Martha Sleeper

Birthday: 1910-06-24
Deathday: 1983-03-25
Birthplace: Lake Bluff, Illinois, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1945-12-27 The Bells of St. Mary's Mary Gallagher
1936-12-03 Four Days Wonder Nancy Fairbrother
1936-07-01 Rhythm on the Range Constance Hyde
1935-09-12 Two Sinners Elsie Summerstone
1935-04-30 The Scoundrel Julia Vivian
1935-04-14 Great God Gold Marcia Harper
1934-12-27 West of the Pecos Ril Lambeth
1934-10-14 Tomorrow's Youth Ellen Hall
1934-05-24 Hollywood Party Show Girl (uncredited)
1934-03-08 Spitfire Eleanor Stafford
1933-10-19 Broken Dreams Martha Morley
1933-10-13 Bombshell Lola's Hair Stylist (uncredited)
1933-09-08 Penthouse Sue Leonard
1933-06-30 Midnight Mary Barbara
1933-02-03 The Secret of Madame Blanche Chorus Girl Who Hears 'My Country Tis of Thee' (Uncredited)
1932-12-23 Rasputin and the Empress Party Girl (uncredited)
1932-05-14 Huddle Barbara
1931-07-11 Confessions of a Co-Ed Lucille
1931-03-28 A Tailor-Made Man Corrine
1931-02-08 Girls Demand Excitement Harriet Mundy
1931-01-30 Ten Cents a Dance Nancy Clark
1930-11-22 War Nurse Helen
1930-09-20 Madam Satan Fish Girl
1930-07-19 Our Blushing Brides Evelyn Woodforth
1928-11-18 Taxi 13 Flora Mactavish
1928-08-26 Danger Street Kitty
1928-04-18 The Little Yellow House Emmy Milburn
1928-01-15 Should Tall Men Marry? Martha Skittle
1928-01-07 Pass the Gravy Daughter
1927-12-17 Flaming Fathers Daughter
1927-11-12 Love 'em and Feed 'em Martha, a stenographer
1927-06-19 Fluttering Hearts Daughter
1927-05-27 Jewish Prudence Rachel Gimplewart
1927-04-24 The Honorable Mr. Buggs The Fiancée
1926-09-19 Bromo and Juliet Bit Role (uncredited)
1926-08-26 Crazy Like a Fox The bride
1926-07-25 Along Came Auntie Marie, the Maid
1926-07-18 Thundering Fleas Bride
1926-06-13 Long Fliv the King Princess Helga of Thermosa
1926-05-16 Say It with Babies Hector's Wife
1926-05-09 Mum's the Word The Nervous Little Girl
1926-03-12 Madame Mystery
1926-01-16 What's the World Coming To? The Butler
1926-01-03 A Punch in the Nose
1925-11-08 Should Sailors Marry? Smyrna, Verbena's Daughter
1925-11-01 Better Movies Teenaged 'Vamp'
1925-08-01 Innocent Husbands Girl at Party (uncredited)
1925-07-12 Sherlock Sleuth Hotel Telephone Operator
1925-05-23 Sure-Mike! Vermuda
1925-04-26 Big Red Riding Hood Book store clerk
1925-04-11 Bad Boy Jimmie's Girl Friend
1925-03-01 Plain and Fancy Girls Fiance
1925-01-03 The Rat's Knuckles Flirty McFickle
1925-01-01 There Goes the Bride Imogene-the Bride
1925-01-01 Laughing Ladies
1924-12-21 The Royal Razz
1924-10-12 Too Many Mammas The Apache Dancer
1924-09-13 Outdoor Pajamas Girl with Runaway Pony
1924-08-17 Sweet Daddy Daughter
1924-07-26 Seeing Nellie Home
1924-07-19 A Ten-Minute Egg Mrs. Dugan
1924-01-01 All Wet Boarding house maid (uncredited)