Joseph Mansfield Santley (born Joseph Ishmael Mansfield, January 10, 1890 – August 8, 1971) was an American actor, singer, dancer, writer, director, and producer of

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

motion pictures A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and television shows. He adopted the

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

of his stepfather, actor Eugene Santley.

Life and career

Joseph Santley was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. As a boy, he and older brother

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

began performing in live theatre appearing in

summer stock In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock the ...

and touring with their parents. In 1906, at age seventeen, Joseph Santley co-wrote and starred on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the play, ''

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

''. In 1907, he acted in film for the first time for

Sidney Olcott Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott, September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great direc ...

at the

Kalem Company The Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907. It was one of the first companies to make films abroad and to set up winter production facilities, first in Florida and then in California. Kalem was sold to V ...

in a silent

Western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

short called ''

The Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...

''. Santley continued to work almost exclusively in

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

plays, returning to Broadway five more times as well as touring nationally. A gifted dancer, Santley created the ''Santley Tango'' and the ''Hawaiian Butterfly''. After he married actress/singer and

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

dancer

Ivy Sawyer Ivy Sawyer (February 13, 1897 – November 16, 1999) was a British-born American cabaret and ballroom dancer, singer, and stage actress. The London-born Sawyer danced professionally with John Jarrot until she met and married fellow dancer ...

, beginning in 1916 the two danced as a team, performing together in a number of Broadway musicals beginning with ''Betty'' and ''

Oh, My Dear! ''Oh, My Dear!'' was a Broadway musical comedy in two acts with book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, and music by Louis A. Hirsch. The play was produced by William Elliott and F. Ray Comstock and opened under the direction of Robert ...

'' and eventually other productions at major venues across the United States such as the National Theatre in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Their final collective Broadway presentation was in 1927's ''Just Fancy'', which Santley co-wrote, produced, and directed. He and Ivy Sawyer had a son Joseph born in 1916 and a daughter Betty born in 1928. In 1928, Santley directed his first motion picture, a short

talkie A sound film is a motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...

for

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

that featured singer

Ruth Etting Ruth Etting (November 23, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American singer and actress of the 1920s and 1930s, who had over 60 hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. Known as "America's sweetheart of song", her signature tunes ...

. The next year, Paramount had Santley direct three more films that were short singing productions, one with Etting, another with

crooner Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

, plus a third titled ''High Hat'' with Broadway singing star Alice Boulden. Also, he directed ''A Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic'', a musical film featuring

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

along with Eddie Elkins and his orchestra. In 1929, Joseph Santley co-directed with

Robert Florey Robert Florey (14 September 1900 – 16 May 1979) was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor. Born as Robert Fuchs in Paris, he became an orphan at an early age and was then raised in Switzerland. In 1920 he worked a ...

the first

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

feature film, ''

The Cocoanuts ''The Cocoanuts'' is a 1929 pre-Code Musical film, musical comedy film starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, and Zeppo Marx in his first starring role). Produced for Paramount Pictures by Walter Wanger, who is not cre ...

'', a

for which he is most famous. Based on the George S. Kaufman play, and with music by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

, the film was billed as "Paramount's All Talking-Singing Musical Comedy Hit." His other notable directorial efforts include 1935's ''Harmony Lane'', a biographical musical on the life of composer

Stephen Foster Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826January 13, 1864), known also as "the father of American music", was an American composer known primarily for his parlour music, parlour and Minstrel show, minstrel music during the Romantic music, Romantic ...

. In 1940, he directed ''

Melody Ranch ''Melody Ranch'' is a 1940 Western musical film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, and Ann Miller. Written by Jack Moffitt, F. Hugh Herbert, Bradford Ropes, and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowbo ...

'' starring "singing cowboy"

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

and selected for preservation in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Joseph Santley worked for the war effort and in 1942 made the film ''

Remember Pearl Harbor ''Remember Pearl Harbor'' is a 1942 American propaganda film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan and Isabel Dawn. The film stars Don "Red" Barry, Alan Curtis, Fay McKenzie, Sig Ruman, Ian Keith and Rhys Williams. '' ...

