Edith King

Edith King was born Edith Keck, daughter of John Keck, in White Haven, Pennsylvania in November 14, 1896.^[1][2] She first visited a theater when she was 14, and decided then to pursue an acting career.^[3] She moved to New York City at a young age and promptly arranged a meeting with David Belasco, who gave her a part in his current play, Marie Odile.^[3]

In later life, King lived in Kendall Park, New Jersey, where she owned a small gift shop while continuing her acting career.^[2] In 1972 King moved from Riviera Beach to Daytona Beach, where she died on February 24, 1973.^[1]

King was known as a stage and film actress, with a career spanning over 50 years (from roughly 1916 to 1964).^[1][4] Before her stage career took off, she was an artist's model, working with Howard Chandler Christy for several of his paintings and illustrations.^[3] She appeared in theatrical productions such as Bab (playing the older sister of Helen Hayes's main character)^[5] and Thank You,^[6] and films such as Saratoga.^[7] She worked with Alfred Lunt and his wife in several productions, including The Seagull (as Polina) and The Taming of the Shrew (as the minor characters Curtis and the widow).^[4]

She played Bianca in Paul Robeson's 1943 production of Othello before taking over the role of Emilia in 1944 (replacing Margaret Webster).^[8][9]