Dorothy Sebastian

Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903^{[note 1][1]} – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress.^[2]

Early years

Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the daughter of Lycurgus (Lawrence) Robert and Stella Armstrong Sabiston.^[3] In her early years she aspired to be a missionary, since her grandparents were missionaries, but when she was taken to a theater during this time, she changed her mind and aspired to be an actress.^[4] She attended the University of Alabama but only for a short while and then married her high-school sweetheart, Allan Stafford, some time in 1920. She lived with him in Birmingham and helped operate the Staffords' laundry store. After her marriage ended in 1924, she left for New York sometime after.

After leaving Alabama and starting a career on the stage, she changed the spelling of her name to Sebastian.^[5] Upon her arrival in New York City, she had a southern drawl thick enough, in the words of one news report, to "cut with a knife".^[6] She spent her days visiting theatrical agents—and being consistently rejected—before returning at night to a $12-a-month room.^[7]

Career

Her first break came when she secured a role in George White's Scandals^[8] as a chorus girl. She then met Max Aitken, otherwise known as Lord Beaverbrook. Through this connection, she scored a screen test with Henry King, which led to her first starring role, in the film Sackloth and Scarlet. This part landed her a five-year contract with MGM, where she co-starred with Joan Crawford and Anita Page in a popular series of MGM romantic dramas, including Our Dancing Daughters (1928) and Our Blushing Brides (1930). Sebastian appeared in 1929's Spite Marriage, cast opposite the then-married Buster Keaton, with whom she began an affair.^[3]

MGM released Sebastian in 1930; her last film for the studio was a short subject starring the young Jack Benny. Harry Cohn of then-low-budget Columbia Pictures seized on Sebastian's availability by signing her to a Columbia contract; Cohn welcomed any former MGM players for their name value. After Columbia released Sebastian a year later, she began freelancing, mostly at low-budget independent studios. Her most familiar appearance in sound films is probably in Allez Oop (1934), a short comedy produced by Educational Pictures that reunited her with Buster Keaton.^{[citation needed]}

In 1930 Sebastian married outdoor-adventure star William Boyd (the future Hopalong Cassidy). 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.^{[citation needed]}

Songwriting

Sebastian co-wrote the ballad "The Leaves Mustn't Fall" with Jack Kenney.^[9]

Personal life

While still in Birmingham, Sebastian married her high-school sweetheart, Allen Stafford, on November 9, 1920. The marriage ended four years later just before she moved to New York.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[10] They divorced in 1936.^[2][11]

Legal issues

On November 7, 1938, Sebastian was found guilty of drunk driving in a Beverly Hills, California Justice Court. The night she was arrested, she had been dining at Buster Keaton's home with her nephew. She was given a 30-day suspended jail sentence and paid a fine of $75.^[12]

In 1940, Sebastian was denied an award of $10,000 from a San Diego court. She had appeared at a Red Cross benefit in San Francisco in 1937 and failed to pay her hotel bill. She contended the promoter for the event should have paid the bill. An employee of the Plaza Hotel took out the suit, charging "defrauding an innkeeper." The State Supreme Court of California reversed the lower court's decision, which had awarded her the money on grounds of malicious prosecution.^[13]

Death and legacy

On April 8, 1957, Sebastian died of cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, a few weeks before her 54th birthday.^[2][14] She is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California.^{[citation needed]}

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Sebastian has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6655 Hollywood Boulevard. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.^[15]

Filmography

Notes

1. ^ The book Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907.

References

1. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 172. ISBN 9780786450190. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
2. ^ "Dorothy Sebastian, Former Actress, Dies". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. April 9, 1957. p. 22. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
3. ^ Fair, John D. (2021-03-22). "Dorothy Sebastian". The Encyclopedia of Alabama. Auburn, Alabama: Alabama Humanities Alliance.
4. ^ "Sebastian, Dorothy". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
5. ^ Gwaltney, Caroline. "You Ought to Be in Pictures". National Alumni Association. The University of Alabama. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
6. ^ "Dorothy Is Gate Crasher". Los Angeles Times. 1926-10-04. p. C20.
7. ^ "Dorothy Sebastian Goes to Hollywood". www.dorothysebastian.com. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
8. ^ "A Rising Star of Films". Morning Register. September 6, 1925. p. 10. Retrieved September 28, 2017. – via Newspapers.com
9. ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. The Library of Congress. 1951. p. 525.
10. ^ Merrick, Molly (1930-12-30). "Hollywood In Person". The Milwaukee Journal. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
11. ^ "Divorces William Boyd". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 30, 1936.
12. ^ "Actress Found Guilty Of Driving While Intoxicated". Lewiston Morning Tribune. 1968-11-08. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
13. ^ "High Court Rules Against Actress". Los Angeles Times. 1940-05-28. p. 9.
14. ^ Brettell, Andrew; King, Noel; Kennedy, Damien; Imwold, Denise (2005). Cut!: Hollywood Murders, Accidents, and Other Tragedies. Barrons Educational Series. p. 179. ISBN 0-7641-5858-9.
15. ^ "Dorothy Sebastian". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived September 29, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 29, 2017.

• Los Angeles Times, "Alabama Steps To Top", August 10, 1930, Page B16.
• Oakland Tribune, "Kin of Actress Burns To Death", May 14, 1938, Page 1.

External links

• Dorothy Sebastian at IMDb
• DorothySebastian.com
• Dorothy Sebastian at Virtual History