Gertrude Niesen (July 8, 1911 – March 27, 1975)[citation needed] was an American torch singer, actress, comedian, and songwriter who achieved popular success in musicals and films in the 1930s and 1940s.
Niesen was born aboard ship as her Swedish father and Russian mother returned from a vacation in Europe. As a child, she hoped for a career on stage and began performing in vaudeville.[1] She attended Brooklyn Heights Seminary, where she found and developed an interest in music.[2]
Careeredit
Niesen began singing as a career in the early 1930s,[citation needed] performing on radio and in night clubs.[2] She first appeared on film (credited as Gertrude Nissen) with Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra and Artie Shaw in a Vitaphone short film, Yacht Party (1932).
On old-time radio, Niesen was the featured singer on The Ex-Lax Big Show on CBS[3] and host of The Show Shop (1942), on NBC-Blue.[3]: 303 She left The Ex-Lax Big Show in the summer of 1935 to sing leads in musical productions of the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre.[4]
She appeared in the Broadway musical Calling All Stars in 1934 and in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.[5] Her Broadway credits also include Follow the Girls (1944) and Take a Chance (1932).[6]
Niesen's singing at a cafe in Hollywood led to her signing a contract with Universal.[2] She also began to appear regularly in movies, including Top of the Town (1937), in which she sang four songs,[7]Start Cheering (1938), and A Night at Earl Carroll's (1940), in which she sang a song that she co-wrote, "I Want to Make with the Happy Times". Her other films included Rookies on Parade (1941), This Is the Army (1943), He's My Guy (1943), and The Babe Ruth Story (1948). She co-starred with Jackie Gleason in the 1944 stage musical Follow the Girls, in which she sang "I Want to Get Married", one of her better-known songs. She recorded for Decca Records throughout the 1940s, and released a self-titled LP for the label in 1951.[5] She also appeared on many radio shows and on TV in the early 1950s.
Personal life and deathedit
Niesen married Chicago nightclub owner Al Greenfield in Las Vegas on July 19, 1943.[8] The couple divorced but remarried in 1954, remaining married until Niesen's death in Kaiser Permanente Hospital[1] in Hollywood, California in 1975, aged 63, after a long illness.[citation needed]
^ ab. The New York Times. United Press International. April 2, 1975. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
^ abcMeehan, Jeannette (November 22, 1936). "She 'wowed' Hollywood with a song". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 112. Retrieved August 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abTerrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 111–112. ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.
^Gilbert, Justin (May 20, 1935). "Gertrude Niesen Deserts Air To Play In St. Luis Municipal Opera For Summer". The Record. New Jersey, Hackensack. p. 21wprn. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
gertrude, niesen, july, 1911, march, 1975, citation, needed, american, torch, singer, actress, comedian, songwriter, achieved, popular, success, musicals, films, 1930s, 1940s, niesen, duffy, tavern, 1940, born, 1911, july, 1911new, york, city, diedmarch, 1975,. Gertrude Niesen July 8 1911 March 27 1975 citation needed was an American torch singer actress comedian and songwriter who achieved popular success in musicals and films in the 1930s and 1940s Gertrude NiesenNiesen on Duffy s Tavern 1940 Born 1911 07 08 July 8 1911New York City U S DiedMarch 27 1975 1975 03 27 aged 63 Hollywood California U S Other namesGertrude NissenOccupationsSingersongwriteractressYears active1934 1975SpouseAl Greenfield m 1943 wbr Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 3 Personal life and death 4 Selected filmography 5 References 6 External linksEarly years editNiesen was born aboard ship as her Swedish father and Russian mother returned from a vacation in Europe As a child she hoped for a career on stage and began performing in vaudeville 1 She attended Brooklyn Heights Seminary where she found and developed an interest in music 2 Career editNiesen began singing as a career in the early 1930s citation needed performing on radio and in night clubs 2 She first appeared on film credited as Gertrude Nissen with Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra and Artie Shaw in a Vitaphone short film Yacht Party 1932 On old time radio Niesen was the featured singer on The Ex Lax Big Show on CBS 3 and host of The Show Shop 1942 on NBC Blue 3 303 She left The Ex Lax Big Show in the summer of 1935 to sing leads in musical productions of the St Louis Municipal Opera Theatre 4 She recorded for Victor Columbia and Brunswick in the 1930s and in 1933 was the first to record the song Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach citation needed She appeared in the Broadway musical Calling All Stars in 1934 and in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 5 Her Broadway credits also include Follow the Girls 1944 and Take a Chance 1932 6 Niesen s singing at a cafe in Hollywood led to her signing a contract with Universal 2 She also began to appear regularly in movies including Top of the Town 1937 in which she sang four songs 7 Start Cheering 1938 and A Night at Earl Carroll s 1940 in which she sang a song that she co wrote I Want to Make with the Happy Times Her other films included Rookies on Parade 1941 This Is the Army 1943 He s My Guy 1943 and The Babe Ruth Story 1948 She co starred with Jackie Gleason in the 1944 stage musical Follow the Girls in which she sang I Want to Get Married one of her better known songs She recorded for Decca Records throughout the 1940s and released a self titled LP for the label in 1951 5 She also appeared on many radio shows and on TV in the early 1950s Personal life and death editNiesen married Chicago nightclub owner Al Greenfield in Las Vegas on July 19 1943 8 The couple divorced but remarried in 1954 remaining married until Niesen s death in Kaiser Permanente Hospital 1 in Hollywood California in 1975 aged 63 after a long illness citation needed Selected filmography editStart Cheering 1938 Rookies on Parade 1941 This Is the Army 1943 Thumbs Up 1943 The Babe Ruth Story 1948 References edit a b Gertrude Niesen Dies on Coast Sultry Singer of 30 s and 40 s The New York Times United Press International April 2 1975 Archived from the original on August 26 2018 Retrieved August 26 2018 a b c Meehan Jeannette November 22 1936 She wowed Hollywood with a song The Cincinnati Enquirer p 112 Retrieved August 24 2022 via Newspapers com a b Terrace Vincent 1999 Radio Programs 1924 1984 A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows McFarland amp Company Inc pp 111 112 ISBN 978 0 7864 4513 4 Gilbert Justin May 20 1935 Gertrude Niesen Deserts Air To Play In St Luis Municipal Opera For Summer The Record New Jersey Hackensack p 21wprn Retrieved August 24 2022 a b Biography by Bruce Eder at AllMusic Gertrude Niesen Internet Broadway Database The Broadway League Retrieved August 26 2018 Gertrude Niesen The Kilgore News Herald May 27 1937 p 20 Retrieved August 24 2022 Gertrude Niesen Is Married The New York Times Associated Press July 20 1943 p 15 Retrieved August 24 2022 External links edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gertrude Niesen Gertrude Niesen at IMDb Gertrude Niesen at the Internet Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gertrude Niesen amp oldid 1215518896, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
