Juliette Crosby (September 14, 1895 – May 1, 1969) was an American actress and debutante. She is perhaps best remembered for originating the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago in 1926.
Juliette Crosby | |
|---|---|
 Juliette Crosby, from a 1924 publication | |
| Born | September 14, 1895 Washington, D.C. |
| Died | May 1, 1969 (aged 73) Plainville, Connecticut |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Miriam Caracciolo di Melito (sister) |
Early life
editCrosby was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of explorer and politician Oscar Terry Crosby and Jeanne Maria Bouligny Crosby[1] (granddaughter of Charles Dominique Joseph Bouligny, US Senator from Louisiana). Her parents were both from Louisiana; her father was an author and traveler and served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Woodrow Wilson administration.[2] She graduated from Holton-Arms School.[3] She was presented as a debutante in Washington, D.C.[1] Her older sister Miriam, also an actress, married Italian aristocrat Mario Carillo.[4][5]
Career
editDuring World War I, Crosby went to France as a Red Cross nurse,[6] while her father was director of the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Her Broadway credits included roles in Martinique (1920),[7] The Nest (1922),[8] The Love Child (1922 –1923), Home Fires (1923),[9] The Show-Off (1924 –1925),[10] Nirvana (1926), Chicago (1926–1927), and Charley's Aunt (1941).[3] In the original production of Chicago, she was the first actress to play Velma Kelly.[11][12] She appeared in two films, Paris Bound (1929) and Charming Sinners (1929). In 1935 and 1936, she toured in a production of Dodsworth with Walter Huston.[13][14]
Crosby was considered stylish, and her dresses were photographed and described in detail in newspapers.[15]
Personal life
editCrosby married playwright, theatre critic, and film producer Arthur Hornblow Jr. in 1923.[16] They had a son, John Terry Hornblow.[17] They divorced in 1936,[18] a month before Hornblow married actress Myrna Loy.[19] She died in Plainville, Connecticut in 1969, aged 73 years.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Wade, Margaret (1914-09-20). "Season Bound to be Brilliant". The Washington Herald. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oscar T. Crosby Daring Explorer". The Washington Times. 1913-07-28. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Mrs. Hornblow, 73, A Former Actress". The New York Times. 1969-05-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
- ^ "Five O'Clock Tidings". The Spur. 29: 47. June 15, 1922.
- ^ Eliot, Jean (1919-12-14). "Washington Society Girls on Stage". The Washington Times. p. 19. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Reed, Vivian (2020-11-23). An American in Europe at War and Peace: Hugh S. Gibson's Chronicles, 1918-1919. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 978-3-11-067238-1.
- ^ "Mr. Hornblow Goes to the Play". Theatre Magazine. 31: 526–527. June 1920.
- ^ "The Young Idea". Vanity Fair. Vol. 17. May 1922. p. 51.
- ^ "In Other Novelties of the New York Season". The Spur. 32: 59. October 1, 1923.
- ^ Kelly, George (May 1924). "'The Show-Off'". Current Opinion. 76: 673–674.
- ^ Bloom, Ken (2013-10-18). Routledge Guide to Broadway. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-87116-1.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2017-12-11). Any Resemblance to Actual Persons: The Real People Behind 400+ Fictional Movie Characters. McFarland. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-4766-6605-1.
- ^ "Walter Huston Coming in Person". Deseret News. 1935-12-21. p. 15. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Great Cast With Walter Huston in Appearance Here". Nashville Banner. 1936-03-01. p. 27. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Actress Dons Gown Done in Batik by Jaap; Juliette Crosby, One of the Manhattans, Wears Novelty". Democrat and Chronicle. 1922-07-02. p. 43. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Juliette Crosby to Wed a Playwright". The News-Herald. 1923-08-21. p. 15. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Carl Van Vechten (November 22, 1937), "Juliette Crosby and John Terry Hornblow in Central Park, New York City" (a series of photographs), Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
- ^ "Player Gets Reno Decree". The Los Angeles Times. 1936-05-26. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-08-18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Leider, Emily W. (2012-07-09). Myrna Loy: The Only Good Girl in Hollywood. Univ of California Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-0-520-27450-1.
