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:

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

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1938Best ActressThree Comrades (1938)Pat HollmannNominated
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She was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures.

BlogHub Articles:

A Whimsical Experiment in Altruism: as “The Good Fairy”

By Stephen Reginald on Mar 9, 2026 From Classic Movie Man

A Whimsical Experiment in Altruism: as “The Good Fairy” Directed by William Wyler and released in 1935, this sparkling screwball comedy features a screenplay by the legendary Preston Sturges. The story follows Luisa Ginglebusher (), a naive and wid... Read full article


, 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


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Margaret Sullavan Quotes:

[Alfred Kralik has just disclosed to Klara Novak that he is her anonymous pen pal]
Alfred Kralik: Are you disappointed?
Klara Novak (Miss Novak): Psychologically, I'm very confused... But personally, I don't feel bad at all.


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


Alfred Kralik: There might be a lot we don't know about each other. You know, people seldom go to the trouble of scratching the surface of things to find the inner truth.
Klara Novak (Miss Novak): Well I really wouldn't care to scratch your surface, Mr. Kralik, because I know exactly what I'd find. Instead of a heart, a hand-bag. Instead of a soul, a suitcase. And instead of an intellect, a cigarette lighter... which doesn't work.


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Margaret Sullavan Facts
Her eldest daughter, actress Brooke Hayward, wrote an autobiographical book titled [i]Haywire[/i] which was a best seller in 1981. It was later made into the television movie Haywire (1980) (TV), starring Lee Remick.

Divorced Henry Fonda after two months.

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.

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