Daniel Sully

Daniel Sully (1855–1910), born Daniel Sullivan,^[1] was an American circus performer, stage actor and playwright,^[1] who gained popularity during the latter years of the nineteenth century.

Life and career

Daniel Sully was born on September 6, 1855, at Providence, Rhode Island.^[1] He began as a circus performer before moving on to the theater where he would find success as both an actor and writer.^[1] Sully was most remembered for his 1884 play, The Corner Grocery, that’s genesis was Edwin Waugh's The Chimney Corner.^[1] In 1900 Sully found success with Daniel J. Hart’s play, The Parish Priest,^[2] a dramatic comedy in which he played the central character, Father John Whalen.^[3] By 1902,^[4] he was associated with (John) Fitzgerald Murphy (a noted actor, playwright, and political activist of the time). During 1904, ^[5]Sully was the principle actor for several of Fitzgerald Murphy's plays, namely, The Irish Statesman and the Old Mill Stream at the California Theatre in San Francisco on respectively the 6-7 of March and the 13 of March of that year. He also starred in Fitzgerald's play "The Chief Justice" in Salt Lake City, Utah.^[6] Sully remained active on the legitimate stage and vaudeville until shortly before his death.^[7] Sully was a member of the Elks Lodge in Baltimore, Maryland.^[8]

Daniel Sully died on June 25, 1910 at his farm near Woodstock, New York.^[1] He was survived by his wife, Louisa A. Fox, the daughter of George Fox, a famous pantomime artist remembered for the show Humpty Dumpty.^[1]

• Correction to above: Daniel Sullivan's wife's name was Louisa A. Dulany. Her step-father was Charles Kemble Fox, the comedian and pantaloon performer and brother of George L. Fox.

References