American
actor
, screenwriter
, playwright
, director, producer
, songwriter
and composer
.
Born Joseph Goucher on December 11, 1889, he was the 14th of 17 children born to a father of French-Canadian descent and a mother of Irish descent in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
. His middle name was either "Narcisse" or "Nelson" (varying sources). He took his professional surname from the maiden name of his mother, Bridget Mary Dowling, who was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island
. His father was Charles Goucher who was born in St Marcel, Province of Québec, Canada.
production of The Glass Menagerie
, opposite Laurette Taylor
and Julie Haydon
. He produced the play's original Chicago
production in 1944, and followed it to Broadway.
; they had two children, Jack and Maxine. Jack Dowling died serving in the Second World War.
in 1976, aged 86. His widow died in 1984, aged 95, in East Hampton, New York
on Long Island
.
seat from Rhode Island
in the following manner, although it is not clear if the entire summary is factual: "His great-grandfather and two great-grand uncles were the founders of Goucher College for Women in Baltimore. He was the 14th in a family of 17 children; his schooling had extended only up to the third grade; he had been a cabin boy and a music hall singer ... and he owned a sausage factory in California."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, director, producer
Theatrical producer
A theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Born Joseph Goucher on December 11, 1889, he was the 14th of 17 children born to a father of French-Canadian descent and a mother of Irish descent in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
. His middle name was either "Narcisse" or "Nelson" (varying sources). He took his professional surname from the maiden name of his mother, Bridget Mary Dowling, who was born in Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
. His father was Charles Goucher who was born in St Marcel, Province of Québec, Canada.
Career
He appeared on stage for many years. His most famous role was as "Tom Wingfield" in the original BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie is a four-character memory play by Tennessee Williams. Williams worked on various drafts of the play prior to writing a version of it as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted...
, opposite Laurette Taylor
Laurette Taylor
Laurette Taylor was an American stage and silent film actress.-Personal life:Laurette Taylor was born in New York City of Irish extraction as Loretta Helen Cooney.-Personal life:...
and Julie Haydon
Julie Haydon
Julie Haydon was an American actress who performed on Broadway and in films.-Early career and films:Born Donella Donaldson in Oak Park, Illinois, Haydon began her acting career when she was 19, touring with Minnie Maddern Fiske in Mrs. Bumstead Leigh...
. He produced the play's original Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
production in 1944, and followed it to Broadway.
Personal life
He was married to the Glasgow, Scotland-born actress and stage performer, Rachel "Ray" Dooley (née Rice; October 30, 1888 — January 28, 1984) who specialized in physical comedyPhysical comedy
Physical comedy, also known as slapstick, is a comedic performance relying mostly on the use of the body to convey humour.Physical comedy, whether conveyed by a pratfall , a silly face, or the action of walking into walls, is a common and rarely subtle form of comedy...
; they had two children, Jack and Maxine. Jack Dowling died serving in the Second World War.
Deaths
Eddie Dowling died in Smithfield, Rhode IslandSmithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
in 1976, aged 86. His widow died in 1984, aged 95, in East Hampton, New York
East Hampton (village), New York
The Village of East Hampton is a village in Town of East Hampton, New York. It is located in Suffolk County, on the South Fork of eastern Long Island...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
Time Magazine reference
Time magazine described Dowling, who sought the 1934 Democratic nomination for the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in the following manner, although it is not clear if the entire summary is factual: "His great-grandfather and two great-grand uncles were the founders of Goucher College for Women in Baltimore. He was the 14th in a family of 17 children; his schooling had extended only up to the third grade; he had been a cabin boy and a music hall singer ... and he owned a sausage factory in California."