''. In 1950, he made his last feature film but came back at age sixty-five to produce the 1954-55 television comedy ''

The Mickey Rooney Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. In 1956, he put together two segments of ''Jazz Ball'', a made-for-TV musical revue created from various filmed performances by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

greats from the 1930s to the 1950s. Joseph Santley died in 1971 in Los Angeles.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1929) *'' Swing High'' (1930) *'' Young and Beautiful'' (1934) *''

Million Dollar Baby ''Million Dollar Baby'' is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored by and starring Clint Eastwood from a screenplay written by Paul Haggis, based on stories from the 2000 collection ''Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' ...

'' (1934) *''

Waterfront Lady ''Waterfront Lady'' is a 1935 American film directed by Joseph Santley. Premise When a young man is befriended by a gambling ship operator and made a partner in the business, he becomes involved in a police manhunt after he covers up a murder c ...

'' (1935) *''

Her Master's Voice ''Her Master's Voice'' is a 1936 film directed by Joseph Santley and based on the 1933 play '' Her Master's Voice'' by Clare Kummer. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alexander Toluboff. Plot A wealthy woman moves her niece to h ...

'' (1936) *'' Walking on Air'' (1936) *'' She's Got Everything'' (1937) *''

Always in Trouble ''Always in Trouble'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley, and written by Robert Chapin and Karen DeWolf. The film stars Jane Withers, Jean Rogers, Arthur Treacher, Robert Kellard, Eddie Collins and Andrew Tombes. The film w ...

'' (1938) *'' Swing, Sister, Swing'' (1938) *'' The Family Next Door'' (1939) *''

Behind the News ''Behind the News'' (frequently abbreviated as ''BtN'') is a long-running news program broadcast on Australia's ABC TV made in Adelaide and aimed at school-aged children (8–13 years of age). ''BtN'' is aimed at upper primary and lower second ...

'' (1940) *''

Ice-Capades ''Ice-Capades'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and starring James Ellison, Phil Silvers, and Barbara Jo Allen. Its score, composed by Cy Feuer, was nominated for the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. The film's sets ...

'' (1940) *''

Music in My Heart ''Music in My Heart'' is a 1940 Columbia Pictures romantic musical starring Tony Martin and Rita Hayworth. Hayworth's first musical for the studio, the film was recognized with an Academy Award nomination for the song, "It's a Blue World", perfor ...

'' (1940) *''

Dancing on a Dime Dancing on a Dime is a 1940 Paramount Pictures movie directed by Joseph Santley about five actors and dancers putting on a show while living in a theatre. It is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Dorothy Young, which itself is bas ...

'' (1940) *''

Down Mexico Way ''Down Mexico Way'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Fay McKenzie. Based on a story by Dorrell and Stuart E. McGowan, the film is about a singing cowboy who comes to the a ...

'' (1941) *''

'' (1942) *''

Joan of Ozark ''Joan of Ozark'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Judy Canova, Joe E. Brown and Eddie Foy Jr. It was one of thirteen films Canova made with Republic Studios.Hurst p.233 It is also known by the alternative ti ...

'' (1942) *''

Thumbs Up A thumb signal, usually described as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, is a common hand gesture achieved by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward in approval or disapproval, respectively. These gestures have become metaphors i ...

'' (1943) *'' Sleepy Lagoon'' (1943) *'' Jamboree'' (1944) *''

Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new ...

'' (1944) *''

Hitchhike to Happiness Hitchhike to Happiness is a 1945 musical that was nominated at the 18th Academy Awards The 18th Academy Awards were held on March 7, 1946 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre to honor the films of 1945. Being the first Oscars after the end of World ...

'' (1945) *''

Make Believe Ballroom ''Make Believe Ballroom'' is a 1949 American musical romantic comedy directed by Joseph Santley and produced by Ted Richmond. It was loosely based on a radio program of the same name by Martin Block and Al Jarvis. The film starred Jerome Courtla ...

'' (1949) *''

When You're Smiling "When You're Smiling" is a popular song written by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin in 1928. It bears resemblance to the Spanish Canción " Amapola" by José María Lacalle García. Early popular recordings were by Seger Ellis (1928), Lo ...

'' (1950)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Santley, Joseph American male film actors American film directors American male silent film actors American male stage actors American theatre directors American male dancers Writers from Utah 1889 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American dancers