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Carolyn Coates
Born
Carolyn Owen Oates

(1927-04-29)April 29, 1927
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2005(2005-03-27) (aged 77)
Branford, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma materUCLA
OccupationActress
Years active1947–2001
SpouseJames Noble (m. 1955)
Children1

Carolyn Owen Coates[1] (April 29, 1927 – March 27, 2005)[2][3][a] was an American stage, film and television actress.[6] Noted for portraying formidable women, Coates earned a Theatre World Award for her performance as Hecuba in The Trojan Women.[3]

Early life and career[edit]

A native of Oklahoma City, Coates was the younger of two daughters born to Jessica Owen and Glenn Clinton Coates.[7] Her parents soon divorced, however, and, as noted in a 1973 interview, subsequent remarriages led to a decidedly unsettled pre-adolescence. As Coates recalled, "I was in 10 different schools before 10th grade." The resulting anxiety made her all the more appreciative upon discovering that "[t]he theater is like a family, like a home—all of the things I missed as a child."[8]

After finally settling in Santa Monica, Coates studied acting at UCLA.[3] There, she gained valuable experience, in roles such as Shakespeare's Juliet,[9][10] Margaret in Thomas Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday (starring opposite a young William Schallert),[11] and Cybel in Eugene O'Neill's The Great God Brown.[12] During this period, Coates also appeared in summer stock with the Bolton Landing Players, earning kudos as Millie in Frederick Jackson's The Bishop Misbehaves,[13] and as Aunt Connie in Mark Reed's Yes, My Darling Daughter.[14]

In 1954, Coates appeared as Agatha in the American premiere of Jean Giraudoux's Electra, staged at the Henry Street Playhouse in New York's Greenwich Village.[15] The following year, she and erstwhile Pygmalion co-star James Noble were wed.[16] Shortly thereafter, and continuing for roughly six years, they became featured performers in Paul J. Curtis's American Mime Theatre.

In 1965, her portrayal of Hecuba in Euripides' The Trojan Women earned Coates a Theatre World Award.[3][17] In December of that year she was narrated "Sibelius: A Symphony for Finland," a 90-minute TV documentary commemorating the composer's centennial, which aired on NET's series Festival of the Arts.[18][19]

In May 1967, Coates co-starred with Martin Sheen, Eugene Roche, Frederick Rolf and Eleanor Phelps on The Catholic Hour, in a series of four episodes addressing the question, "Is God dead?"[20][21]

In 1985, Coates undertook what would later be termed, variously, a nine-year sabbatical or retirement, to volunteer in hospitals and on the phones for AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Gay Men's Health Crisis.[6]

In 2001, New Haven's Long Wharf Theater hosted what would prove to be the actress's swan song, as Coates portrayed Gladys in Kenneth Lonergan's The Waverly Gallery.[3] Hartford Courant critic Malcolm Johnson writes:

This portrait of the mental disintegration of 85-year-old Gladys Green, acted by the tiny Carolyn Coates with shifts from lucidity and humor to crazy jumbles of words, will break the heart of anyone who has ever suffered through the decline of an aged parent or relative. [...] Coates' sometimes playful, sometimes dithering, occasionally volatile performance, sweet, charged with nostalgia and a confusion complicated by deafness, dominates Tillinger's production.[22]

Personal life[edit]

Having first met her future husband four years earlier in Worcester, Massachusetts, playing Eliza Doolittle to his Henry Higgins in a summer stock production of Pygmalion,[3] Coates married actor James Noble in 1955.[16] Their union produced one child, a daughter.[6]

On March 27, 2005, Coates died of cancer at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, Connecticut, survived by her husband and daughter.[3] Her remains are interred at the family plot in Muskogee, Oklahoma,[6] alongside those of her husband.[4]

TV appearances[edit]

