Josephine Hull

Lore & Background

Hull made her stage debut in 1905 and worked as a chorus girl and touring stock player. She married actor Shelley Hull in 1910; after his early death, she retired until 1923, returning to acting using her married name, Josephine Hull. The couple had no children. Her first major stage success came in George Kelly's Pulitzer-winning *Craig's Wife* in 1926, and Kelly wrote a role especially for her in his next play, *Daisy Mayme*, also staged in 1926.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Hull appeared in three Broadway hits: as a batty matriarch in *You Can't Take It with You* (1936), as a homicidal old lady in *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1941), and in *Harvey* (1944). These plays had long runs, taking up ten years of her career. Her last Broadway play was *The Solid Gold Cadillac* (1954–55), later made into a film with Judy Holliday. Hull made only seven films, beginning in 1927 with a small part in *Get Your Man*. She missed recreating her *You Can't Take It with You* role on film because she was still performing it on stage. She played Aunt Abby in the film version of *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944) and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Harvey* (1950). After *Harvey*, she made only one more film, *The Lady from Texas* (1951).

Reader's Guide

Josephine Hull's significance lies in her long and successful stage career, which she capped with a late-in-life Academy Award for her film work. She was a versatile character actress, excelling in comedic and eccentric roles such as the batty matriarch in *You Can't Take It with You* and the homicidal Aunt Abby in *Arsenic and Old Lace*. Her performance in *Harvey* as Veta, the sister trying to have her brother committed, earned her an Oscar and critical praise for its comedic timing. Hull's career demonstrates the transition from stage to film for many actors of her era, though she made only seven films. Her legacy is preserved through her Broadway performances and her Oscar-winning film role, which remains a classic of American cinema. She is also notable for having shaved years off her age, a common practice among actresses of her time.

Did You Know?

• She was sometimes credited as Josephine Sherwood.
• She shaved years off her age during her career.
• She missed recreating her *You Can't Take It with You* role on film because she was still performing it on stage.
• She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Harvey* (1950).