Adelyn Bushnell
Adelyn Bushnell Bradford | |
|---|---|
.png) In the Dramatic Mirror, February 9, 1918 | |
| Born | September 29, 1889 Thomaston, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 1953 (aged 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Actress, writer |
| Spouse |
Marshall Bradford (m. 1925) |
Adelyn Bushnell Bradford (September 29, 1889 – September 1, 1953) was an American stage actress, playwright, novelist and radio script writer. She was also once a member of the Jefferson Theater Stock Company in Portland.
Early years
Bushnell was born in Thomaston, Maine in 1889. She was home-schooled until she entered high school.[1] In 1908, she graduated from Thomaston High School[2] and enrolled in the Leland Powers School in Boston.[1]
Career
Bushnell joined a New Jersey stock company in 1910 and had her first starring role in a play in 1911.[1] In 1922 she led the Adelyn Bushnell Players at the Jefferson Theater in Portland, Maine.[3] She continued to act in regional stock productions until 1926, when loss of her voice led her to focus on writing.[1]
She began working on plays, then wrote scripts for radio, and later wrote four novels: Tide Rode (1947), Rock Haven (1948), Pay the Piper (1950), and Strange Gift (1951). She also published a collection of radio plays titled Eight Radio Plays: For Classroom Use And Amateur Broadcast with Marshall Bradford (1947).[1]
In the early 1950s, Bushnell wrote books and scripts for radio programs.[4] At the time of her death, she was writing a fifth novel: Drugstore.[5]
Personal life and death
Bushnell divorced William E. Boyden in 1920.[6] She married her fourth husband, Marshall Bradford (née Rafael Brunetto), in October 1925.[7][8] She died in Hollywood on September 1, 1953.[7]
Critical response
A review of Bushnell's performance in Madam X (1926) in The Boston Globe said,
There were many scenes which those who saw Adelyn Bushnell last night will never forget. She was very realistic in the fortune-telling scene; she was equally convincing as the hopeless old mother and she was Madonna-like in the final reunion with her son. Her expressions were eloquent.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Bushnell, Adelyn (1889 - 1953)". Maine State Library. Archived from the original on October 3, 2017.
- ↑ "Adelyn Bushnell collection, 1924-1954". University of New England. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020.
- ↑ "Adelyn Bushnell Players". Portland Evening Express & Advertiseer. May 2, 1922. p. 18. Retrieved February 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Adams, Marjory (July 18, 1951). "Viola Roache Wouldn't Know What to Do With 'Security'!". The Boston Globe. p. A 13. Retrieved February 13, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Notes and Comment". Evening Express. February 10, 1953. p. 17. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Seeks to halt adelyn bushnell's divorce suit". The Boston Globe. October 9, 1920. p. 5. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- 1 2 Written at Thomaston, Maine. "Actress-Writer Adelyn Bushnell Dies on Coast". Evening Express. Portland, Maine. September 9, 1953. p. 2. Retrieved August 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Former Stock Actress here Marries Again: Adelyn Bushnell's 4th Husband is Dashing Italian Officer". Evening Express. Portland, Maine. July 13, 1926. p. 8. Retrieved August 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "'Madam X' Staged at Castle Square: Vividly Emotional Portrayal by Adelyn Bushnell of a Famous Role". The Boston Globe. December 21, 1926. p. 17. Retrieved February 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.