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Celebrating Ziegfeld Gollies Girl, Irene Delroy by Alfred Cheney Johnston...

Born Josephine Lucille Sanders, Irene Delroy was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sanders of Bloomington, Illinois. She attended Bloomington High School and University High School.

Delroy's stage debut came when she appeared as a ballet dancer with the Chicago Opera Company. During a visit of that company to New York City in 1920, she left the group to join a fledgling production, A Night Off, in Plainfield, New Jersey. Two weeks after the debut, the inexperienced producers left to return to their former jobs. Delroy returned to Chicago and joined a production of Angel Face, which soon ended during a strike by the Actors' Equity Association.

She made her Broadway debut in the musical revue Frivolities of 1920. She starred in the Greenwich Village Follies from 1923 through 1926 and the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927. She also had leading roles in the musicals Round the Town (1924), Here's Howe (1928), Follow Thru (1929), and Top Speed (1929-1930). A review of Greenwich Village Follies published in The New York Times on December 25, 1925, noted that Delroy was "radiantly beautiful and sweetly graceful and tuneful" in the production. Hans J. Wollstein, writing on the AlMovie website, described Delroy as being "completely wasted by the new audible motion picture industry in 1930."! She appeared in Oh! Sailor Behave (1930), The Life of the Party (1930), and Men of the Sky (1931).

Delroy retired from the entertainment business after marrying W. L. Austin, Jr. on July 15, 1931. He was president of Island Park Associates, Inc., the company that operated Atlantic Beach and part of Rockaway Point. While they were on their honeymoon in Murray Bay, Quebec, Canada, she tell from a horse. Her injuries included "a slight fracture of the skull and slight concussion; a double fracture of a finger, and dislocation of one of the bones about the hip." They were divorced on July 1, 1937.

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Ziegfeld Garden of Beauties - Muriel Finley, Ziegfeld girl, photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston. Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 (Aug 16, 1927 - Jan 07, 1928), Performer: Murrel Finely; Whoopee! (Dec 04, 1928 - Nov 23, 1929), Performer: Muriel Finley [Lucille, Ziegfeld Glorified Girl] & Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic [1929] (Apr 1929 - Closing date unknown), Performer: Murrel Finely.

#MurielFinley #ACJ #Whoopee! #Lucille #FricPic #Colorized #CoffeeTableBook

Remembering Ziegfeld Girl/actress MURIEL FINLEY…

Finley (sometimes spelled Finlay), was born in Idaho. Towards the end of the 1920s, it’s known that she became a Ziegfeld Girl, appearing in:

* Ziegfeld Follies of 1927; 167 performances at The New Amsterdam Theatre. Aug 1927-Jan 1928.

* “Whoopee!”; 407 performances at The New Amsterdam Theatre. Dec 1928-Nov 1929.

* Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic of 1929; Folic Theatre (demolished 1983). Apr 1929-unknown closing date.

In 1930, Finley appeared in two Pre-Code films: “Whoopee!”, and “Sin Takes a Holiday”. It’s unknown what else she may have appeared in.

Finley died in 1975 at the age of 73.

PHOTO of Muriel Finley; by Alfred Cheney Johnston, c. 1928.

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Etting, Ruth: [ACJ] (November 23, 1896 – September 24, 1978) Ruth Etting performed in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 and 1931, the Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic of 1919 (April edition), and in Ziegfeld's musical Whoopee (1928-1929).

"Ruth Etting, one of the innovative singers of popular song in the golden age of Broadway, was a fixture in the late Ziegfeld theatrical productions, starring in the 1927 Follies, Whoopee, and the Follies of 1931. Blessed with a relaxed, floating voice, relatively free of vibrato, yet capable of bluing notes and slurring for emotional effect, Etting supplied definitive performances of several standards: “Mean to Me,” “You Made Me Love You,” “Ten Cents and Dance,” and “Love Me or Leave Me.”"

