Ewing Cherry papers

1916-1962

Ewing Cherry was an American stage actor with years of touring experience. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Ewing Cherry (sometimes billed as V. E. Cherry) made his stage debut in WITHIN THE LAW in Chicago in 1916. Soon afterwards Cherry was working in vaudeville in a skit called OUT OF LUCK. He went on to play juvenile leads for various stock companies in such shows as MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH and THE LITTLE SPITFIRE through the 1910s and 1920s. His Broadway credits include WHAT PRICE GLORY?, SKIDDING with Glenda Farrell, THE NIGHT BEFORE with Franchot Tone, and MARCHING MEN (1930) with Leon Ames. Cherry also acted in radio drama. After a period of retirement, he returned to the stage for a role in the Off-Broadway production of Sean O'Casey's RED ROSES FOR ME (1961), then appeared in O'Casey's MOON SHINES ON KYLENAMOE and in Nikolai Evreinov's THE CHIEF THING (1963), his last professional credit. Ewing Cherry died in New York City on March 30, 1969. The Ewing Cherry papers span 1916 to 1962, and consist of letters to Ewing Cherry from employers and friends, a number of contracts securing Mr. Cherry's services as an actor for various stock companies between 1917 and 1927, three booklets (1920-23) introducing the members of the Gene Lewis-Olga Worth stock company, photographs of Ewing Cherry in a variety of characterizations, playbills for a dozen plays in which Ewing Cherry appeared, press releases, fliers, telegrams to and from Ewing Cherry, and clippings of reviews which mention his performances.