LENORE ULRIC MARRIED TO SYDNEY BLACKMER AT CROTON-ON-HUDSON

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship---in short, EVERYTHING CROTON. 

As many of you know, actress Lenore Ulric was one of the village's most notable residents. 

We stumbled upon this 1929 gossip column blurb detailing her marriage to  Sydney Blackmer "at Croton-on-Hudson" (where exactly isn't known at present).  In any case, there were two interesting witnesses.   Click on the images and links.

One of these was Gilda Gray, a Polish-American dancer and actress who popularized a dance called the "shimmy" which became fashionable in 1920s films and theater productions (to the right).

Although the shimmy is said to have been introduced to American audiences by Gray in New York in 1919, the term was widely used before, and the shimmy was already a well-known dance move. Gray appropriated it as her own, saying that she had accidentally invented the shimmy while dancing at her father-in-law's saloon and "shaking her chemise" (or her "shimee", as her Polish accent rendered it.  READ MORE ABOUT GRAY HERE.

The other witness was Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather,  a prominent British humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill. 

Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's weekly "Fragments from France" cartoons published weekly in The Bystander magazine during the First World War. 

When the Second World War broke out, Bairnsfather (TO THE RIGHT) continued Old Bill work, but was not asked to help with the British war effort. 

Instead, he became official cartoonist to the American forces in Europe, contributing to Stars and Stripes and Yank, whilst residing at Cresswell House in Clun, Shropshire. He also drew cartoons at American bases and nose art on aircraft. 

His works are considered to have influenced artists such as Bill Mauldin.  READ MORE ABOUT HIM HERE.

As for the groom,  Sydner Blackmer, (SEE BELOW) he would be married to Ulric from 1928 to 1939.  He had a very active professional life.

In 1919, Blackmer played a major role in the strike that led to the formation of the Actors' Equity Association. In 1929 he returned to motion pictures and went on to appear as a major character actor in more than 120 films.

He won the 1950 Tony Award for Best Actor (Drama) for his role in the Broadway play Come Back, Little Sheba, co-starring with Shirley Booth.

In film, Blackmer is remembered for his more than a dozen portrayals of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt ^.

Many of you will remember his memorable role as Roman Castevet in the Academy Award-winning 1968 Roman Polanski film about urban New York witches, thestill-fascinating Rosemary's Baby.  READ MORE ABOUT BLACKMER HERE.

And finally--in case you missed it at the time--Ulric was a side feature in a 2014 exhibit hosted by THE CROTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY (TO THE RIGHT). You can view more from that exhibit and read about Ulric's Croton connection here. 

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