Sylvia Sidney

Sylvia Sidney was a celebrated American actress whose career spanned stage, film, and television. Known for her expressive eyes and ability to portray vulnerable, working-class characters, Sidney rose to prominence in the 1930s and remained a recognizable figure in American entertainment for over six decades.

Born Sophia Kosow on August 8, 1910, in the Bronx, New York, she was the daughter of Jewish immigrants. Her mother, Rebecca, came from Romania, and her father, Victor Kosow, a Russian Jew, worked as a clothing salesman. Following her parents’ divorce, she was adopted by her stepfather, Sigmund Sidney, a dentist, and began using his surname. Her mother, who later became a dressmaker, renamed herself Beatrice Sidney.

Sylvia Sidney began acting at age fifteen, reportedly to overcome her shyness. She studied at the Theatre Guild School in Manhattan between 1921 and 1925, and made her Broadway debut at sixteen in The Squall. Her early stage performances led to a contract with Paramount Pictures, after she caught the attention of producer B. P. Schulberg. She made her screen debut in Thru Different Eyes (1929), but her role in City Streets (1931) launched her to stardom.

Throughout the 1930s, Sidney became known for portraying anguished heroines in films addressing social injustice. Among her most notable performances were roles in An American Tragedy (1931), Street Scene (1931), You Only Live Once (1937), Dead End (1937), and Fury (1936). She worked with legendary directors such as Fritz Lang, King Vidor, Alfred Hitchcock, and William Wyler. She acted alongside some of the era’s biggest stars, including Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, and Henry Fonda.

Sidney was the first American actress to work with Hitchcock, starring in Sabotage (1936). She frequently played characters facing hardship or wrongful conviction, roles she often disliked but that resonated with audiences, particularly during the Great Depression. Her performances made her one of the decade’s most sought-after leading ladies.

In the 1950s, Sidney returned to the stage and appeared in numerous theatrical productions. She notably played the title role in Auntie Mame and Mrs. Kolowitz in Enter Laughing. Her film career was revived in 1973 when she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams. She continued to work in film and television, gaining a new generation of fans with her comic role in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988), followed by Mars Attacks! (1996).

Beyond acting, Sidney was an accomplished needlepoint artist and published two books on the subject. She also raised pug dogs for show and became active in medical advocacy following the death of her son Jody from ALS in 1985. She supported both ALS and AIDS research, including appearing in the groundbreaking television film An Early Frost (1985), one of the first network dramas to address the AIDS crisis.

Sylvia Sidney died of throat cancer in New York City on July 1, 1999, at the age of 88.

Sources: “Sylvia Sidney,” Hollywood Walk of Fame. 
“Sylvia Sidney,” Jewish Women’s Archive. 
Hannah Steinkopf-Frank, “These 7 Jewish actresses shaped Hollywood as we know it,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, (February 27, 2020).
“Do you know this Jew? She’s said to have had the ‘saddest eyes in Hollywood,’” STL Jewish Light, (July 1, 2021).

Photo: Paramount Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.