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Helen Menken

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Helen Menken

Birth
New York, New York County, New York, USA
Death
27 Mar 1966 (aged 64)
New York, New York County, New York, USA
Burial
Burial Details Unknown. Specifically: New York City, New York Add to Map
Memorial ID
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American actress: She was born in New York to deaf parents. Her original name was Meinken, her New York-born father Frederick being of French/German extraction. Her mother, Mary Madden, was Irish-born. She married Humphrey Bogart at the Gramercy Park Hotel on May 20, 1926, four years after taking out a marriage license in New York City. It was the first marriage for both. She was granted a divorce in Chicago in November 1928, after separating in April of that year. She collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack at a party at The Lambs, 128 West 44th Street, New York City, on March 27, 1966. She was survived by her third husband, George N. Richard, a special partner of the Wall Street brokerage firm C. B. Richard.She was once married to actor, Humphrey Bogart from 1926 until 1927 when they divorced. She was married to Dr. Henry T. Smith from 1932 until their divorce in 1947. She remarried George N. Richard in October 1948 and remained married until her death of a heart attack. Her birth name was Meinken and her parents were deaf. In 1966, awarded a Special Tony Award posthumously "for a lifetime of devotion and dedicated service to the Broadway theatre."On a performance of "The Merchant of Venice" for the hearing impaired, produced by her and her father, Instead of using the spoken language, as all the rest of the world is accustomed to do, we shall use sign language only. Do not confuse this with pantomime, for, I assure you, it is quite different and vastly more difficult than that. The story will be told by the use of the standard symbols and signs of the deaf. It will be quite a pretentious production of its kind and, I am sure, will prove highly diverting and extremely interesting to the audience of deaf persons. Not a word will be spoken, yet the tale will be clearly and vividly presented.
American actress: She was born in New York to deaf parents. Her original name was Meinken, her New York-born father Frederick being of French/German extraction. Her mother, Mary Madden, was Irish-born. She married Humphrey Bogart at the Gramercy Park Hotel on May 20, 1926, four years after taking out a marriage license in New York City. It was the first marriage for both. She was granted a divorce in Chicago in November 1928, after separating in April of that year. She collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack at a party at The Lambs, 128 West 44th Street, New York City, on March 27, 1966. She was survived by her third husband, George N. Richard, a special partner of the Wall Street brokerage firm C. B. Richard.She was once married to actor, Humphrey Bogart from 1926 until 1927 when they divorced. She was married to Dr. Henry T. Smith from 1932 until their divorce in 1947. She remarried George N. Richard in October 1948 and remained married until her death of a heart attack. Her birth name was Meinken and her parents were deaf. In 1966, awarded a Special Tony Award posthumously "for a lifetime of devotion and dedicated service to the Broadway theatre."On a performance of "The Merchant of Venice" for the hearing impaired, produced by her and her father, Instead of using the spoken language, as all the rest of the world is accustomed to do, we shall use sign language only. Do not confuse this with pantomime, for, I assure you, it is quite different and vastly more difficult than that. The story will be told by the use of the standard symbols and signs of the deaf. It will be quite a pretentious production of its kind and, I am sure, will prove highly diverting and extremely interesting to the audience of deaf persons. Not a word will be spoken, yet the tale will be clearly and vividly presented.


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