Mrs. Ziegfeld - The Public and Private Lives of Billie Burke

Broadway actress Billie Burke was one of the most sought after young stage beauties of her time, stealing the hearts of Enrico Caruso, Mark Twain, and, most importantly, famed Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld, who became her husband. Following Ziegfeld's death, the threats of financial ruin and encroaching age forced Burke to recreate herself as a Hollywood character actress.
This biography benefits from the cooperation of the daughter and grandchildren of Burke and Ziegfeld, as well as from anecdotes provided by actors who performed with Burke on the stage and screen. In addition to studying the character and significance of Burke's greatest screen role as Glinda the Good Witch of the North, this richly illustrated book also provides a complete history of Burke's stage, screen, and radio work.

List of contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     

Foreword by Eric Myers     

Preface     

PART I : SAWDUST, STARDUST

1. "A shy, wistful sort of moppet"     

2. The Education of an Actress     

3. Toast of Broadway     

4. Halcyon Hour     

5. "There is only one Billie Burke..."     

6. Soubrette     

7. Burkeley Crest     

8. Mr. Ziegfeld     

9. Mrs. Ziegfeld     

10. Movie Star     

11. "...you love others so much, too..."     

12. "The fine days"     

13. Flickering Star     

14. A Beginning, and an End     

PART II : SILLY WOMAN

15. Crash     

16. Death, Then Life     

17. "A small, bewildered comedienne..."     

18. The Great Ziegfeld     

19. Good Witch     

20. "Oma"     

21. Final Curtain     

Appendix: Billie Burke's Performance History     

Chapter Notes     

Bibliography     

Index     

About the author

Biographer Grant Hayter-Menzies lives in British Columbia. His works include biographies of Charlotte Greenwood, Princess Der Ling, Sarah Pike Conger, Pauline Benton, and Lillian Carter, along with the life of a dog, military mascot Rags of the First Division in World War I. He is the literary executor of playwright William Luce.

Product details

• Authors: Grant Hayter-Menzies, Hayter-Menzies Grant
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: from age 18
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 09.02.2016
• EAN: 9781476665962
• ISBN: 978-1-4766-6596-2
• No. of pages: 245
• Dimensions: 178 mm x 254 mm x 13 mm
• Weight: 445 g
• Illustrations: Raster,schwarz-weiss
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Theatre, ballet; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women, District of Columbia (Washington D.C.), SOCIAL SCIENCE / Women's Studies, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts, 20th Century, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, Films, cinema, Biography: arts & entertainment, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Gender studies: women, Gender studies: women and girls, Biography: arts and entertainment, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / General, District Of Columbia (Washington, Dc)