Josephine Hull

Lore & Background

Hull was born in Newtonville, Massachusetts, one of four children of William H. Sherwood and Mary Elizabeth 'Minnie' Tewkesbury. She made her stage debut in 1905, and after years as a chorus girl and touring stock player, married actor Shelley Hull in 1910. After her husband's death, she retired until 1923, returning under the name Josephine Hull. She had her first major stage success in George Kelly's Pulitzer-winning *Craig's Wife* in 1926. She appeared in three Broadway hits: *You Can't Take It with You* (1936), *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1941), and *Harvey* (1944). Her last Broadway play was *The Solid Gold Cadillac* (1954–55). She made only seven films, beginning in 1927 with a small part in *Get Your Man*, followed by *The Bishop's Candlesticks* (1929). She won an Academy Award for *Harvey* (1950). She died on March 12, 1957, aged 80, from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Reader's Guide

Hull's film debut was in 1927 with a small part in *Get Your Man*. She appeared in *The Bishop's Candlesticks* (1929), *After Tomorrow* (1932), *Careless Lady* (1932), *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944), *Harvey* (1950), and *The Lady from Texas* (1951). She also appeared in a 1949 CBS-TV version of *Arsenic and Old Lace*.

Did You Know?

• Hull won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for *Harvey* (1950), a role she originated on Broadway in 1944.
• She was sometimes credited as Josephine Sherwood early in her career.
• Hull made only seven films over her career, beginning in 1927.