TV
TV Show Role Episode Year
Camera Three NA[b] 1961[24]
The Inheritance NA (Voice only) 1965[25]
Jean Sibelius Narrator 1965[18]
New York Television Theatre Elmina Ruggles "The Club Bedroom" 1966[26]
The Catholic Hour Young Woman "A Sense of Loss" 1967[20]
Young Woman "An Abundance of Perspectives" 1967[20]
Young Woman "A Father's Death" 1967[21]
Woman B "Rebirths of Hope" 1967[21]
Critique Herself (reading translations of Russian poetry) "Poets on Street Corners" 1969[27]
Guideline Margaret ("a 35-year-old mother of three who refuses to bear a fourth child";
her abortion "causes estrangement among members of her family.") 		"Whose Life" 1970[28][29]
The Doctors Alice #1.3314 1975
Alice #1.3315 1975
Alice #1.3316 1975
Alice #1.3317 1975
Alice #1.3318 1975
Alice #1.3319 1975
Alice #1.3320 1975
Dallas Nurse "Mastectomy: Part 1" 1979
Knots Landing Karen's Mother "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" 1980
Lou Grant Margaret Carruthers "Search" 1981
The Waltons Elvira Perkins "The Gold Watch" 1981
Palmerstown, U.S.A. "Roadhouse" 1981
Jessica Novac NA "Kenny" 1981[30]
McClain's Law Margaret Stanton "The Sign of the Beast: Part 1" 1982
Benson Mrs. Collingswood "The Honeymooners" 1983
Judge Watson Made in Hong Kong: Part 1 1984
Remington Steele Mayor Amaryllis MacKenzie "Small Town Steele" 1984
Glitter Mrs. Davis "A Minor Miracle" 1984
St. Elsewhere Mrs. Fordham "Saving Face" 1985
Mrs. Fordham "Amazing Face" 1985
Mrs. Fordham "She Rote" 1985

Filmography[edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1961 The Hustler Waitress [31]
1972 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Mrs. McKay [32]
1980 Barn Burning Aunt [33]
Joshua's World NA [34]
Scared Straight! Another Story Mary Loring [35]
1981 The Postman Always Rings Twice Twin Oaks Cutomer [36]
Murder in Texas Helen Fairchild [35]
Mommie Dearest Mother Superior [36]
Incident at Crestridge Mrs. Dobbs [35]
1983 Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land Claire [35]
Blood Feud Kennedy's secretary [35]
1984 The Buddy System Teacher [37]
1985 This Child Is Mine Grace [35]

Playlist[edit]

Plays
Year Play Role Theater Notes
1947 The Great God Brown Cybel UCLA Campus Theatre April 22, 1947 - April 26, 1947[38]
1954 Electra Agatha Henry Street Playhouse April 19, 1954 - April 25, 1954[15]
1963 The Trojan Women Trojan Woman Circle in the Square Downtown December 23, 1963 - ?
1965 And Things That Go Bump in the Night Ruby (Standby) Royale Theatre April 26, 1965 – May 8, 1965
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha (with James Noble as George) Williamstown Theatre Festival July 13, 1965 – July 17, 1965[39]
Three Sisters Olga[40] Williamstown Theatre Festival July 27, 1965 – July 31, 1965[39]
The Trojan Women Hecuba Circle in the Square Downtown September 3, 1965 – ?
The Country Wife Miss Althea Vivian Beaumont Theatre December 9, 1965 – January 23, 1966
1966 The Condemned of Altona Johanna[41] Vivian Beaumont Theatre February 3, 1966 – March 13, 1966
The Caucasian Chalk Circle NA Vivian Beaumont Theatre March 24, 1966 – June 18, 1966
A Whitman Portrait The Woman Gramercy Arts Theatre (October 11, 1966 – ?
1967 The Party on Greenwich Avenue Helen Radmacher Cherry Lane Theatre May 10, 1967 – ?
1968 The Death of Bessie Smith / The American Dream Second Nurse / Mrs. Barker Billy Rose Theatre October 2, 1968 – October 26, 1968
1969 Fire! Lorna Longacre Theatre[42] January 28, 1969 - February 1, 1969
A Scent of Flowers Agnes Martinique Theatre October 20, 1969 – ?
1970 The Disintegration of James M. Cherry Woman Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre January 29, 1970 – ?
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Beatrice Mercer Arts Center April 7, 1970 – ?
1971 All Over The Wife, The Nurse (Standby) Martin Beck Theatre March 28, 1971 – May 1, 1971

