Rosalind Russell
Holy Cross Cemetery
A large crucifix marks the grave of actress Rosalind Russell,
the tough-talking, wise-cracking queen of screwball comedy.
Russell started her career as a dramatic actress,
playing upper-class ladies in "Evelyn Prentice" (1934), "The President
Vanishes" (1934), "Craig’s Wife" (1936) and "Night Must Fall" (1937).
Her first major comedic role was in "Four’s a Crowd" (1938), co-starring
with Errol Flynn and Oliva de Havilland, and she followed that with
similar performances in "The Women" (1939) and "His Girl Friday" (1940),
co-starring with Cary Grant, in which she perfected the role of the smart,
well-tailored career woman who was more than a match for any man.
Russell also starred in "No Time for Comedy" (1940), "Design
for Scandal" (1941), "Roughly Speaking" (1945), "Picnic" (1955), "A Majority
of One" (1961), "Five-Finger Exercise" (1962) and "The Trouble With Angels"
(1966). Russell was nominated four times for an Academy Award as Best Actress,
for her performances in "My Sister Eileen" (1942), "Sister Kenny" (1946), "Mourning
Becomes Electra" (1947) and "Auntie Mame" (1958), but never won.
She won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1973.
In 1962, Russell took over the role of Mama Rose from Ethel Merman
in the Broadway musical, "Gypsy."
Russell married producer Frederick Brisson in 1941.
Her grave marker identifies her as Rosalind Russell Brisson, and lists only
the date of her death. Brisson (1913 - 1984) is buried nearby.
Russell was born June 4, 1908 (some sources say 1912),
in Waterbury, CT. She died Nov. 28, 1976, in Beverly Hills, CA.
1908 - 1976
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