Sally Brophy Explained

Sally Brophy
Birth Name:Sally Cullen Brophy
Birth Date:14 December 1928
Birth Place:Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Death Place:Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Children:2
Yearsactive:1953–1965

Sally Cullen Brophy (December 14, 1928 – September 18, 2007) was a Broadway and television actress and college theatre-arts professor.

Early years

Brophy was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cullen Brophy.[1] Her father was a rancher;[2] Brophy was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and was one of seven children.[3] She was active in dramatics at Sacred Heart Convent in Menlo Park, California, and attended College of New Rochelle. Additional experience came from her work as a summer apprentice at Westport, Connecticut's Theatre Guild.[4] She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London,[1] and then pursued a career on Broadway.

Stage

Brophy starred with John Loder and Natalie Schafer in For Love or Money at the Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix during January 1950.[5] She also acted in the Phoenix Little Theatre.[6] She worked in Private Lives with Tallulah Bankhead.[3] In 1951, she was an understudy in Second Threshold. In 1954–1955, she starred as the grown-up "Wendy" in Peter Pan.[7]

Television

Brophy starred as Julie Fielding in Follow Your Heart on NBC-TV in 1953.[4] In 1954, she guest-starred on an episode of the CBS crime drama, The Public Defender, starring Reed Hadley, and in an episode of Medic entitled "I Climb the Stairs". The next year, she appeared in the debut episode of Code 3[8] and in the episodes "In Nebraska" and "The Long Road to Tucson" in the roles of Lucy Miller and Sister Michael, respectively, of NBC's Western anthology television series Frontier.

Her other television appearances included the Rod Cameron syndicated series State Trooper and in the Frank Lovejoy 1957–1958 NBC detective series, Meet McGraw.

In 1958, she portrayed Annie O'Connell, co-starring in the NBC Western series Buckskin,[9] a summer replacement series for The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. Brophy played widow Annie O'Connell, who ran a boarding house in the fictitious "Old West" town of Buckskin, Montana. The other stars were Tom Nolan, as Annie's 10-year-old son Jody, who was the narrator, and Mike Road, as Marshal Tom Sellers. Buckskin ran for 39 episodes from 1958 to 1959. Brophy and Nolan also appeared together in the March 5, 1959, episode of The Ford Show.[10]

After Buckskin, Brophy had several additional guest roles; her last was in 1965 on Richard Crenna's CBS drama, Slattery's People.

Family

In 1961, Brophy married George Goodman, an investment manager and financial reporter, who later became a best-selling economics author and TV personality under the pseudonym of "Adam Smith".[11] The couple had two children. When Brophy retired from acting, the couple moved to Princeton, New Jersey.

Teaching career

Brophy joined the faculty of Rider University (then Rider College) in nearby Lawrenceville, where she taught theater arts. She also directed student productions at Princeton University.

Death

She died in Princeton, New Jersey, aged 78, of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Notes and References

  1. News: Backstage With Brophy Affords Glimpse Into Budding Career For Young Phoenix Actress . January 19, 2020 . Arizona Republic . January 22, 1950 . Arizona, Phoenix . Section 3, P 7. Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Du Brow . Rick . Sally Brophy Scores Lack Of 'Eligible' Hollywood Men . January 19, 2020 . Honolulu Star-Bulletin . United Press International . January 10, 1959 . Hawaii, Honolulu . 49. Newspapers.com.
  3. Web site: Sallie Brophy. Bowman Gum. 1953. February 3, 2014.
  4. She Follows Her Heart. Radio-TV Mirror. December 1953. 41. 1. 14–15. 29 August 2015.
  5. News: For Love Or Money Opens At Sombrero . The Arizona Republic . January 25, 1950 . Phoenix, Arizona . 5 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: Phoenix Girl Joins Bette . January 19, 2020 . Pasadena Independent . September 1, 1955 . California, Pasadena . 34. Newspapers.com.
  7. Web site: Sally Brophy . Internet Broadway Database . The Broadway League . January 19, 2020 . https://archive.today/20200119232731/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/sally-brophy-97759 . January 19, 2020 . live .
  8. News: Code 3, Sheriff's Series, Opening Friday on KTTV. Valley News . Valley News. March 8, 1955. 43. Newspapers.com. August 29, 2015.
  9. Book: Terrace. Vincent. Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. 2011. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Jefferson, N.C.. 978-0-7864-6477-7. 143. 2nd.
  10. Web site: The Ford Show Episode Guide. ernieford.com. November 23, 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101128190749/http://ernieford.com/TEFTVGuests.htm. November 28, 2010.
  11. News: Cunniff. John. Tax Breaks For Writers?. Wellsville Daily Reporter . Wellsville Daily Reporter. August 17, 1968. 1. Newspapers.com. August 28, 2015.