“The latter provided the title for a biopic treating Etting’s marriage with mobster Martin ‘The Gimp’ Schneider, who attempted to gun down her lover after their divorce. The movie starred Cagney and Doris Day as Snyder and Etting. Etting’s own career in the movies during the 1930s was divided between numerous twenty-minute ‘shorts’, filmed singing performances, and three musicals of which the “Roman Scandals” (1933) is the most noteworthy. Her 1930s radio and record career was much more stellar." [David S. Shields].

#RuthEtting #ZiegfeldMidnightFrolic1919 #FricPic #CoffeeTableBook

*Photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston

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Marion Davies (born Marion Douras;[a] January 3, 1897 - September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies fled the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl. As a teenager, she appeared in several Broadway musicals and one film, Runaway Romany (1917). She soon became a featured performer in the Ziegfeld Follies. While performing in the 1916 Follies, she met newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst and became his mistress. Hearst took over management of Davies' career and promoted her as a motion picture actress.

Hearst financed Davies' pictures and extensively promoted her career via his newspapers and Hearst Newsreels. He founded Cosmopolitan Pictures to produce her films. By 1923, Davies was the #1 female box office star in Hollywood due to the popularity of When Knighthood Was in Flower and Little Old New York, which were among the biggest box-office hits of their respective years. During the zenith of the Jazz Age, Davies became renowned as the hostess of lavish soirées for Hollywood actors and political elites. However, in 1924, her name became linked with scandal when film producer Thomas Ince died at a party aboard Hearst's yacht.

Following the decline of her film career during the Great Depression, Davies struggled with alcoholism, and she retired from the screen in 1937 to devote herself to an ailing Hearst and to charitable work. In Hearst's declining years, Davies remained his steadfast companion until his death in 1951. Eleven weeks after Hearst's death, she married sea captain Horace Brown, and their marriage lasted until Davies' own death due to malignant osteomyelitis (cancer of the jaw) in 1961 at the age of 64.

By the time of her death, Davies' legacy as a talented actress was already overshadowed by her popular association with the character of Susan Alexander Kane in the film Citizen Kane (1941). The title character's second wife—an untalented singer whom he tries to promote-was widely assumed to be based upon Davies. However, many commentators, including writer-director Orson Welles, defended Davies' record as a gifted actress and comédienne to whom Hearst's patronage did more harm than good. In his final years, Welles attempted to correct the widespread misconceptions which the film had created about Davies' popularity and talents as an actress.

Edited from Wikipedia. #MarianDavies #ZiegfeldFollies1916 #FricPic

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Helen Jesmer, 1919 (March 9, 1899 - April 11, 1984). She performed in the Ziegfeld Follies and the Greenwich Village Follies. In 1920, she was injured in a car accident that took her away from the stage. Helen is the mother of Julie Newmar, Broadway and movie actress. Photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston.

Helene Jesmer was a dancer and member of the chorus of the The Greenwich Village Follies of 1920 and the Ziegfeld Follies of 1919. Eddie Cantor said she had the most beautiful legs in the Follies. Sadly she was injured in an accident when a car belonging to Philip Morgan Plant hit a tree at a turn near Pelham Bay Park, where she received injuries to her face and upper body. She was awarded $500,00 for her injuries. She later married Don Newmeyer and is the mother of actress Julie Newmar. Photo's by Alfred Cheney Johnston #FricPic.

#JulieNewmar #HelenJesmer #Colorized #Helen Jesmer #alfred cheney johnson #Greenwich Village Follies of 1920 #Ziegfeld Follies of 1919 #eddie cantor #fricpic #coffeetablebook #colorized #my art #digital art #digital fanart #digital artist #ibdb.com #julie newmar

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Marian Benda - (14th October 1904 - 30th November 1951, Marion Benda appeared in several Ziegfeld productions during the 1920's including the Ziegfeld Follies of 1924, Ziegfeld Revue No Foolin' (1926), Rio Rita (1927), and Rosalie (1928). She was the last paramour of the silent film actor, Rudolph Valentino, and was in his company at a party given by Barclay Warburon, Jr. when the actor became ill on August 14, 1926.

