Helen Morgan : The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star
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| Title: | Helen Morgan : The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star |
|---|---|
| Description: | An emotive soprano voice, heartrending melodies about unrequited love, and a draped-over-the-piano persona made Helen Morgan (1902–1941) the original torch singer, but she was so much more. The versatile actress appeared on Broadway, in film, and on radio. In a number of stage revues, she danced, sang, and excelled in sketch comedy. She played Julie in Kern and Hammerstein's Broadway musical Show Boat (1927) and also starred in the duo's Sweet Adeline in 1929. That same year, Morgan appeared in Rouben Mamoulian's classic film Applause. When the Great Depression made theater roles scarce, she headed the CBS radio program Broadway Melodies and worked in the emerging medium of television.Yet Morgan's life was one of extremes. She earned a million dollars throughout her career but remained in constant debt. She was one of the most universally beloved people in her profession, but a stable romantic relationship eluded her until the very end of her life. She was a protofeminist who aided women facing unplanned pregnancies, yet she also sought respite in a man whose financial support would allow her to retire from the stage. Through it all, she battled alcoholism; brandy would eventually extinguish her flame in 1941.Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star is the first biography of the gifted performer since 1974. Author Christopher Connelly utilizes interviews, newspaper articles, and family scrapbooks to present an honest and unflinching look at Morgan's life. Connelly's meticulous research addresses Morgan's troubled childhood, including her mother's six marriages, and the trauma of her stepfather's arrest and conviction for manslaughter in 1913. Also revealed are details regarding her early career in vaudeville and silent film, insights into the speakeasy and supper-club culture that served as a backdrop to Morgan's career, and accounts of her outstanding accomplishments, philanthropic actions, and enduring popularity. This gripping narrative presents the brief but brilliant life of a complex, talented, and iconic entertainer. |
| Authors: | Christopher S. Connelly |
| Resource Type: | eBook. |
| Subjects: | Popular culture--United States--History--20th century, Prohibition--United States--History--20th century, Radio actors and actresses--United States--Biography, Singers--United States--Biography, Actors--United States--Biography |
| Categories: | BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts, MUSIC / General, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General |
| Database: | eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) |
| FullText | Links: – Type: ebook-pdf – Type: ebook-epub Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: nlebk DbLabel: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) An: 3671737 RelevancyScore: 1123 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: eBook PubTypeId: ebook PreciseRelevancyScore: 1122.83581542969 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Helen Morgan : The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star – Name: Abstract Label: Description Group: Ab Data: An emotive soprano voice, heartrending melodies about unrequited love, and a draped-over-the-piano persona made Helen Morgan (1902–1941) the original torch singer, but she was so much more. The versatile actress appeared on Broadway, in film, and on radio. In a number of stage revues, she danced, sang, and excelled in sketch comedy. She played Julie in Kern and Hammerstein's Broadway musical Show Boat (1927) and also starred in the duo's Sweet Adeline in 1929. That same year, Morgan appeared in Rouben Mamoulian's classic film Applause. When the Great Depression made theater roles scarce, she headed the CBS radio program Broadway Melodies and worked in the emerging medium of television.Yet Morgan's life was one of extremes. She earned a million dollars throughout her career but remained in constant debt. She was one of the most universally beloved people in her profession, but a stable romantic relationship eluded her until the very end of her life. She was a protofeminist who aided women facing unplanned pregnancies, yet she also sought respite in a man whose financial support would allow her to retire from the stage. Through it all, she battled alcoholism; brandy would eventually extinguish her flame in 1941.Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star is the first biography of the gifted performer since 1974. Author Christopher Connelly utilizes interviews, newspaper articles, and family scrapbooks to present an honest and unflinching look at Morgan's life. Connelly's meticulous research addresses Morgan's troubled childhood, including her mother's six marriages, and the trauma of her stepfather's arrest and conviction for manslaughter in 1913. Also revealed are details regarding her early career in vaudeville and silent film, insights into the speakeasy and supper-club culture that served as a backdrop to Morgan's career, and accounts of her outstanding accomplishments, philanthropic actions, and enduring popularity. This gripping narrative presents the brief but brilliant life of a complex, talented, and iconic entertainer. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+S%2E+Connelly%22">Christopher S. Connelly</searchLink> – Name: TypePub Label: Resource Type Group: TypPub Data: eBook. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Popular+culture--United+States--History--20th+century%22">Popular culture--United States--History--20th century</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prohibition--United+States--History--20th+century%22">Prohibition--United States--History--20th century</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Radio+actors+and+actresses--United+States--Biography%22">Radio actors and actresses--United States--Biography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Singers--United+States--Biography%22">Singers--United States--Biography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Actors--United+States--Biography%22">Actors--United States--Biography</searchLink> – Name: SubjectBISAC Label: Categories Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22BIOGRAPHY+%26+AUTOBIOGRAPHY+%2F+Entertainment+%26+Performing+Arts%22">BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22MUSIC+%2F+General%22">MUSIC / General</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="ZK" term="%22PERFORMING+ARTS+%2F+Film+%2F+General%22">PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General</searchLink> |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Classifications: – Code: 782.0092 Scheme: ddc Type: prePub – Code: B Scheme: ddc Type: prePub Languages: – Code: eng Text: English Subjects: – SubjectFull: Popular culture--United States--History--20th century Type: general – SubjectFull: Prohibition--United States--History--20th century Type: general – SubjectFull: Radio actors and actresses--United States--Biography Type: general – SubjectFull: Singers--United States--Biography Type: general – SubjectFull: Actors--United States--Biography Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Helen Morgan : The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Christopher S. Connelly – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Christopher S. Connelly IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2024 – D: 07 M: 10 Type: profile Y: 2024 Identifiers: – Type: isbn-print Value: 9781985900585 – Type: isbn-print Value: 9781985900592 – Type: isbn-electronic Value: 9781985900615 – Type: isbn-electronic Value: 9781985900622 Titles: – TitleFull: Helen Morgan : The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star Type: main |
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