Editing Helen Hayes (section)

== Career ==
Hayes began a stage career as a five-year-old singer at Washington's [[Lafayette Square Opera House|Belasco Theatre]], on Lafayette Square, across from the White House.<ref>Evely, Douglas E., Dickson, Paul, and Ackerman, S.J.[https://books.google.com/books?id=y2DspYRi7G4C&q=%22Helen+Hayes%22&pg=PA2 "The White House Neighborhood"] ''On This Spot: Pinpointing the Past in Washington D.C.'' (2008), Capital Books, {{ISBN|1-933102-70-5}}, p.&nbsp;166</ref> By age 10, she had made a short silent film, ''[[Jean and the Calico Doll]]'' (1910).

Her sound film debut was ''[[The Sin of Madelon Claudet]]'', for which she won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]. She followed that with starring roles in ''[[Arrowsmith (film)|Arrowsmith]]'' (with [[Ronald Colman]]); ''[[A Farewell to Arms (1932 film)|A Farewell to Arms]]'' (with [[Gary Cooper]]); ''[[The White Sister (1933 film)|The White Sister]]'' (opposite [[Clark Gable]]); ''[[Another Language]]'' (opposite [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]]); ''[[What Every Woman Knows (1934 film)|What Every Woman Knows]]'' (a reprise of her Broadway hit); and ''[[Vanessa: Her Love Story]]'' also with Robert Montgomery. But Hayes did not prefer film to the stage.

Hayes eventually returned to Broadway in 1935, where for three years she played the title role in [[Gilbert Miller]]'s production of ''[[Victoria Regina (play)|Victoria Regina]]'', with [[Vincent Price]] as Prince Albert, first at the [[Broadhurst Theatre]] and later at the [[Martin Beck Theatre]].

[[File:What Every Woman Knows 1934.JPG|thumb|Hayes in the film ''[[What Every Woman Knows (1934 film)|What Every Woman Knows]]'' (1934)]]
In 1951, she was involved in the Broadway revival of [[J.M. Barrie]]'s play ''[[Mary Rose (play)|Mary Rose]]'' at the [[August Wilson Theatre|ANTA Playhouse]]. In 1953, she was the first-ever recipient of the [[Sarah Siddons Award]] for her work in [[Chicago theatre]], repeating as the winner in 1969. She returned to Hollywood in the 1950s, and her film star began to rise. She starred in ''[[My Son John]]'' (1952) and ''[[Anastasia (1956 film)|Anastasia]]'' (1956), and won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for her role as an elderly stowaway in the [[disaster film]] ''[[Airport (1970 film)|Airport]]'' (1970). She followed that up with several roles in [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] films such as ''[[Herbie Rides Again]]'', ''[[One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing]]'' and ''[[Candleshoe]]''. Her performance in ''Anastasia'' was considered a comeback—she had suspended her career for several years due to her daughter Mary's death and her husband's failing health.

In 1955, the [[Fulton Theatre/Helen Hayes Theatre|Fulton Theatre]] was renamed for her. In the 1980s, business interests wished to raze that theatre and four others to construct a large hotel that included the [[Marquis Theatre]]. Hayes's consent to raze the theatre named for her was sought and given, though she had no ownership interest in the building. Parts of the original Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway were used to construct [[the Shakespeare Center]] on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which Hayes dedicated with [[Joseph Papp]] in 1982.<ref name="ReferenceA">O'Haire, Patricia. "Dickens lends the Bard a Hand", ''The New York Daily News'', September 13, 1982</ref> In 1983 the Little Theater on West 44th Street was renamed the [[Helen Hayes Theatre]] in her honor, as was a theatre in Nyack, which has since been renamed the Riverspace-Arts Center. In early 2014, the site was refurbished and styled by interior designer Dawn Hershko and reopened as the Playhouse Market, a quaint restaurant and gourmet deli.

Hayes, who spoke with her good friend [[Anita Loos]] almost daily on the phone, told her, "I used to think New York was the most enthralling place in the world. I'll bet it still is and if I were free next summer, I would prove it." With that, she convinced Loos to embark on an exploration of all five boroughs of New York. They visited and explored the city; Bellevue Hospital at night, a tugboat hauling garbage out to sea, parties, libraries, and Puerto Rican markets. They spoke to everyday people to see how they lived their lives and what made the city tick. The result of this collaborative effort was the book ''Twice Over Lightly'', published in 1972.

It is unclear when or by whom Hayes was called the "First Lady of the Theatre". Her friend, actress [[Katharine Cornell]], also held that title, and each thought the other deserved it.<ref name=autogenerated1>Mosel, p. unknown</ref><ref>[https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,771605,00.html "The Theatre: Great Katharine"]. ''Time'', April 3, 1939.</ref> One critic said Cornell played every queen as though she were a woman, whereas Hayes played every woman as though she were a queen.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Hayes was also recognized with additional awards during her career. In January 1968, [[Philadelphia Art Alliance]] president Raymond S. Green presented her with the alliance's Award of Merit "in recognition of outstanding creative work of high artistic merit." She had been chosen unanimously by the alliance's drama committee and board of directors, according to alliance executive director James Kirk Merrick who noted, "This award isn't given every year.... It is only presented when we feel someone is deserving. I don't think there can be any question as to how we arrived at choosing Miss Hayes."<ref>Cooney, John. "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/179799471/?terms=%22Philadelphia%20Art%20Alliance%22&match=1 People Wait in Line to Greet Helen Hayes At Art Alliance Fete]." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', January 22, 1968, p. 11 (subscription required).</ref>

In 1982, with friend [[Lady Bird Johnson]], she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, now the [[Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center]], in [[Austin, Texas]]. The center protects and preserves North America's native plants and natural landscapes.<ref>[http://www.wildflower.org/about/ "About Us, History"] Wildflower.org, accessed August 27, 2011</ref>

The [[Helen Hayes Award]] for theater in the Washington, D.C., area is named in her honor. She has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6220 Hollywood Blvd. Hayes is also in the [[American Theatre Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theaterhalloffame.org/members.html#H|title=Members of the American Theater Hall of Fame|access-date=February 5, 2014}}</ref>