In 1893, the small village of Adair, nestled within the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory, was a rural expanse dotted with Cherokee farms and communities. This year was pivotal not just for the region, but also for the Hall family, members of the Delaware tribe who had homesteaded the area a decade earlier.
As the guns fired on September 16, marking the start of the Land Run of 1893 and opening Cherokee lands to non-Native settlers, a new chapter began for the Halls. Just three months earlier, on June 12, 1893, John and Alice Hall had welcomed their daughter, Mae Evelyn Hall, into the world.
From these humble beginnings, Mae Evelyn Hall embarked on what would become a memorable career in the performing arts. As a teenager, she toured the western United States with a troupe led by her aunts. By the time she was 16, she was already captivating audiences on Broadway.
It was here that a fellow actor suggested a change of name, and Mae Evelyn Hall transformed into the unforgettable Evelyn Varden.
In 1914, Varden married Charles Pearce Coleman, an Australian-born American character actor known for his roles in silent and sound films. However, their marriage was marred by Coleman's alcoholism and infidelity, leading to their separation around the time Varden's Broadway career began to flourish.
In 1921, Varden married her second husband, William J. Quinn, a Baltimore-based hotel manager. She retired from the stage to support Quinn's career, joining the board of the local theatrical company, the Vagabond Players, where she discovered a new passion for directing productions.
Varden's stage career experienced a renaissance in her 40s. In September 1934, she returned to the spotlight as Elsie Foster in "Alley Cat". Her career truly soared in February 1938 when she portrayed Mrs. Gibbs, a small-town matron with dreams of Paris, in the original production of "Our Town". Despite the brevity of the melodrama "Hilda Crane" run in November 1950, the play was a personal triumph for Varden.
In addition to her stage work, Varden appeared in several radio productions, including "Hay Fever", "The Silver Cord", and "The Glass Menagerie.
.She transitioned to film later in life, making her first appearance in "Pinky" (1949) at the age of 56. She went on to appear in over a dozen films, including "The Night of the Hunter" (1955) and "The Bad Seed" (1956).
She also became a popular character actor on television during this phase of her career appearing on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Goodyear Playhouse" and Studio One" among others.
In 1957, Evelyn Varden made her London debut, earning accolades for her performance as an American mother in "Roar Like a Dove"The play enjoyed a successful nine-month run, but Varden's health began to decline, forcing her to return to New York.
Upon her arrival in the Big Apple, she was immediately hospitalized. During her stay, she received the news that British drama critics had honored her with the award for Best Supporting Performance in a Play or Musical for the 1957/1958 season.
Less than a week later, still in the hospital, Evelyn Varden passed away on July 11. 1958 at the reported age of 65.
She was cremated, and her ashes were sent to her residence at the Gorham Hotel in Manhattan. At the time of her death, her wealth was estimated to be close to $5 million, which would be the equivalent of a little more than $54 million in 2024.