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ As per the gravestone photo featured on her Find a Grave page, the middle name Coates was given by her parents was Owen,[4] her mother's maiden name.[5]
  2. ^ On location at Circle in the Square Downtown, performing a scene from Jean Genet's The Balcony; episode also features producer Theodore Mann and director Jose Quintero.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Find a Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W3X8-2X6Z : 9 September 2022), Carolyn Owen Coates Noble, ; Burial, Muskogee, Muskogee, Oklahoma, United States of America, Greenhill Cemetery; citing record ID 160156959, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
  2. ^ Ragan, David (1992). Who's Who in Hollywood : The Largest Cast of International Film Personalities Ever Assembled. New York : Facts on File. p. 300. ISBN 0-8160-2011-6. "BORN: April 29, Oklahoma City, Okla."
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Obituaries: Carolyn Coates". Variety. April 11, 2005. p. 59. ProQuest 236257020. Stage actress Carolyn Coates died March 27 of cancer in Branford, Conn. She was 77. Born in Oklahoma City, she grew up in Santa Monica, and started acting there in children's theater. After majoring in acting at UCLA, she worked in stock companies on the East Coast and met her future husband, James Noble in Worcester, Mass., playing Eliza Doolittle to his Henry Higgins in 'Pygmalion.' [...] She appeared in many plays with Noble, including 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' and 'A Delicate Balance.' They studied with Lee Strasberg and were members of Paul Curtis' American Mime Theater.
  4. ^ a b Carolyn Owen Coates Noble – Photo # 2. Find a Grave.
  5. ^ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6K4H-QZQ8 : 11 February 2023), Jessica Owen in entry for Carolyn Coates, .
  6. ^ a b c d Associated Press (March 31, 2005). "Carolyn Coates, stage actress, AIDS worker". Newsday (Suffolk edition). p. A57.
  7. ^ "Coates Rites Here Tuesday; Funeral Held in Christian Church". The Elk City Daily News. June 9, 1943. p. 1.
  8. ^ Heimlich, Jane (January 18, 1973). "At Home — Cincinnati: A Noble Family of the Theater Settles Into Ft. Adams for a Six-Week Run". The Cincinnati Post. p. 17. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  9. ^ Schallert, Edwin (July 31, 1946). "Drama and Film: A.A. Drama to Be Filmed". Los Angeles Times. pt. II, p. 3.
  10. ^ Von Blon, Katherine (August 1, 1946). "Uclans Score in Bard Play". Los Angeles Times. pt. II, p. 2.
  11. ^ "17th Century Play Billed at UCLA". West Los Angeles Independent.
  12. ^ "Group Offers New Play at U.C.L.A.". Valley Times. April 21, 1947. p. 11.
  13. ^ Dehner, Dorothy (July 28, 1948). "Comedy Is Staged by Bolton Players". The Post-Star. p. 14.
  14. ^ Baker, Priscilla Lee (June 29, 1948). "Bolton Players Stage Play for Preview Audience". The Post-Star. p. 5.
  15. ^ a b "Amusements: Off-Broadway Company Produces Giraudoux 'Electra'". Women's Wear Daily. April 19, 1954. p. 28. ProQuest 1565409412. An Off-Broadway group, the Playhouse Actors Company, lodged in the historic little Henry Street Playhouse, is the first to present a play by Jean Giraudoux, never before seen professionally in this country: 'Electra.' By special permission of Mme. Ninon Tallon Karlweis, who holds the rights to the Giraudoux script, and Winifred Smith, who did the translation, the company will present the play for seven nights opening April 19.
  16. ^ a b "Pigskin Performer?". The News-Messenger. December 5, 1986. p. 20.
