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1 of 1977 Martha Sleeper

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Name	Sleeper, Martha
Born	June 24, 1910
Birthplace	Lake Bluff, Illinois
Places of residence	Family lived with her uncle John J. Murdock at 550 Center Ave. Moved to Sleeper Ranch, a Wyoming Sheep Ranch, in the early 1910s. Moved to Los Angeles in 1923; New York in 1936; Puerto Rico in 1949; and South Carolina in 1969.
Occupation	Film and Stage Actress Began acting at age 12 for Hal Roach Studios (children's roles) and FBO Studios, usually as a second female lead. Stared with Randolph Scott and Spencer Tracy in roles at MGM from 1930 - 1936. Moved to New York for off-and-on Broadway stage roles from 1936 through the 1940s. Designed and sold "gadget jewelry", some made of Bakelite, beginning in the 1930s. Started "Martha Sleeper Creates", a fashion line, in 1950 in Puerto Rico.
Role	Actor
Relationships	John J. Murdock (uncle)
Spouse	Three marriages, in 1934, 1941 and 1969.

Related Records

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2. Bracelet by Martha Sleeper - Martha Sleeper

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3. Martha Sleeper - 1) Two obituaries for Lake Bluff native, actress Martha Sleeper who died at 72. Sleeper started in the movies at age 12. She made her Broadway debut in 1934 in Good Men and True. 2) A five page Xerox document from silenthollywood.com, which includes pictures of Sleeper, and a brief biography. 3) Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Archive

   
4. Martha Sleeper - A black and white photo of Martha Sleeper and Sidney Blackmer. Both actors were in the movie Great God Gold. Martha is wearing a hat and fur stole. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Photo

   
5. Martha Sleeper - A black and white photo of Martha Sleeper as a young girl in braids wearing a checkered dress. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Photo

   
6. Martha Sleeper - A black and white photo of Martha Sleeper holding her head in her hand. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Photo

   
7. Martha Sleeper - A black and white photo of Martha Sleeper in an evening dress standing between two men in tuxedo and white tie. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Photo

   
8. Martha Sleeper - A black and white photo of Martha Sleeper sitting on a velvet chair with a legs exposed. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Photo

   
9. Martha Sleeper - A black and white studio photo of Martha Sleeper. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

   Martha Sleeper

   Record Type: Photo

   
10. Martha Sleeper - Matchbook cover - A red, black and white matchbook cover advertising Martha Sleeper, who created hand-screened fabrics originally designed clothes, pottery, rugs and wrought iron gifts from Spain. 106 Fortaleza San Juan Puerto Rico. Martha Sleeper’s name might not ring a lot of bells today, but she was once well known in Hollywood, on Broadway and in the jewelry and clothing design trades. She was born in Lake Bluff in 1910 to Minnie and William Sleeper, and she had deep theatrical roots, as her father worked for a prominent chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters –Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation — and her uncle, John J. Murdock (who lived at 550 East Center Avenue), was a bigwig in vaudeville and later in Hollywood from the 1900s to the 1930s. Martha was in her first silent movie at age 13 and was soon after signed by the Hal Roach Studio to perform in the "Our Gang" series. Between 1924 and 1925 she appeared in 28 films, as reported by silent Hollywood.com From 1925 to 1927, she played opposite the Hal Roach Studio’s male stars. She moved to the FBO Studio in 1927 and starred in six silent movies in 1928-29. When sound was introduced to movies in 1930, Martha moved to MGM Studios. From 1930 to 1936, she played several supporting roles in "talkies", often cast as a proper, well-dressed socialite who played second fiddle to prominent leading ladies of the time, such as Katherine Hepburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Ingrid Bergman. But she wanted to do more than just play parts where she lost the leading man to another woman. In 1932, she began performing on stage in Los Angeles and the surrounding area, including as Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" in 1932. In 1936 she moved with her husband, actor Hardie Albright, to New York to pursue a career on the stage and performed in 11 Broadway productions into the late 1940s, including as Spencer Tracy’s wife in the Broadway play "The Rugged Path." She returned to film in 1945 to take the role of Patsy’s mother in "The Bells of St. Mary’s", which was her last screen performance. Off-stage and away from cameras, her career veered in new directions. Prior to World War II, Martha started designing whimsical costume jewelry made of bakelite, wood and metal, which you can still find for sale today on websites like ebay and Etsy. In 1950, a year after she moved to Puerto Rico, she began designing and selling clothing, according to the Vintage Fashion Guild. (LBHM Website)

    Martha Sleeper

    Record Type: Archive

    
11. Martha Sleeper Matchbooks

    1 Red and 1 Blue Matchbook advertising the services of Martha Sleeper

    Record Type: Object

    
12. Musicians and Actors - Panel in Artist Colony Exhibit titled, Influencers: A Legacy of Creative Spirit Details the influencers that were musicians and actors.

    Record Type: Photo