Sylvia Sidney: Life Story and Glamorous Photos from her Acting Career

Sylvia Sidney was an actress whose career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her challenging and sharp-witted acting skills, charming looks, and her moist eyes. She performed the leading roles in dozens of super hit movies. She also wrote two books on needlepoint, which were published in the 1970s.

Acting career

Sidney started her professional career at the age of sixteen through the stage. A year later, she made her debut in the movies with an uncredited role. She received her fair leading role at the age of 31. At the beginning of her career, she received nothing but rave reviews. Still, later she turned all the criticism into appreciation.

Throughout her early film career, Sidney portrayed teary-eyed victims’ roles, which sadly resulted in her being typecast as a victim. Later she switched to some severe functions. Her career diminished somewhat during the 1940s. In 1949, exhibitors voted her “box-office poison.” She made another come back in 1952 with the movie ”Les Misérables”. Her performance was praised and allowed her opportunities to develop as a character actress.

She made her television debut at the age of 42. and appeared in many TV shows, including Route 66, The Defenders, and My Three Sons. She made another comeback in 1973, with the role of ”Joanne Woodward’ in the movie ”Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams”, and won an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actress.

Personal life

Sidney was married three times in her life. She married her first husband, Bennett Cerf, in 1935, but the marriage only lasted for a year and ended with a divorce. Two years later, she married actor Luther Adler, and they divorced in 1946. Sidney had a son, Jacob, from him. She married her third husband, Carlton Alsop, in1 947, and they separated after four years.

Sylvia Sidney’s death

Sidney died from Esophageal cancer in New York City on July 1, 1999, a month before her 89th birthday. She was a lifetime smoker, enjoying smoking until the end of her life. She smoked even when she was on chemotherapy to treat her cancer. Her trademark raspy voice was, of course, due to a lifetime of smoking.

Here are some beautiful photos of Sylvia Sidney from her acting career and early life.

#1 Sylvia Sidney at Age 15.

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#2 Sylvia Sydney wearing a light dress, with a pom-pom on the left shoulder, looking with dreamy eyes, 1927.

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#3 Actress Sylvia Sidney at Age 18.

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#4 Sylvia Sidney, 1928.

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#5 Syliva Sidney with Florence Lake in ‘Thru Different Eyes’, 1928.

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#6 Sylvia Sydney, in a dress with hexagonal print, leaning forward and resting her face on the back of her right hand. Vanity Fair 1929

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#7 Sylvia Sidney in the movie ‘Broadway Nights’, 1927.

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#8 Sylvia Sidney with Gary Cooper, 1930.

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#9 Sylvia Sidney on the beach in front of her Malibu home where she spends her time when she is not working, 1931.

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#10 Sylvia Sidney with Phillips Holmes in a scene from the film ‘An American Tragedy’, 1931.

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#11 Sylvia Sidney knitting a garment in the movie ‘Ladies of the big House’, 1931.

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#12 Sylvia Sidney with Gene Raymond in the movie ‘Ladies of the big House’, 1931.

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#13 Sylvia Sidney with Phillips Holmes and Norman Foster, 1932.

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#14 Sylvia Sidney in a small boat from the movie ‘An American Tragedy’, 1931.

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#15 Sylvia Sidney with Eddie Albert.

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#16 Sylvia Sidney with Henry Fonda in the movie ‘You only Live once’, 1931.

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#17 Sylvia Sidney with Charlie Ruggles and Cary Grant.

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#18 Sylvia Sidney, 1940s.

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#19 Sylvia Sidney tapping a stein of beer for Edward Arnold as he pumps, 1933.

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#20 Sylvia Sidney at Age 12.

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#21 Sylvia Sidney, 1930.

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#22 Sylvia Sidney with Cary Grant in the movie ‘Madame Butterfly’, 1932.

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#23 Sylvia Sidney in the movie ‘Mdame Butterfly’, 1932.

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#24 Sylvia Sidney is perched on a ledge by her garden, 1932.

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#25 Sylvia Sidney plays Cho Cho San in the Paramount adaptation of ‘Madame Butterfly’, 1932.

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#26 Sylvia Sidney, 1932.

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#27 Sylvia Sidney with Buster Collier, 1933.

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#28 Sylvia Sidney with George Raft in a scene from ‘Pick-Up’, 1933.

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#29 Sylvia Sidneyt as a maidservant in the title role of the film, ‘Jennie Gerhardt’, 1933.

