Nydia Westman

Nydia Westman
Westman in Manhattan Tower (1932)
Born	Nydia Eileen Westman (1902-02-19)February 19, 1902 New York City, U.S.
Died	May 23, 1970(1970-05-23) (aged 68) Burbank, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1932–1970
Spouse	Robert Sparks ​ ​ (m. 1930; div. 1937)​
Children	Kate Williamson

Nydia Eileen Westman (February 19, 1902 – May 23, 1970) was an American actress and singer of stage, screen, and television.

Early years

Westman's parents, Theodore and Lily (Wren) Westman were active in vaudeville in her native New York City. In addition to their working together on stage, her mother was a writer and her father was a composer. She attended the Professional Children's School. Until 1921, she performed on stage only with her family.

Her sisters, Lolita and Neville, were actresses, and her brother, Theodore, was an actor and playwright.

Career

Westman's career ranged from episodic appearances on TV series such as That Girl and Dragnet and uncredited bit roles in movies to appearances in groundbreaking films such as Craig's Wife, which starred Rosalind Russell, and the first film version of Little Women.

Westman's screen debut came in Strange Justice (1932). She appeared in 31 films in the 1930s.

She appeared as the housekeeper Mrs. Featherstone in the 1962–1963 ABC series, Going My Way, which starred Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll as Roman Catholic priests in New York City.

Westman's first Broadway play was Pigs (1924); her last was Midgie Purvis (1961).

She broke ground on stage, debuting the role of Nell off-Broadway in Samuel Beckett's Endgame, for which she won one of the first Obie awards.

Personal life

Westman was married to Robert Sparks, a producer, from 1930 until 1937; they had a daughter, actress Kate Williamson.

Westman died of cancer at the age of 68 in Burbank, California.

Selected filmography

• Strange Justice (1932) as Gwen
• Manhattan Tower (1932) as Miss Wood
• From Hell to Heaven (1933) as Sue Wells
• King of the Jungle (1933) as Sue
• Bondage (1933) as Irma
• The Way to Love (1933) as Annette
• Little Women (1933) as Mamie
• Cradle Song (1933) as Sister Sagrario
• Two Alone (1934) as Corie
• Success at Any Price (1934) as Dinah
• The Trumpet Blows (1934) as Carmela Ramirez
• Manhattan Love Song (1934) as Annette
• Ladies Should Listen (1934) as Susie Flamberg
• One Night of Love (1934) as Muriel
• Sweet Adeline (1934) as Nellie
• Captain Hurricane (1935) as Gertie (uncredited)
• Dressed to Thrill (1935) as Anne Trepied
• A Feather in Her Hat (1935) as Emily Judson
• Three Live Ghosts (1936) as Peggy 'Peg' Woofers
• The Invisible Ray (1936) as Briggs (uncredited)
• The Gorgeous Hussy (1936) as Maybelle
• Craig's Wife (1936) as Mazie
• Rose Bowl (1936) as Susie Reynolds
• Pennies from Heaven (1936) as Slavey - Hotel Maid
• Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937)
• When Love Is Young (1937) as 'Dotty' Leonard
• Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937) as Gwen Longworth
• The Goldwyn Follies (1938) as Ada
• The First Hundred Years (1938) as Midge
• Bulldog Drummond's Peril (1938) as Gwen Longworth
• When Tomorrow Comes (1939) as Lulu
• The Cat and the Canary (1939) as Cicily
• Forty Little Mothers (1940) as Madamoiselle Cynthia Cliche
• Hullabaloo (1940) as Lulu Perkins
• The Bad Man (1941) as Angela Hardy
• The Chocolate Soldier (1941) as Liesel - Maid
• The Remarkable Andrew (1942) as Miss Van Buren
• They All Kissed the Bride (1942) as Secretary
• Hers to Hold (1943) as Nurse Willing
• Princess O'Rourke (1943) as Mrs. Bowers (uncredited)
• Her Primitive Man (1944) as Aunt Penelope
• The Late George Apley (1947) as Jane Willing
• Mickey (1948) as Miss Mabel Adams (uncredited)
• The Velvet Touch (1948) as Susan Crane
• Don't Knock the Twist (1962) as Amy - the Dressmaker
• For Love or Money (1963) as Martha (uncredited)
• Mail Order Bride (1964) as Salvation Army Band Member (uncredited)
• The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) as Mrs. Cobb
• The Chase (1966) as Mrs. Henderson
• The Swinger (1966) as Aunt Cora
• The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) as Aunt Zana
• The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968) as Woman in Elevator (uncredited)
• Rabbit, Run (1970) as Mrs. Smith (final film role)

Television work

• Mary Kay and Johnny (unknown episodes, 1947–1950)
• Actors Studio (1 episode, 1948)
• The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1 episode, 1950)
• Philco Television Playhouse (2 episodes, 1949–1951)
• Young Mr. Bobbin (1951, TV Series) as Aunt Bertha
• Robert Montgomery Presents (1 episode, 1952)
• Broadway Television Theatre (1 episode, 1953) as Aunt Minnie Stickney
• Philip Morris Playhouse (1 episode, 1954)
• Kraft Television Theatre (5 episodes, 1954–1955)
• Studio One (3 episodes, 1953-1955) as Miss Twink / Cora Kinney
• Ford Television Theatre (1 episode, 1955) as Penny
• Producers' Showcase (1 episode, 1956) as Serena Applegate
• Kaiser Aluminum Hour (1 episode, 1957) as Mrs. Lansing
• The United States Steel Hour (1 episode, 1957) as Miss Prism
• Play of the Week (1 episode, 1960) as Armande Mangebois
• Going My Way (30 episode, 1962-1963)
• Route 66 (1 episode, 1963) as Mrs. LeMay
• The Addams Family (1 episode, 1964) as Miss Morrison
• The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1 episode, 1964) as Aunt Ida Maye
• Perry Mason (1 episode, 1964) as Ivy Stanton
• Bonanza (1 episode, 1964) as Martha Washburn
• Ben Casey (1 episode, 1964) as Mrs. Simmons
• The Donna Reed Show (1 episode, 1965) as Mrs. Robbins
• The Munsters (1 episode, 1965) as Elderly Woman
• F Troop (1 episode, 1965) as Mama Dobbs
• My Favorite Martian (1 episode, 1965) as Matilda
• Please Don't Eat The Daisies (2 episode, 1965-1966) as Aunt Alice / Emma
• That Girl (episode "Rain, Snow, Ice" 1967) as Lady
• Family Affair (1 episode, 1967) as Mrs. Elkins
• Premiere (1 episode, 1968) as Woman
• Lancer (1 episode, 1969) as Bridget McGloin
• Adam-12 (1 episode, 1969) as Alice Hoyt
• Dragnet 1967 (6 episodes, 1967–1970) as Martha Anderson / Myrtle Perriwinkle / Mrs. Morrison / Phoebe Kensington / Jennifer Salt / Mrs. Mary Burnside
• Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969, TV Movie) as Mae
• Bewitched (1 episode, 1970) as Mrs. Quigley

External links

• Nydia Westman at IMDb
• Nydia Westman at the Internet Broadway Database
• filmsandtv.com bio
• Nydia Westman at AllMovie
• Nydia Westman at Find a Grave