Benda (real name Marion Elizabeth Watson) was a former Ziegfeld Follies showgirl who appeared in the revues, Ziegfeld Follies of 2924, No Foolin' (1926), Rio Rita (1927), and Rosalie. She is best known, however, as one of the "ladies in black," the women who made annual pilgrimages to mourn at the grave site of silent film star Rudolph Valentino. Benda was said to have been at a party with the "Sheik" the night he fell ill on August 14, 1926. Although she intimated that she was secretly married to the screen sensation, Valentino's family vehemently denied the claim. Twice married to rich and influential men (Baron Rupprecht von Boecklin and Dr. Blake H. Watson), the statuesque redhead amassed a small fortune by divorcing them. Since 1945, however, Benda had lived in relative poverty, and was a familiar sight in Los Angeles area hospitals where she was routinely taken after numerous overdoses of sleeping pills. A week before her death, the 45-year-old ex-showgirl was found in her Hollywood apartment in a state of hysteria after swallowing a number of pills. On November 30, 1951, Benda finally succeeded in taking her life with sleeping pills. The empty bottle was found at her side. In an act of charity, police listed her death as "possibly accidental."

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Dorothy Dell, Ziegfeld Follies of 1931…

Dorothy Dell was a 1931 Ziegfeld Follies showgirl who seemed destined for stardom before dying young in a car accident. https://youtu.be/K8LsZbXZx9s

She was born Dorothy Dell Goff on January 30, 1915 in Hattiesburg Mississippi. At the age of one she was named the most beautiful baby in Hattiesburg. Her mother claimed to be a descendant of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President. The family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1925. Dorothy attended Sophie Wright high school where she became best friends with Dorothy Lamour. The two young girls dreamed of becoming actresses together. When she was a teenager she started entering beauty pageants. After winning the Miss New Orleans pageant she was crowned Miss Universe in 1930. Then she began performing in vaudeville. Florenz Ziegfeld saw her on stage and asked her to join the Ziegfeld Follies. She was known for her lovely singing voice and her perfect figure. The shapely blonde was five feet, six inches tall and weighed 122 pounds. While appearing in the show she fell in love with singer Russ Columbo but he broke her heart. Dorothy also had a brief romance with boxer Jack Demspey. In 1932 she was badly injured in a car accident and had to be hospitalized for several weeks. Soon after she recovered she broke her leg during a Follies performance.

She made her film debut in the 1932 short Passing The Buck. Dorothy was signed by Paramount in 1933 and given a supporting role in the drama Wharf Angel. Her performance earned rave reviews and critics predicted she would become a big star. Then she costarred with Shirley Temple in Little Miss Marker and with Jack Oakie in Shoot The Works. She said "I am going to be a real actress. Not just one more actress, but a real, honest-to-goodness actress." In the Spring of 1934 it was announced she would play the female lead in the drama Now and Forever. Dorothy became engaged to a caricaturist named Nat Carson and began planning her wedding. On June 8, 1934 she attended a party in Altadena with her friend Dr. Carl Wagner. While driving home at 1:00 AM the car hit a telephone pole and flipped over several times. Tragically nineteen year old Dorothy was killed instantly. Dr. Wagner, who had been driving the car, died several hours later. She is buried at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her role in Now And Forever was given to Carole Lombard.

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Eddie Cantor showing his new book, to Florenz Ziegfeld, "My Life Is in Your Hands" by Eddie Cantor (1928) with David Freedman; Harper & Bros.

The Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 - revue - performer, co-bookwriter #EddieCantor #ZiegfeldFollies1927 #FlorenzZiegfeld #FricPic #Whoopee! Movie #Flo Ziegfeld’s Office

Eddy Cantor in Whoopee!

