Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star

Published by University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, 2024

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  • Hardcover
  • New
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Seller: Shady Thickett, Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.Shady Thickett

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Hardcover

Condition: New

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Item description from seller

This book is in good condition; book and jacket are clean from marks or damage. 'Before Judy, and Barbra, and Liza, Patti, Angela, Audra, Merman and all the other diivas of the great American Songbook, there was Helen Morgan. 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'1 lb 11 5/8 oz.…

Seller Inventory # HM2

Bibliographic details

Title
Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star
Author
Christopher S. Connelly
Publisher
University Press of Kentucky, Lexington
Publication year
2024
Condition
New
Dust jacket
dj
Signed
Signed by Author
Binding
Hardcover
Edition
First.
Printing
1st printing
Dimensions
6 1/2" x 9 1/2" x 1/12"
Seller catalogs
Biography,Film/Theatre History,prohibition

Shady Thickett

Atlanta, GA, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 2, 2025

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Shady Thickett

GA, U.S.A.