Martha Sleeper
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Martha Sleeper (24 June 1910 - 25 March 1983) was a silent film comedian of the 1920s and Broadway actress of the 1940s.
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[edit] Family
She was under contract to Hal Roach studios beginning in 1924, when she was only fourteen years of age. She was born in Lake Bluff, Illinois on June 24, 1910 and spent her first years on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. Sleeper's father, William B. Sleeper, was an official of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum vaudeville circuit in New York City. He retired to Los Angeles, California in 1923 because of ill health. William was found dead of heart disease on September 1, 1925, in the bed of his home on 1756 North Tamarind Street. Sleeper, then 15, was with her mother and sister on a short trip to New York City.
[edit] Dancer Who Studied Ballet
As a youth she studied dancing for five years with the Russian ballet master, Louis H. Chalif, in his New York dancing studio. Her first public exhibitions were at Carnegie Hall at his class exhibitions. One of her dancing photos was sent to an uncle in Los Angeles, California. He framed and displayed it on a wall of his home. The home was sold to Emory Johnson and his mother, Emily Johnson. Emily wrote The Mail Man and recommended Sleeper for a part in films after noticing the teenager's photo.
[edit] Author
In 1926, at the age of 16, the young actress wrote and published a book entitled Hollywood Be Thy Name. She wrote the story while doing screen work and performing four hours of school work daily. The volume was a romance of work, adventure, and success in Hollywood.
[edit] Silent Movie Actress
Sleeper's film career began in 1923 and continued until 1945. Her early comedy efforts with Hal Roach include The Mailman (1923), The Racing Kid (1924), Trailing Trouble (1924), Please, Teacher! (1924), A Ten Minute Egg (1924), Sweet Daddy (1924), and Outdoor Pajamas (1924). She also appeared in a handful of silent "Our Gang" shorts including: "Better Movies" (1925), "Baby Clothes" (1926) and "Thundering Fleas" (1926). Martha's final movies were mainly in the late 1930s, concluding with The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).
[edit] Jewelry and Dress Merchant
After achieving prominence on the New York stage, Sleeper left abruptly in 1949. She sailed from New York on a 40-foot schooner. Her destination was the Virgin Islands and a vacation with her husband. However, when she reached Puerto Rico, she thought, I knew this was the place for me. She fell in love with the island and opened a hand-made clothing shop there in 1950. Sleeper sewed native dresses in San Juan and resolved never to return to the US mainland.
Before World War II Sleeper designed jewelry. Using her hands productively was not a new thing for her. She was proficient in selling many of her Martha Sleeper creations to stores in the United States and neighboring islands.
[edit] Death
She died in Beaufort, South Carolina on March 25, 1983.
[edit] References
- Hayward Daily Review, Silent Film Dream Gal Found in Puerto Rico, May 27, 1955, Page 24.
- Los Angeles Times, Her Youth No Bar To Mature Roles, May 10, 1925, Page 18.
- Los Angeles Times, Keith-Orpheum Former Official Succumbs Here, September 2, 1925, Page A3.
- Los Angeles Times, Here and There, October 29, 1926, Page A8.
- Oakland Tribune, Comedienne Writes, Sunday, October 31, 1926, Page W3.
