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Martha Sleeper (June 24, 1910 – March 25, 1983) was a film actress of the 1920s–1930s and, later, a Broadway stage actress. She studied dancing for five years with Russian ballet master, Louis H. Chalif, at his New York dancing studio. Her first public exhibitions were at Carnegie Hall at his class exhibitions.
Sleeper's film career began in 1923 and continued until 1945. Her first screen appearance, at the age of 13, was in The Mailman (1923), an independent production. After appearing in several kiddie comedies at the Christie studio she was signed by the Hal Roach studio for the Our Gang" series but she quickly outgrew that role. From 1925-27 she appeared in comedies playing opposite the studio's most popular male stars. She left the Roach studio in late 1927 and moved to the FBO studio where she starred in six silent features during 1928–29. With the coming of sound she was signed by MGM and placed in their training program.
From 1930 to 1936 she played supporting roles in many melodramas her role typically that of a well-bred somewhat snobbish society woman who ends up losing her man to the film's leading lady. Frustrated by the types of roles she was being offered, Martha began playing onstage in and about Los Angeles, at one point drawing raves as Eliza Doolittle in a performance of Pygmalion in 1932.
After appearing in some low budget melodramas for the poverty row Monogram studio Martha and her husband, actor Hardie Albright, left Hollywood for New York in 1936 where Martha began a long run in both on- and off-Broadway plays. In 1945, as a favor to director Leo McCarey, Martha played the role of Patsy's mother in The Bells of St. Mary's. It was her last screen role.
Born
Friday, 24 June 1910
Died
Friday, 25 March 1983
Actress Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
The Republic Pictures Story | Elsie Summerstone (clip from Two Sinners (1935)) | 1991 |
Days Of Thrills & Laughter | archive footage | 1961 |
Days of Thrills and Laughter | Self | 1961 |
The Bells of St. Mary's | Mary Gallagher - Patsy's mother / Mary Gallagher | 1945 |
Four Days Wonder | Nancy Fairbrother | 1936 |
Rhythm on the Range | Constance Hyde | 1936 |
Two Sinners | Elsie Summerstone | 1935 |
The Scoundrel | Julia Vivian | 1935 |
Great God Gold | Marcia Harper | 1935 |
West of the Pecos | Ril Lambeth | 1934 |
Actress Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
The Republic Pictures Story | Elsie Summerstone (clip from Two Sinners (1935)) | 1991 |
Days Of Thrills & Laughter | archive footage | 1961 |
Days of Thrills and Laughter | Self | 1961 |
The Bells of St. Mary's | Mary Gallagher - Patsy's mother / Mary Gallagher | 1945 |
Four Days Wonder | Nancy Fairbrother | 1936 |
Rhythm on the Range | Constance Hyde | 1936 |
Two Sinners | Elsie Summerstone | 1935 |
The Scoundrel | Julia Vivian | 1935 |
Great God Gold | Marcia Harper | 1935 |
West of the Pecos | Ril Lambeth | 1934 |
Tomorrow's Youth | Ellen Hall | 1934 |
Hollywood Party | Show Girl | 1934 |
Spitfire | Eleanor Stafford | 1934 |
Broken Dreams | Martha Morley | 1933 |
Bombshell | Lola's Hair Stylist | 1933 |
Penthouse | Sue Leonard | 1933 |
Midnight Mary | Barbara Mannering | 1933 |
The Secret of Madame Blanche | Chorus Girl Who Hears 'My Country Tis of Thee' / Chorus Girl Who Hears 'My Country Tis of Thee' (Uncredited) | 1933 |
Rasputin and the Empress | Party Girl | 1932 |
Huddle | Barbara / Barbara Winston | 1932 |
Confessions of a Co-Ed | Lucille | 1931 |
A Tailor Made Man | Corrine | 1931 |
Ten Cents a Dance | Nancy Clark | 1931 |
Girls Demand Excitement | Harriet Mundy | 1931 |
War Nurse | Helen | 1930 |
Madam Satan | Fish Girl | 1930 |
Our Blushing Brides | Evelyn Woodforth | 1930 |
The Voice of the Storm | Ruth | 1929 |
The Air Legion | Sally | 1929 |
Taxi 13 | Flora Mactavish | 1928 |
Skinner's Big Idea | Dorothy | 1928 |
The Little Yellow House | Emmy Milburn | 1928 |
Should Tall Men Marry? | Martha Skittle | 1928 |
Pass the Gravy | Daughter | 1928 |
Flaming Fathers | Daughter / Daughter Gimplewart | 1927 |
The Way of All Pants | Undetermined Secondary Role | 1927 |
Fluttering Hearts | Daughter | 1927 |
Jewish Prudence | Rachel Gimplewart | 1927 |
Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes | Co-ed | 1926 |
Bromo and Juliet | Undetermined Secondary Role | 1926 |
Crazy Like a Fox | The Bride | 1926 |
Along Came Auntie | Marie, the Maid | 1926 |
Thundering Fleas | Bride | 1926 |
Long Fliv the King | Princess Helga of Thermosa | 1926 |
Say It with Babies | Hector's Wife | 1926 |
Mum's the Word | The Nervous Little Girl | 1926 |
Baby Clothes | Leggy lady | 1926 |
Madame Mystery | 1926 | |
Whats the World Coming To | The Butler | 1926 |
Should Sailors Marry? | Smyrna - Verbena's Daughter / Smyrna, Verbena's Daughter | 1925 |
Better Movies | Teenaged 'Vamp' | 1925 |
Innocent Husbands | Girl at Party | 1925 |
Big Red Riding Hood | Book store clerk / The Maid - Book Store Clerk | 1925 |
Bad Boy | Jimmie's Girl Friend | 1925 |
The Rat's Knuckles | Flirty McFickle | 1925 |
All Wet | Boarding House Maid | 1924 |
Every Man for Himself | Lady with rings around her eyes | 1924 |
Too Many Mammas | The Apache Dancer | 1924 |
Outdoor Pajamas | Girl with Runaway Pony | 1924 |
Seeing Nellie Home | Undetermined Secondary Role | 1924 |
A Ten-Minute Egg | Mrs. Dugan | 1924 |