Erskine Sanford (November 19, 1885 – July 7, 1969) was an American actor on the stage, radio and motion pictures. Long associated with the
Theatre Guild
The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of th ...
, he later joined
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
's
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury als ...
company and appeared in several of Welles's films, including ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941), in which he played Herbert Carter, the bumbling, perspiring newspaper editor.
Biography
Erskine Sanford was born in
Trinidad, Colorado
Trinidad is the home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,329 as of the 2020 census. Trinidad lies north of Raton, New Mexico, and s ...
, and was educated at the
Horace Mann School
, motto_translation = Great is the truth and it prevails
, address = 231 West 246th Street
, city = The Bronx
, state = New York
, zipcode = 10471
, countr ...
in New York City. Beginning his acting career with
Minnie Maddern Fiske
Minnie Maddern Fiske (born Marie Augusta Davey; December 19, 1865 – February 15, 1932), but often billed simply as Mrs. Fiske, was one of the leading American actresses of the late 19th and early 20th century. She also spearheaded the fig ...
's company,
he made his professional debut in ''
Leah Kleschna
''Leah Kleschna'' is a drama in five acts by C.M.S. McLellan produced for the first time on Broadway by Minnie Maddern Fiske, Harrison Grey Fiske and the Manhattan Company with set design provided by Frank E. Gates and E. A. Morange.
The play o ...
''. He appeared in ''The Blue Bird'' and ''The Piper'' (1910–11) at the
New Theatre in New York City, and in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
an repertory with
Ben Greet
Sir Philip Barling Greet (24 September 1857 – 17 May 1936), known professionally as Ben Greet, was a Shakespearean actor, director, impresario and actor-manager.
Early life
The younger son of Captain William Greet RN and his wife, Sarah Ba ...
.
For some 15 years he was associated with the
Theatre Guild
The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of th ...
, playing roles on Broadway and on tour, including performances of ''
Porgy'' and ''
Strange Interlude
''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...
'' on the London stage.
In
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...
, Sanford first met Orson Welles in 1922, when the seven-year-old boy came backstage to meet him after a touring performance of ''
Mr. Pim Passes By
''Mr Pim Passes By'' is a three act comedy by A. A. Milne, first produced in 1919, and seen in the West End theatre, West End in 1920 and on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Australia in 1921. There were later stage revivals in London and New ...
''. Years later, Sanford left the Theatre Guild to join Welles's
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury als ...
company,
and made his Mercury debut in the 1938 stage production of ''
Heartbreak House
''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in November 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cul ...
''. Appearing as Mazzini Dunn, Sanford reprised the role he had created 18 years before in the Theatre Guild's world premiere production.
In 1941, Sanford married psychiatric nursing pioneer
Adele Poston,
[Marriage License, November 4, 1941 County of Coconino, Flagstaff, Arizona (Houston Family Archives).] but the marriage lasted only a short time.
Theatre credits
Filmography
Radio credits
References
External links
*
*
Photograph of Erskine Sanford as Alan Archdalein ''
Porgy'' (1927) — New York Public Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanford, Erskine
1885 births
1969 deaths
American male film actors
American male radio actors
American male stage actors
Male actors from California
20th-century American male actors
Horace Mann School alumni