Marjorie Bonner (19th century actress)

This article is about the 19th-century American actress. For the 20th-century dancer, see Marjorie Bonner (Ziegfeld Follies).

Marjorie Bonner (c.1862–14 Nov 1895), the stage name of Catherine F. Goodwin,[1] was a 19th-century American theatre actress. She came from a performing family that included her sisters, the actresses Maude and Myra Goodwin, and her brother, the comedian George Richards.[2][3]

Career

Bonner's appearance was likened to that of Lily Langtry, and she was called "The New Jersey Lily."[4] She often played second to actress Margaret Mather.[5]

In 1883, she was a member of the Hortense Rhéa company. Monte Cristo was presented by the National Theatre in December. Actor James O'Neill performed the leading role, with Frederic De Belleville playing Noirlier. The female characters were of lesser significance in the play, but were rendered convincingly by Bonner, Eugenie Blair, and Annie Boudinot.[6]

In 1885, Bonner acted the part of Cicely Blaine, the heroine in The Galley Slave, adapted from the writing of Bartley Campbell.[7] Over the play's run, Bonner and her co-star A.G. Enos developed a dislike for one another. During one performance, he flubbed some lines, and he felt her reaction was disrespectful. After the curtain call, he screamed and cursed at her, even threatening to slap her. Bonner grabbed a hammer and chased him around the theatre, swinging wildly for his head. Enos managed to escape into a dressing room unharmed. Bonner threatened to leave the production, but the situation was smoothed over.[8]

In July 1887, it was announced that Bonner would play Ophelia in Joseph Haworth's production of Hamlet; six weeks later, she left the company, stating that they breached their contract by giving that and other roles she was promised to different actresses.[9][10]

Her final performance before retiring at the age of 30 was in an outdoor production of William Shakespeare's As You Like It in Saratoga, NY.[11][12]

Personal life

While performing with Effie Ellsler's company in 1885, fellow actor Charles Mason Mitchell fell in love with Bonner. When she rejected him, he allegedly either threatened or attempted suicide with laudanum.[13][14] Mitchell survived and went on to become one of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders and an American Consul in five countries.[15]

It was reported that Bonner left the industry to get married, but the relationship with this unnamed man fell apart before the wedding.[16]

Bonner's younger sister, the actress Myra Goodwin, died on 15 October 1892, of heart failure. Goodwin had been an invalid and off the stage for two years. She was 22 years old.[17]

Death

Bonner was found dead in her room at a New York City boarding house on November 15, 1895, the apparent victim of a morphine overdose the previous evening. While she had been working as a costumer since she retired from the stage, there was evidence that she was in financial straits and had been drinking to excess. She was 33 years old at the time of her death.[18]

References

  1. ^ "An Actress Found Dead," Philadelphia Times, November 16, 1895, p. 1.
  2. ^ "AMERICAN SOUBRETS". Chicago Tribune. 1886-08-04. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  3. ^ "Obituary for MYRA Goodwin". The Evening World. 1892-10-17. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  4. ^ Those Who Amuse Us, Fort Wayne Gazette, Sunday, February 25, 1883, p. 2.
  5. ^ Catherine Goodwin Dead, Evening Times (Washington, DC), November 16, 1895.
  6. ^ Amusements, Washington Post, December 18, 1883, p. 2.
  7. ^ The Opening of the Amusement Hall, Waukesha Freeman, May 28, 1885, pg. 4.
  8. ^ "SCARED THE BRUTE - A Lively Scene Between a Leading Man and a Leading Lady". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 28 Mar 1885. p. 10. Retrieved 11 Oct 2025.
  9. ^ "Personal". The New York Mirror. 23 July 1887. p. 6. Retrieved 11 Oct 2025.
  10. ^ "Gossip of the Town". The New York Mirror. 10 Sep 1887. p. 10. Retrieved 11 Oct 2025.
  11. ^ "THEATRICAL GOSSIP". The New York Times. 12 Aug 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 11 Oct 2025.
  12. ^ "Obituary for CATHERINE F. GOODWIN". The New York Times. 1895-11-16. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  13. ^ "THE THEATRICAL WORLD". The New York Times. 26 Nov 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 11 Oct 2025.
  14. ^ "A telegram announces". The National Police Gazette. 5 Dec 1885. p. 7. Retrieved 11 Oct 2025.
  15. ^ "MITCHELL FUNERAL SET FOR TOMORROW; Former Actor, Soldier, Author, Consul and Sportsman to Be Buried at Hamilton, N.Y. WAS FRIEND OF ROOSEVELT Severely Wounded at San Juan Hill --Had Many Adventures in Long and Varied Career. (Published 1930)". 1930-06-18. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  16. ^ "AMERICA'S LANGTRY DEAD". Chattanooga Daily Times. 1895-11-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  17. ^ "Death of Myra Goodwin". The New York Times. 1892-10-18. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  18. ^ "Obituary for MARJORIE Bonner". The Daily News. 1895-11-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
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