  17. ^ Willis, John; Hodges, Ben; eds. (2006). Theatre World. Volume 60: 2003-2004. New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 262. ISBN 1-55783-651-5.
  18. ^ a b "Friday, December 10, 1965; Evening". TV Guide. December 4, 1965. p. A-84.
  19. ^ "Sibelius Finnish Musical Program Scheduled Dec. 10". The North Adams Transcript. December 4, 1965. p. TV-4.
  20. ^ a b c "Sunday, May 14, 1967". TV Guide. May 13, 1967. pp. A-21, A-22.
  21. ^ a b c "May 28, 1967; Sunday Morning". TV Guide. May 13, 1967. pp. A-21, A-22.
  22. ^ Johnson, Malcolm (November 23, 2001). "The Unbearable Sadness of Aging; 'Waverly Gallery' Gives a Sensitive Tour of an Elderly Woman's Decline". The Hartford Courant. p. D3.
  23. ^ "Goes Off-Broadway". The Bridgeport Post. July 20, 1961. p. 21.
  24. ^ "Late Additions, Deletions and Changes of the Previous Week's Listings". Ross Reports. July 24, 1961. p. 30-B.
  25. ^ "Sunday, May 23, 1965; Evening". TV Guide. May 22, 1965. p. A-19.
  26. ^ "Pick of Tonight's Best TV Shows: The New York Television Theatre; Carolyn Coates, Ruth White in 'The Club Bedroom". The Herald Statesman. December 19, 1966. p. 34.
  27. ^ "Wednesday Evening". TV Guide. July 5, 1969. p. A-51.
  28. ^ "Sunday, January 18, 1970; Morning". TV Guide. January 17, 1970. p. A-16.
  29. ^ "Drama on 'Guideline' to Deal With Abortion". Florence Morning News. p. 19.
  30. ^ Gianakos, Larry James (1983). Television Drama Series Programming : A Comprehensive Chronicle, 1980-1982 Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press. p. 213. ISBN 0810816261.
  31. ^ Eagan, Daniel (2010). America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry New York: Continuum. p. 572. ISBN 978-0826-42977-3.
  32. ^ O'Brien, Daniel (2005). Paul Newman. London: Faber and Faber. p. 326. ISBN 9780571219872.
  33. ^ Skaggs, Calvin, ed. (1980). The American Short Story, Volume 2. New York: Dell. p. 215. ISBN 0-440-30297-8. "Scene from Barn Burning. L-R, bottom row: Shawn Wittington (Sart Snopes) and Diane Kagan (Mrs. Snopes). L-R, top row: Tommy Lee Jones (Ab Snopes). Carolyn Coates (Aunt), Michael Ripley (Brother), and Jenny Hughes (Lena). (Photo by Meryl Joseph)"
  34. ^ Kaplan, Mike (1981). Variety International Showbusiness Reference. Garland Publishing. p. 713. ISBN 9780824093419.
  35. ^ a b c d e f Marill, Alvin H. (2005). Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. pp. 34, 173, 250, 349, 365.
  36. ^ a b Ozer, Jerome, ed. (1983). Film Review Annual, 1982. Englewood, NJ: Film Review Publications. pp. 721, 892. ISBN 0-89198-126-8.
  37. ^ Woodward, Byerly, ed. (1985). Annual Index to Motion Picture Credits. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. p. 17. ISBN 9780942102031.
  38. ^ "Group Offers New Drama at U.C.L.A.". Valley Times. April 21, 1947. p. 11.
  39. ^ a b Stars at Williamstown Relax; Nobles Happy to Rejoin Williamstown Theater. The Springfield Union. July 3, 1965. p. 6.
  40. ^ Bullett, J. Gordon (July 28, 1965). "Play Review: Chekhov's 'Three Sisters' Presented to Full House". The North Adams Transcript. p. 7.
  41. ^ Cooke, Richard P. (February 7, 1966). "The Theater: Black Illusion". Wall Street Journal. p. 14. ProQuest 133161514. Carolyn Coates plays Johanna with warmth and authority and along with George Coulouris as the Father, she produces the best moments of the play.
  42. ^ Oppenheimer, George (January 29, 1969). "On Stage: 'Fire's' Fire dims as Symbols Clash". Newsday. p. 54A.

External links[edit]

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