Dorothy Sebastian

Born: 1903-04-26 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Died: 1957-04-08

Known For: Acting

Biography

From Wikipedia Dorothy Sebastian (April 26, 1903 – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress. Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In her youth, she aspired to be a dancer and a film actress. Her family frowned on both ambitions, however, so she fled to New York at the age of 15. Upon her arrival in New York City, Sebastian's southern drawl was thick enough to "cut with a knife". She followed around theatrical agents before returning at night to a $12-a-month room, after being consistently rejected. Sebastian's first contact in Hollywood was Robert Kane, who gave her a film test at United Studios. She performed in George White's Scandals and later co-starred with Joan Crawford and Anita Page for a popular series of MGM romantic dramas including Our Dancing Daughters (1928) and Our Blushing Brides (1930). Sebastian also appeared in 1929's Spite Marriage, wherein she was cast opposite her then-lover Buster Keaton. By the mid-1930s, Sebastian was semi-retired from acting after marrying Hopalong Cassidy star William Boyd. After their 1936 divorce, she returned to acting appearing in mostly bit parts. Her last onscreen appearance was in the 1948 film The Miracle of the Bells. Sebastian married actor William Boyd in December 1930 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They began a relationship after meeting on the set of His First Command in 1929. They divorced in 1936. In 1947, Sebastian married Miami Beach businessman Harold Shapiro to whom she remained married until her death. On April 8, 1957, Sebastian died of cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Dorothy Sebastian has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6655 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography

1948

The Miracle of the Bells as Miss Katie Orwin (uncredited)

1941

Among the Living as Woman in Cafe
Kansas Cyclone as Helen King

1939

The Women as Saleswoman Pat (uncredited)
The Arizona Kid as Bess Warren
Days of Jesse James as Zerilda James (uncredited)
Rough Riders' Round-up as Rose

1937

The Mysterious Pilot as Jean McNain

1934

No Sleep on the Deep as June Davis
The Life of Vergie Winters as Lulu
Allez Oop as Paula Stevens

1933

Ship of Wanted Men as Irene Reynolds

1932

They Never Come Back as Adele Landon
Contrabando

1931

The Big Gamble as Beverly Ames Beckwith
The Lightning Flyer as Rose Rogers
The Wide Open Spaces as Rose
Ships of Hate as Grace Walsh
The Deceiver as Ina Fontanne

1930

Free and Easy as Cave Scene
The Rounder as Ethel Dalton
Our Blushing Brides as Francine 'Franky' Daniels
Hell's Island as Marie
Ladies Must Play as Norma
The Utah Kid as Jennie Lee
Officer O'Brien as Ruth Dale
Montana Moon as Elizabeth
Brothers as Norma Moore
Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 5 as Dorothy Sebastian

1929

The Rainbow as Lola
Spite Marriage as Trilby Drew
The Unholy Night as Lady Efra
The Single Standard as Mercedes
His First Command as Judy Gaylord
Morgan's Last Raid as Judith Rogers
The Devil's Apple Tree as Dorothy Ryan
The Spirit of Youth as Betty Grant

1928

Show People as Self (uncredited)
Their Hour as Cora
The House of Scandal as Ann Rourke
A Woman of Affairs as Constance
Our Dancing Daughters as Beatrice 'Bea'
Wyoming as Samantrha Jerusha Farrell
The Adventurer as Dolores de Silva

1927

California as Carlotta del Rey
The Isle of Forgotten Women as Marua
Twelve Miles Out as Chiquita
The Demi-Bride as Lola
The Haunted Ship as Goldie Kane
The Show as Salvation Army Worker (uncredited)
Love as Spectator at Race (uncredited)
The Arizona Wildcat as Regina Schyler
On Ze Boulevard as Gaby de Sylva
Tea For Three as Annette

1926

Torrent as Woman in Audience (uncredited)
You'd Be Surprised as Dorothy
Bluebeard's Seven Wives as Gilda La Bray
Beauty à la Mud

1925

Sackcloth and Scarlet as Polly Freeman
Winds of Chance as Laura
Why Women Love as Pearl