Sonia Darrin
Sonia Darrin | |
---|---|
Born | Sonia Paskowitz June 16, 1924 Galveston, Texas, U.S. |
Died | July 19, 2020 New York City, U.S. | (aged 96)
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1941–early 1950s |
Spouses | |
Children | 4 (including Mason Reese) |
Sonia Darrin (born Sonia Paskowitz; June 16, 1924 – July 19, 2020) was an American film actress, best known for her role as Agnes Lowzier in The Big Sleep (1946).[5]
Early years
Darrin was born to Louis and Rose Paskowitz, the New York-born off-spring of Jewish emigrants from Russia, who lived in
Career
The family lived in San Diego for a period, during which her dancing teacher was Adolph Bolm. When Bolm was asked to choreograph The Corsican Brothers (1941), he used the entire class. This led Darrin to be interviewed by LeRoy Prinz, the dancing director at Warner Brothers, leading to a small role in The Hard Way (1943).[3] She also danced in the film Lady in the Dark (1944).[6]
Darrin's best known role was that of femme fatale Agnes Lowzier in
Several years later, Darrin did finally receive an onscreen credit for her signature performance, when she recreated the role of Agnes in a television adaptation which aired on September 25, 1950, on Robert Montgomery Presents.[15] She also worked with Ed Wynn and Alan Young on their early television programs.[6]
Personal life
All three of Darrin's marriages ended via either annulment or divorce: the first, to dentist Sidney Sircus, lasted 19 months.
She resided on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for over 50 years.[citation needed] Darrin died of natural causes in New York City on July 19, 2020, at the age of 96.[18] She was the last surviving cast member of The Big Sleep.[citation needed] (The last credited member of the cast to pass away was Dorothy Malone who died in January 2018).
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1941 | It Started with Eve | Nightclub Patron | Uncredited |
1941 | The Corsican Brothers | Opera Spectator | Uncredited |
1942 | My Gal Sal | Chorus Girl | Uncredited |
1943 | The Hard Way | Chorus Girl | Uncredited |
1943 | Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man | Villager at Festival | Uncredited |
1943 | The North Star | Dancing Peasant | Uncredited |
1944 | Lady in the Dark | Office Girl | Uncredited |
1946 | The Big Sleep | Agnes Lowzier | Uncredited |
1947 | Bury Me Dead | Helen Lawrence | |
1948 | I, Jane Doe | Nurse | Uncredited |
1949 | Caught | Miss Chambers | Uncredited |
1950 | Federal Agent at Large | Mildred |
Notes
- ^ Indeed, one could argue Darrin would have been better served simply seeking out her six-year-old self and the good luck emblem/party favor once fashioned for a fellow Galvestonian.[14]
References
- ^ a b Albelli, Alfred (September 18, 1952). "Sircus Life Not for Her, Wife Decides: Asks Out". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ "Jacob Aronoff: New York Marriages, 1950-2017". MyHeritage. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Times staff (August 8, 2020). "Sonia Darrin: Sassy Hollywood Actress who traded wisecracks with Humphrey Bogart". The Times. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
- ^ Goldstein, Jonathan (March 24, 2015)"Why is Mason Reese Crying?". Gimlet. Retrieved September 15, 2020. "By 1977 Mason’s dad would begin spending more and more time at the company he started, and eventually he’d convert part of his office into a living space where he could spend nights. In his early teens, around the time the commercial offers started to dry up, Mason’s parents would divorce and Mason would move into the office with his dad."
- ^ "Sonia Paskowitz in the 1940 United States Census". Ancestry.com.
- ^
- ^ Times staff (August 18, 1946). "One Way of Entertaining Uninvited Guests". The New York Times. p. X3. "Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall receive a chilly reception from Sonia Darrin and Louis Jean Heydt in 'The Big Sleep,' which is scheduled to arrive Friday at the Strand."
- ^ Eagle staff (August 18, 1946). "The Big Sleep". The Brooklyn Eagle.
- ^ Schneider, Ben (August 14, 1946). "Night Clubs". Women's Wear Daily. p. 56. "Sonia Darrin, Hollywood actress, will be guest of honor tonight at the celebrity to be held at Pelham Heath Inn." Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ^ Lait, Jack (August 7, 1946). "Broadway and Elsewhere: Mostly About Interesting People; Seen Together". The Tampa Bay Times.
- ^ Eagle staff (October 5, 1944). "Arthur Pine Associates to Handle Inn Publicity". The Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Walker, Danton (May 13, 1947). "Gossip of the Nation" The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Gross, Ben (October 18, 1946) "Listening In". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
- ^ Reedy, Sally (February 20, 1980). "Looking Back: 50 Years ago". The Galveston Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Times staff (October 7, 1973). "TV Week: Tuesday". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Schuler, Ron (March 25, 2009). "The Disappearance of Agnes Lowzier". Ron Schuler's Parlour Tricks. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (July 29, 2020). "Sonia Darrin, Femme Fatale in Bogart's 'The Big Sleep,' Dies at 96". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
Further reading
Articles
- Daily News staff (May 20, 1934). "Distinctive Performance Given by Sullivan Dancing School". Galveston Daily News.
- Albelli, Alfred (September 18, 1952). "Sircus Life Not for Her, Wife Decides: Asks Out". New York Daily News.
- Bernstein, Paula (February 18, 1974). "He Plays in the Toy Game Now". New York Daily News.
- Howard, Pamela (June 22, 1974). "Mason Reese: King of TV's Tiny Dynamos". The Newark Advocate. pp. 32, 34.
- Smith, Thom (December 22, 1974). "Mason Reese—Just a Kid". Palm Beach Post. C1, C5.
- Power, Trish; Fernandez, Frank (April 6, 1996). "Man lay dead in condo for 1 1/2 years unnoticed". The Miami Herald.
Books
- Library of Congress (1967). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third Series. Copyright Office. p. 1639
- Paskowitz, Izzy (2012). Scratching the Horizon. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 16-17. ISBN 9781250006004.
- Twomey, Bill (1999). East Bronx, East of the Bronx River. p. 71. ISBN 9780738503011
External links
- Sonia Darrin at IMDb