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Tamara Geva (Russian: Тамара Гева, Жева, or Жева; 17 March 1907 – 9 December 1997) was a Russian-American actress, ballet dancer and choreographer. On Broadway, Geva appeared in the musicals Three's A Crowd (1930), Flying Colors (1932) and Whoopee (1928-29). Photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston.

Tamara Geva, was born into wealth in St. Petersburg, Russia, as Tamara Gergeyeva. Because of her family’s Muslim background, she could enroll in the Maryinsky Theater School only after the Russian Revolutionary regime did away with the stipulation that enrollees be Christian. She married the School’s ballroom dance instructor, George Balanchine, in 1923 and became part of his experimental company. She toured with Balanchine, joined the Ballet Russe with him, and later Balaieff’s company of Russian exile dancers, the Chauve-Souris. She premiered two of her husband’s ballets in New York in 1927 and created a sensation. Ziegfeld hired her for the musical Whoopee (1928-29) and she commenced a storied career as a dancer and actress on stage and in films.

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Tamara Geva (Russian: Тамара Гева, Жева, or Жева; 17 March 1907 - 9

December 1997) On Broadway, Geva appeared in the musicals Three's A Crowd

(1930), Flying Colors (1932) and Whoopee (1928-29). Photo by ACJ.

Tamara Geva, was born into wealth in St. Petersburg, Russia, as Tamara Gergeyeva. Because of her family's Muslim background, she could enroll in the Maryinsky Theater School only after the Russian Revolutionary regime did away with the stipulation that enrollees be Christian. She married the School's ballroom dance instructor, George Balanchine, in 1923 and became part of his experimental company. She toured with Balanchine, joined the Ballet Russe with him, and later Balaieff's company of Russian exile dancers, the Chauve-Souris. She premiered two of her husband's ballets in New York in 1927 and created a sensation. Ziegfeld hired her for the musical Whoopee (1928-29) and she commenced a storied career as a dancer and actress on stage and in films.

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Martha Mansfield as the Dove of Peace in the 1919 Ziegfeld 9 O'Clock Review.

Martha Mansfield, was born Martha Ehrlich in New York City to Maurice and Harriett Gibson Ehrlich. She had a younger sister, Edith, born in 1905. Although many biographies state that Martha was born in Mansfield, Ohio, her birth record and death certificate both have New York City as her place of birth. Her mother, Harriet, was from Mansfield, Ohio, having emigrated there from Ireland in 1885. Martha later adopted the name of the town as her stage name.

At the age of 14, she became determined to become an actress. She lobbied for, and won, a role in the Broadway production of Little Women in 1912. She also began working as an artists' model, dancer and Ziegfeld Girl in the Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic in 1919.

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Muriel Gray [Gyspy Joe Dancer, Ziegfeld Glorified Girl] Dec 04, 1928 - Nov 23, 1929. Whoopee! [Musical, Comedy, Original] Performer. Oklahoma! (Mar 31, 1943 - May 29, 1948)

Performer: Muriel Gray, Dancing Ensemble. Photo by Alfred Cheney Johnston

#Muriel Gray #Gyspy Joe Dancer # Alfred Cheney Johnston #Ziegfeld Glorified Girl #Whoopee! Oklahoma 1943-48

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Grace Moore 'Ziegfeld Follies Girl' (From Toronto, Canada) (1898 - 1935) Florenz Ziegfeld "The most beautiful brunette in the world", Photo by ACJ.

#GraceMoore #ZiegfeldGirl #FricPic #Colorized #Alfred Cheney Johnston #Gay Divorce (Nov 29, 1932 - Jul 01, 1933) Performer: Grace Moore [Evelyn] #Hot-Cha! (Mar 08, 1932 - Jun 18, 1932), Performer: Grace Moore [Ensemble]

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Finley, Muriel (aka Finley, Murrel; Finely, Murrel; & Finley, Merle): [ACJ] (September 10, 1912 - August 21, 2005) Muriel Finley performed in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 and in the 1928 Ziegfeld musical Whoopee. Her images are often named Merle Finlay.

