Irene Delroy

Oil portrait on canvas: Irene Delroy wearing a cream colored dress with red rose at stomach and thin straps. It has a full lace skirt, and she is wearing a gold necklace with a green charm and gold bracelet. She has short wavy blond hair.

Irene Delroy was born Josephine Lucille Sanders in Bloomington, IL. in 1900. In her late teens, she studied ballet in Chicago, securing a spot in the Chicago Opera Ballet in 1919. Until 1930, Irene starred in follies, plays and musicals. Then, Warner Bros offered her a contract and she made four movies with them, including Divorce Among Friends. Her career took her all over the country bringing her fame and fortune; however, it took a great toll on her and her family. She is a hometown girl who made it big, but her story is also a tragic one, filled with pressures from fame, the destruction of her parents’ marriage, and her own divorce.