Margaret Sullavan Overview:

Legendary actress, Margaret Sullavan, was born Margaret Brooke Sullavan Hancock on May 16, 1909 in Norfolk, VA. Sullavan appeared in 22 film and tv roles. Her best known films include The Mortal Storm and The Shop Around the Corner, both released in 1940 and both co-starring James Stewart. Sullavan died at the age of 50 on Jan 1, 1960 in New Haven, CT and was laid to rest in Saint Mary's Whitechapel Episcopal Churchyard Cemetery in Lancaster, VA.

MINI BIO:

A petite actress of high stage reputation, Margaret Sullavan became the June Allyson of the thirties in a succession of high-class weepies. Like Alyson, she was touching and beguiling on screen, and hot-tempered off. In later days her stage career was less successful than it had been and, in 1956, she committed herself to a sanatorium. She was married to Henry Fonda for two months (from 1931-1932), William Wyler (from 1934-1936) and Leland Hayward (from 1936-1947) (the first, second and third of four husbands).

(Source: available at Amazon Quinlan's Film Stars).

HONORS and AWARDS:

.

Although Sullavan was nominated for one Oscar, she never won a competitive Academy Award.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1938Best ActressThree Comrades (1938)Pat HollmannNominated
.

She was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures.

BlogHub Articles:

, Ann Sothern, and Joan Blondell “Cry ‘Havoc’”

By Stephen Reginald on May 21, 2021 From Classic Movie Man

, Ann Sothern, and Joan Blondell “Cry ‘Havoc’” Cry ‘Havoc’ (1943) is an American World War II drama directed by Richard Thorpe and starring , Ann Sothern, and Joan Blondell. The film features a strong supporting cast that inc... Read full article


The Shopworn Angel (1938): Remembering

By 4 Star Film Fan on Apr 13, 2021 From 4 Star Films

“Dreaming’s alright if it’s all you got but if you find the real thing you’re just not satisfied with it anymore.” – Jimmy Stewart as Bill It’s 1917: the eve of the U.S. entry in WWI. The nation is yet to feel the jadedness of everyone else in mainland Europ... Read full article


Only Yesterday (1933): Shines

By 4 Star Film Fan on Apr 6, 2021 From 4 Star Films

In the opening designs of Only Yesterday, the New York Stock Exchange is encapsulated by its usual hubbub only to hit the skids of pandemonium when the market crashes. We’re talking about the Big Crash of 1929. It plays as the backdrop to our story, very much functioning as current events. The... Read full article


On Blu-ray: and Jimmy Stewart in The Mortal Storm (1940)

By KC on Jan 6, 2021 From Classic Movies

The Mortal Storm (1940) presents a personal view of how the Nazi regime first began to devastate the world. It finds the poison at the root of its rise and demonstrates how quickly it spread. While it is a difficult film to watch, the charm of its stars and director Frank Borzage’s powerful im... Read full article


made sixteen movies during her Hollywood career

By Art on May 19, 2014 From Classic Cinema Gold

Margaret Brooke Sullavan (May 16, 1909 ? January 1, 1960) was an American stage and film actress who preferred working on the stage, making only sixteen movies during her Hollywood career. was born May 16, 1909 in Norfolk, Virginia to Cornelius Sullavan, a wealthy stockbroker, a... Read full article


See all articles

Margaret Sullavan Quotes:

Klara Novak (Miss Novak): All my knowledge came from books, and I'd just finished a novel about a glamorous French actress from the Comedie Francaise. That's the theater in France. When she wanted to arouse a man's interest, she treated him like a dog.
Alfred Kralik: Yes, well, you treated me like a dog.
Klara Novak (Miss Novak): Yes, but instead of licking my hand, you barked.


Judy Linden: Oh, and if they show any immediate tendency to break an important commandment, whistle, will you?


Klara Novak (Miss Novak): [In her letter to Alfred] : Oh, my Dear Friend, my heart was trembling as I walked into the post office, and there you were, lying in Box 237. I took you out of your envelope and read you, read you right there.


read more quotes from Margaret Sullavan...



Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
Also a Taurus






See All Tauruses >>
Best Actress Oscar 1938






See more Best Actress awards>>
Margaret Sullavan on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame



See All Walk of Fame Stars >>
Margaret Sullavan Facts
Her youngest daughter, Bridget, was found dead in her Manhattan, New York apartment on October 31, 1960, only eleven months after her mother died. It was ruled a suicide by drug overdose, like her mother. She was 21 years old.

Her son William Hayward also committed suicide. He died from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the heart on March 8, 2008 in his trailer in Castaic, California. He was 66 years old.

On January 4, 1960, after having received the toxicologist's report on the contents of the vital organs, the coroner ruled Sullavan's death accidental. Her death was caused by barbiturate poisoning, "but not such a massive overdose as one would expect in a suicide attempt".

See All Related Facts >>