Julia Sanderson papers

1913-1935 [bulk 1913-1928]

Julia Sanderson, musical comedy star of the early 1900s through the 1920s, was born in 1887 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Most of her childhood was spent in Philadelphia where her father, actor Albert Sackett, was a member of the Forepaugh Stock Company. Julia's stage debut was with her father's company when she was thirteen. Her interest in drama was replaced by musical theatre and in 1904, while appearing in the chorus of Winsome Winnie, she stepped in for the leading actress and met with great success. This led to a contract with the Shuberts. In The Sunshine Girl (1915), under the management of Charles Frohman, she became a star. She did several shows with comic Joseph Cawthorn and was also successfully paired with Donald Brian. Sanderson was known for her fresh and charming portrayals. She was "without a trace of the artificial stage manner which marks so many musical comedy prima donnas". Among her many hits were The Girl From Utah, Rambler Rose and The Canary. In 1921 she appeared in Tangerine opposite Frank Crumit who had written her featured number " Sweet Lady". They went on to appear together in No, No, Nanette, Queen High and Oh, Kay and were married in 1927. [Sanderson had been married twice before: to jockey James T. Sloan in 1907 and to Lt. Bradford Barnette in 1916. Both marriages ended in divorce.] The Crumits attempted to retire in 1928 by moving to their estate "Dunrovin" in Longmeadow, Massachusetts only to be lured back to performing on the radio. They became a popular radio team in the 1930s and remained radio stars until Crumit's death in 1943. Sanderson retired once again to "Dunrovin". She died in Springfield in 1975 at the age of 87.