Julia Sanderson

Julia Sanderson (born Julia Ellen Sackett; August 27, 1887 – January 27, 1975) was a Broadway actress and singer.[2] In 1887, she was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to parents Albert H. Sackett (also a Broadway actor) and Jeanette Elvira Sanderson.[3]

Julia Sanderson
Julia Sanderson
Born
Julia Sackett

August 27, 1887
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJanuary 27, 1975 (aged 87)
Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1903–1943[1]
Spouse(s)Tod Sloan (divorced)
Bradford Barnette (divorced)
Frank Crumit (1928-1943; his death)

She used her mother's maiden name as her stage name. She appeared in the Forepaugh Circus (based in Philadelphia) as a child. She then moved to Broadway, where she appeared in Jerome Kern musicals. She was a hit in England, but returned to the United States.

Stage career

She was first managed within the family circle as a child and teenaged actor, with assistance from her Broadway-experienced father and her mother. At the age of 18 she was in a show called "Brewster's Millions". She then played in the chorus of "Winsome Winnie" and as understudy to actress Miss Paula Edwardes. She was also considered for a part in a show called "The Motor Girl", considered appropriate because of her interest and ownership of the early automobile.[4]

1906 continued to prove busy as she went into the part of Mrs. Pineapple in "The Chinese Honeymoon". After this she was retained to play Mataya in "Wang" with De Wolf Hopper. Then she played a part in Fantana. She then had a cast part in "The Tourists" but resigned from the company in December 1906.[5] She appeared in The Dairymaids, opening in Atlantic City in August 1907, then at the Criterion Theatre New York City and on tour in the 1907 season before going across to the United Kingdom, having been engaged by Charles Frohman.[6]

Marriages

She was married three times but had no children. Her first marriage was to Tod Sloan, a jockey, on 22 September 1907.[7] She sought and obtained a divorce from him Feb. 10, 1913.[8] Her second marriage was to Navy Lieutenant Commander Bradford Barnette, head of the United States Navy's Hydrographic Department, and son of Rear Admiral W.G. Barnette USN. Her third marriage was to singer Frank Crumit. They courted for six years while appearing in the musical Tangerine before marrying on July 1, 1927.[9][10]

Sanderson was sued for divorce in September 1922 by her second husband, Barnette, with Crumit, 33, named as co-respondent. Crumit was at the time still married to a Connecticut woman.[11]

Crumit and Sanderson wed in 1928, and they retired briefly to Dunrovin, their country home at Longmeadow a suburb of Springfield. In 1930, they began working as a radio team, singing duets and engaging in comedy dialogues.[9] The couple starred in Blackstone Plantation, which was broadcast on CBS (1929-1930) and on NBC (1930-1934).[12] They performed as the "Singing Sweethearts."[1] In 1930, they continued with a popular quiz show, The Battle of the Sexes, which ran 13 years, Crumit and Sanderson drove from Massachusetts to New York City, a four-hour trip, twice a week to do their radio show. Their final broadcast was aired the day before Crumit's death of a heart attack in New York City on September 7, 1943.[9]

Filmography

Retirement and death

After Crumit's death, Sanderson retired from the stage, and returned to live in Springfield, Massachusetts at her estate. She died in Springfield on January 27, 1975, aged 87.[1]

Legacy

The Julia Sanderson Theater was named after her in Springfield and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[13]

References
  1. "Ask the Globe", The Boston Globe, December 19, 1997 Registration is required to access this link.
  2. League, The Broadway. "Julia Sanderson – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2016-08-30.
  3. Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1910 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004), birth register record for Julia Ellen Sackett
  4. Barr McIntosh Monthly 1907 annual
  5. New York Times, December 11, 1906.
  6. Who's Who of the Stage 1908, p. 384
  7. NY Times Announcement published September 21, 1906
  8. "JULIA SANDERSON DIVORCED.; Actress Obtains a Final Decree Against Tod Sloan, the Jockey" New York Times, 11 Feb 1913 Registration is required to access this link.
  9. "Frank Crumit, radio entertainer, passes", Los Angeles Times (Associated Press), September 8, 1943, pg. 13
  10. Great Stars of the American Stage; A Pictorial Record Profile#71 by Daniel Blum c.1952(this edition c.1954)
  11. "Julia Sanderson Sued for Divorce", Los Angeles Times, September 14, 1922, pg. I24.
  12. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-10-15. Blackstone Plantation, musical variety.
  13. "Marquee Performance, Entrepreneurs Take Center State in Paramount Project", Business West, November 1, 2000 Registration is required to access this link.
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