#MurielFinley #MurrelFinley #MerleFinley #ZiegfeldFollies1927 #ZiegfeldFollies1928 #FricPic #Animation

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Finley, Muriel (aka Finley, Murrel; Finely, Murrel; & Finley, Merle): [ACJ] (September 10, 1912 - August 21, 2005) Muriel Finley performed in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927 and in the 1928 Ziegfeld musical Whoopee. Her images are often named Merle Finlay.

#MurielFinley #MurrelFinley #MerleFinley #ZiegfeldFollies1927 #ZiegfeldFollies1928 #FricPic #Colorized #CoffeeTableBook

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Marjorie King [ACJ] c. 1928, Ziegfeld Follies Girl, and she was the Inspiration for The Margarita. Carlos “Danny” Herrera settled in Baja, California with his wife around 1929.

They built the ‘Rancho La Gloria’ named after their daughter and over the years added a bar, a restaurant, a swimming pool and 10 hotel rooms so by 1935 had created a thriving little business.

Rancho La Gloria became a regular stopping point with actors and socialites travelling to the popular Rosarita Beach. As fate would have it one such visitor was Marjorie King, a beauty of the time and Ziegfeld Starlet.

According to fable, Marjorie was allergic to all alcoholic beverages except Tequila. While her friends enjoyed Danny’s cocktails in the afternoon, Marjorie remained notably sober.

She explained to Danny that she could drink Tequila but didn’t actually like the taste. The challenge was set and Danny went to work blending the tequila and making a drink fit for this beauty.

He repackaged the Tequila, Lime and Salt into a new cocktail, presented it in a champagne glass to match her great beauty and style. And a new drink was born.

It was an instant success and presented to just the right people to make it famous. So Why Margarita? Ah yes, Marjorie translates into Spanish as ‘Margarita’!

So next time you’re out and order a cocktail, ask for a Margarita and raise your glass to the inventive talents of Carlos “Danny” Herrera and inspiring Marjorie “Margarita” King. #MarjorieKing #ACJ #ZiegfeldFollies #Margarita #FricPic #Colorized #CoffeeTableBook

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Born Bertha Bohney in NYC, May 14, 1903, her last name ‘Dove’ was given to her by artist/illustrator Howard Chandler Christy, because he felt that she was shy. She was.

Dove was a Ziegfeld Girl, appearing as a teenager in the Follies from 1917-1919. She was also in the Midnight Frolics. A popular actress during the 1920’s, Dove never attained the superstar status of Garbo or Clara Bow. Fully half of her films from 1921 to 1932 remain lost or incomplete. Dove was Douglas Fairbanks' leading lady in the Technicolor film, "The Black Pirate", in 1926.

She retired in 1933, and married wealthy oil executive Robert Alan Kenaston in 1935, a marriage that lasted for 35 years until his death in 1970. Dove made a cameo in 1962’s “Diamond Dead”, after which she retired to Palm Springs, CA. Billie Dove died in 1997 at age 94.

(Photo of Billie Dove by Alfred Cheney Johnston, c. 1923).

Billie Dove was indeed a popular actress and model during the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for her beauty and appeared in numerous films, often playing roles that showcased her glamorous persona. As a Ziegfeld Follies Girl, she would have been part of the renowned Ziegfeld Follies productions, which were elaborate stage shows featuring beautiful women, comedians, and other performers.

Billie Dove had a successful film career, starring in numerous silent movies and early talkies. Some of her notable roles include:

1. "The Black Pirate" (1926) - a silent adventure film starring Douglas Fairbanks.

2. "The Painted Angel" (1929) - a romantic drama film.

Dove's filmography showcases her versatility as an actress, often playing roles that highlighted her beauty and talent.