Editing Margaret Sullavan (section)

===Early years===
Sullavan succeeded in getting a chorus part in the Harvard Dramatic Society 1929 spring production ''Close Up'', a musical written by Harvard senior [[Bernard Hanighen]], who was later a composer for [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] and Hollywood.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Rinella |first=Michael D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fbylDwAAQBAJ&dq=close+up+bernard+hanighen&pg=PA11 |title=Margaret Sullavan: The Life and Career of a Reluctant Star |date=July 25, 2019 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-3605-4 |language=en}}</ref>

The President of the Harvard Dramatic Society, Charles Leatherbee, along with the President of Princeton's [[Theatre Intime]], [[Bretaigne Windust]], who together had established the University Players on Cape Cod the summer before, persuaded Sullavan to join them for their second summer season. Another member of the University Players was [[Henry Fonda]], who had the comic lead in ''Close Up''.

In the summer of 1929, Sullavan appeared opposite Fonda in ''The Devil in the Cheese'', her debut on the professional stage. She returned for most of the University Players' 1930 season. In 1931, she squeezed in one production with the University Players between the closing of the Broadway production of ''A Modern Virgin'' in July and its tour in September. She rejoined the University Players for most of their 18-week 1930–31 winter season in Baltimore.<ref>[[Norris Houghton|Houghton, Norris]]. ''But Not Forgotten: The Adventure of the University Players.'' New York, William Sloan Associates, 1951.</ref>

Sullavan's parents did not approve of her choice of career. She played the lead in ''[[Strictly Dishonorable (play)|Strictly Dishonorable]]'' (1930) by [[Preston Sturges]], which her parents attended. Confronted with her evident talent, they ceased their objections. "To my deep relief," Sullavan later recalled, "I thought I'd have to put up with their yappings on the subject forever."<ref name="Lawrence J. Quirk, p. 18">Quirk, p. 18.</ref>

A Shubert scout saw her in that play as well and eventually she met [[Lee Shubert]] himself. At the time, Sullavan was suffering from a bad case of [[laryngitis]] and her voice was huskier than usual. Shubert loved it. In subsequent years Sullavan would joke that she cultivated that "laryngitis" into a permanent hoarseness by standing in every available draft.<ref name="Lawrence J. Quirk, p. 18"/>

[[File:Margaret Sullavan in Three Comrades trailer 2.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Sullavan in her Oscar-nominated role as Pat Hollmann in ''[[Three Comrades (1938 film)|Three Comrades]]'' (1938)]]

Sullavan made her debut on Broadway in ''A Modern Virgin'' (a comedy by [[Elmer Blaney Harris|Elmer Harris]]) on May 20, 1931, and began touring on August 3.<ref name=":1" />

At one point in 1932, she starred in four Broadway flops in a row (''If Love Were All'', ''Happy Landing'', ''Chrysalis'' (with [[Humphrey Bogart]]), and ''Bad Manners''), but the critics praised Sullavan for her performances in all of them.<ref>Quirk, p. 24</ref> In March 1933, Sullavan replaced another actor in ''[[Dinner at Eight (play)|Dinner at Eight]]'' in New York. Movie director [[John M. Stahl]] happened to be watching the play and was intrigued by Sullavan. He decided she would be perfect for a picture he was planning, ''[[Only Yesterday (1933 film)|Only Yesterday]]''.

At that time Sullavan had already turned down offers for five-year contracts from [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] and [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]].<ref>Hayward, Brooke. ''Haywire''. Jonathan Cape Ltd., London, 1977; {{ISBN|0-224-01426-9}}, p. 190.</ref> [[Universal Pictures]] offered Sullavan a three-year, two-pictures-per-year contract at $1,200 per week. She accepted it and had a clause put in her contract that allowed her to return to the stage on occasion.<ref>Quirk, p. 26</ref> Later in her career, Sullavan signed only short-term contracts because she did not want to be "owned" by any studio.<ref>Quirk, p. 83.</ref>