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Helen Morgan
The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star
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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.
About the Author:
Christopher S. Connelly is a film and theater historian. His work has appeared in Etcetera magazine and the Kino Lorber DVD release of Mamoulian's Applause. He is also an actor, Roman Catholic cantor, and chorister for the Atlanta Opera. When he is not writing or performing, he works IT for the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Press Reviews:
Excellent and much-needed biography of singer, actress, and nightclub hostess Helen Morgan, a talented, colorful, and important figure of the 1920s and '30s. -Eve Golden, author of Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Velez
An engaging read that captures a sense of Morgan's personality and puts her life and career into the social context of her era. -David Luhrssen, film critic
This interesting and well-researched biography of legendary torch singer Helen Morgan offers a fascinating look at her tumultuous life and the exciting times in which she lived. -Lisa Royère, co-author of Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance
Christopher S. Connelly knows how big a star Helen Morgan was during the Roaring '20s and beyond. But he's now made sure that you know it, too.... (An) epic achievement. Helen Morgan became famous for sitting atop a piano; Connelly deserves to become famous as a top biographer. -Peter Filichia, Masterworks Broadway
Connelly is to be commended for this extremely thorough biography of Morgan, effectively capturing the successes and challenges of her personal life and consulting numerous sources to provide readers with an exceptional amount of detail regarding the life and legacy of this singing legend. -Hometowns to Hollywood
See the publisher website: University Press of Kentucky
See the complete filmography of Helen Morgan on the website: IMDB ...
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