Diana Sands

Diana Sands
Photograph of Sands taken by Carl Van Vechten, 1963
Born	Diana Patricia Sands August 22, 1934 New York City, U.S.
Died	September 21, 1973 (aged 39) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York, U.S.
Education	Music & Art High School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1951–1973
Known for	Beneatha Younger – A Raisin in the Sun
Spouse	Lucien Happersberger ​ ​ (m.  1964; div. 1966)​
Partner(s)	Kurt Baker (1972–1973)

Diana Patricia Sands (August 22, 1934 – September 21, 1973) was an American actress, perhaps most known for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger, the sister of Sidney Poitier's character, Walter, in the original stage and film versions of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (1959).

Sands also appeared in a number of dramatic television series in the 1960s and 1970s such as I Spy, as Davala Unawa in the 1967 The Fugitive episode "Dossier on a Diplomat", Dr. Harrison in the Outer Limits episode "The Mice", and Julia. Sands also starred in the 1963 film An Affair of the Skin as the narrator and photographer, Janice. She was twice nominated for a Tony Award and twice nominated for an Emmy Award.

Biography

Early life and education

Diana Patricia Sands was born one of three children in the Bronx, New York City, on August 22, 1934 to Rudolph Sands, a Bahamian carpenter, and Shirley (née Thomas), a milliner. Having attended elementary school in Elmsford, New York, she enrolled in 1949 at the Music & Art High School (now known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School), where she was a classmate of Diahann Carroll and Billy Dee Williams. While there, Sands received her first role in a school production of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara. After graduating in 1953, she began her professional career as a dancer, touring with a traveling carnival.

Career

In 1959, Sands landed the role of Beneatha Younger in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun. Two years later, she co-starred alongside Claudia McNeil, Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee in the film version of the play. Sands later became a member of the Actors Studio.

In 1964, she was in the first production of James Baldwin's Blues for Mister Charlie; her performance was noted as a highlight of the show. Later the same year she starred opposite Alan Alda in the original Broadway production of The Owl and the Pussycat, gaining a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The show ran for a year, after which she spent much of 1966 starring in the play's London production, playing this time opposite Anton Rodgers.

In 1970, Sands co-starred in the film The Landlord, subsequently appearing in Doctors' Wives and Georgia, Georgia. During this time, Sands met musician Bob Dylan, who, in his memoirs, called her "an electrifying actress who I might have been secretly in love with." During the fall of 1972, Sands filmed Honeybaby, Honeybaby on location in Beirut, Lebanon, co-starring Calvin Lockhart. According to Lockhart, Sands went to a local hospital during the filming, knowing that she was already seriously ill. Also in 1972, Sands was engaged to provide a track for the Original New York Cast album of Free to Be... You and Me. However, she had died by the time the ABC Afterschool Special began production, and her previously recorded vocal track wasn't used.

In early 1973, Sands appeared in Willie Dynamite, a blaxploitation film co-starring Roscoe Orman. In late August, she began filming Claudine alongside James Earl Jones in the Harlem section of New York City. According to October 1973 articles published in Jet, Sands collapsed a week into filming and was rushed to a local hospital in early September. During surgery, doctors discovered a cancerous growth in Sands' abdomen, which was diagnosed as pancreatic cancer. Due to her aggressive illness, Sands was unable to continue and suggested that her longtime friend Diahann Carroll replace her; the film's producers agreed and cast Carroll.

Personal life, death and legacy

Sands was married once and had no children. From October 1964 until 1966, she was married to Swiss artist Lucien Happersberger. At the time of her death, Sands was engaged to Kurt Baker, who was an assistant film director. On September 21, 1973, Sands died of leiomyosarcoma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City, aged 39. Sands' Funeral Mass was held on October 5, 1973 at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Manhattan, New York. Afterwards, she was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York. In 1976, Junior High School 147, located in the Bronx, New York, was named in Sands' honor.

Selected credits

Theatre

Partial filmography

• Caribbean Gold (1952) - Native Woman (uncredited)
• Four Boys and a Gun (1957) - (uncredited)
• A Face in the Crowd (1957) - Homeless Black Woman (uncredited)
• Carib Gold (1957)
• Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) - Club Hostess (uncredited)
• A Raisin in the Sun (1961) - Beneatha Younger
• An Affair of the Skin (1963) - Janice
• Ensign Pulver (1964) - Mila
• The Landlord (1970) - Fanny
• Doctors' Wives (1971) - Helen Straughn
• Georgia, Georgia (1972) - Georgia Martin
• Willie Dynamite (1974) - Cora
• Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974) - Laura Lewis (final film role)