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#30 Sylvia Sidney, 1933.

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#31 Sylvia Sidney with George Meeker and George Raft, 1933.

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#32 Sylvia Sidney reclines on a leopard skin, dressed for the role of Lillie Taylor in the 1934 film ‘Good Dame’.

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#33 Sylvia Sidney and George Raft in a scene from the movie ‘Pick-Up’.

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#34 Sylvia Sidney with Cary Grant in the movie ‘Thirty-Day Princess’, 1934.

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#35 Sylvia Sidney in the movie ‘Thirty Day Princess’, 1934.

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#36 Sylvia Sidney wearing a street suit in brown worsted with vest, lapels, gloves, handbag and hat band in brown and white check, 1934.

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#37 Sylvia Sidney wearing the tiara hairdress she wore in ‘Thirty Day Princess’, 1934.

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#38 Sylvia Sidney in the film ‘Thirty Day Princess’, 1934.

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#39 Sylvia Sidney, 1934.

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#40 Sylvia Sidney and Cary Grant on an open top bus, 1934.

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#41 Actress Sylvia Sidney, 1934.

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#42 Sylvia Sidney with Gene Raymond, 1934.

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#43 Sylvia Sidney in a scene from the movie “Behold My Wife!”, 1934.

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#44 Sylvia Sidney wearing a pleated dress, leaning against the back of a sofa, 1935.

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#45 Sylvia Sidney with an old lady, 1935.

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#46 Sylvia Sidney with Herbert Marshall in ‘Accent on Youth’, 1935.

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#47 Sylvia Sidney with Gene Raymond in the movie ‘Behold my wife’, 1935.

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#48 Sylvia Sidney standing on a spiral staircase, 1935.

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#49 Sylvia Sidney on the beach in front of her Malibu home, 1935.

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#50 Sylvia Sidney, 1935.

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#51 Sylvia Sidney on the steps of her dressing room on the Paramount studio lot, 1935.

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#52 Sylvia Sidney on the beach in front of her Malibu home, 1935.

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#53 Sylvia Sidney reading in her beach Malibu home, 1935

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#54 Sylvia Sidney with Herbert Marshal in the movie ‘Accent on Youth, 1935.

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#55 Sylvia Sidney with Herbet Marshal and Astrid Allwyn, 1935.

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#56 Sylvia Sidney in the movie ‘Mary Burns Fugitive’, 1935.

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#57 Sylvia Sidney Reclining, 1935.

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#58 Sylvia Sidney looking sad, 1935.

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#59 Sylvia Sidney smiling, 1935.

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#60 Sylvia Sidney with Doberman Pinscher, 1935.

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#61 Sylvia Sidney with her husband Bennett Cerf, 1935.

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#62 Sylvia Sidney, eating a bowl of fresh cherries, 1935.

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#63 Sylvia Sydney, with dark hair combed in an upsweep style, wearing a glittery dress with a broach, 1935.

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#64 Sylvia Sidney with John Loder in the movie ‘Sabotage’, 1936.

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#65 Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda in the movie ‘The trail of the Lonesome Pine’, 1936.

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#66 Henry Fonda looking seriously at Sylvia Sidney in a scene from the’The trail of the Lonesome Pine’, 1936.

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#67 Sylvia Sidney on the set of ‘Sabotage’, 1936.

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#68 Sylvia Sidney with Leslie Banks, 1937.

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#69 Sylvia Sidney with Evelyn Varden, 1938.

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#70 Sylvia Sidney holds a telephone receiver to her ear while sitting on the edge of a desk, 1937.

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#71 Sylvia Sidney dark haired leading lady of the 1930’s and Walter Wanger star.

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#72 Sylvia Sidney with a rose, 1937.

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#73 Sylvia Sidney with Bernadene Hayes in the movie ‘You and Me’, 1938.

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#74 Sylvia Sidney with Pretty Kitty Kelly at CBS Radio, 1940.

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#75 Sylvia Sidney sitting with her arms folded across her chest while holding a burning cigarette, 1945.

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#76 Sylvia Sidney, 1940.

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#77 Sylvia Sidney in a scene from the movie “The Searching Wind”, 1946.

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#78 Sylvia Sidney as Congresswoman Margaret Wyndham Chase in the 1946 Benedict Bogeaus production Mr. Ace.

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#79 Sylvia Sidney in the movie ‘Mr. Ace’, 1946.

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#80 Sylvia Sidney wearing hat made with paper flowers, 1946.

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