Greta Keller
Encyclopedia
Greta Keller-Bacon was a cabaret singer and Hollywood
actress.
in Broadway, in which she sang and danced. A recording contract with Ultraphon in 1929 took her from Vienna to Prague
and Berlin
, where she enjoyed great success with Peter Igelhoff
and Peter Kreuder. For over 45 years her voice was familiar worldwide, in radio shows, films, revues, concerts and musicals, but above all in recordings. First called The Great Lady Of Chanson in her native Vienna, the nickname followed her to London
and America
.
from a prominent Boston Brahmin
family. The elder Bacon was a member of the board of Harvard University
, and had been a close associate of J.P. Morgan, and later served as Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt
and ambassador to France under William Howard Taft
.
Known in film and theater as David Bacon, her husband was murdered in 1943, two weeks after finishing a major role in the Republic
serial "The Masked Marvel
." Speculation involved affairs with Howard Hughes
and another actor, but the murder was never solved. Not long after that, their child was stillborn.
It took some time for her to recover from these events, but she restarted her career in Switzerland
, then on to Vienna, Berlin
and back to New York City
.
ian women but never lost the heart of the girl from Vienna
. Greta's singing in what some call "a style reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich" comes from the fact she was the model for how Marlene Dietrich developed her own voice. Greta Keller made recordings throughout the world and from the earliest days of "schellack" to the dawn of CDs. She spent many years in the United States
, notably in hotel club rooms at the Waldorf
and (later) the Stanhope
in New York, where her show always included "My Way
", with lyrics composed by Paul Anka
, and a number of Noel Coward
numbers. A "singer's singer," Keller often drew other performers to the room, including the Nordstrom Sisters
, Beverly Sills
and Hildegarde. Other regulars would book the same tables most nights that she was performing, including photographer Edgar de Evia
. Favorites of the Stanhope crowd were the songs of Cole Porter
and Noel Coward
, for their sexual innuendo and double entendres. These included "Miss Otis Regrets
" and "I'm the Other Woman in His Life" by her close friend Elisse Boyd. She regularly returned to Vienna. The poet and singer Rod McKuen
was introduced by her to an audience in Vienna. McKuen, in turn,hosted a concert presenting her at Lincoln Center in the 1970s, and wrote the English lyric "If You Go Away
" to Jacques Brel
's "Ne Me Quitte Pas," which she always sang.
Greta's greatest strength was in her adaptability. She sang each song in a unique way. Her repertoire included songs from the 1930s
through the war years
as well as popular songs of the day. A few years before her death, her voice was heard in the Academy Award-winning movie, Cabaret
(1972), for which she sang the song, "Heirat" (Married). The last years of her life, from 1973 until her death in November 1977 Greta lived, worked, and traveled with her last partner, Wolfgang Nebmaier, who now lives in Southern Oregon.
1938, Das Schönste von damals (1935–1938) Telefunken HT-P 500, mit Peter Kreuder und Orchester
LP: GRETA KELLER
196?,BLACK FFRR LABEL,SLRW LONDON 5926M
LP: SINGS KURT WEILL
1953,TEN INCH LP,SWOBC,COOL BURT GOLDBLATT COVER ART ATLANTIC ALS 405M
LP: XII O'CLOCK: MUSIC IN A MIDNIGHT MOOD
195?,SOC DOLPHIN 5M
LP: WITH ALL MY LOVE
UK, (MONO), SL CW, SM CORNER BEND DECCA ECLIPSE:2049
LP: LOVE IS A DAYDREAM
STEREO MON:725
7" SINGLE: WENN DIE SONNE HINTER DEN DÄCHERN VERSINKT B: JONNY,WENN DU GEBURTSTAG HAST DE
ELITE SPECIAL:010075
10": GROUP OF INTIMATE SONGS
1953 US HARVEST H-0056
LP: SINGS KURT WEILL
ALS405
LP: IN CONCERT
1975 ORIGINAL RECORDED LIVE IN NEW YORK 1972 STANYAN:SR10041
LP: ERINNERUNGEN-HISTORISCHE AUFNAHMEN
(1977)
LP: ERINNERUNGEN
DE 1977 DE RCA INTERNATIONAL:42053
7" SINGLE: GOODBYE LIEBER JONNY / APOLLO UMBERTO SILVANO ROBERTO ROMANO
UK CA45F10649
LP: GRETA KELLER CONCERT
UK / 69 TSSCLR1261
LP: WITH ALL MY LOVE
MONO UK / 71 PSEECM2049
LP: EINE BLAUE STUNDE
(IMPORT) PLPE 30048
LP: GREAT SONGS OF THE 30'S
STANYAN SR 10042
LP: REMEMBER ME
LONDON, 1305
LP: GRETA KELLER IN CONCERT
STANYAN:SR10041
LP: EINE BLAUE STUNDE
ELITE SPECIALCHPLPE
LP: LEGENDE EINER STIMME
TELEFUNKENG642 322
LP: REMEMBER ME
LONDON:1305
LP: XII O'CLOCK
DOLPHIN:5
SR 5040 • Evening In Vienna / Rod McKuen & Greta Keller
"Greta Keller Sings Love is a Daydream and other Songs by Yulya" Monitor Records MON00725
"Blue Moon" (January 29, 1935) was included on the album "Pennie's from Heaven" Decca DDV 5007/8 music from the BBC TV series "Pennies from heaven" starring Bob Hoskins
"Diverse Songs and Moods of the 1940's: Stella Brooks and Greta Keller" (1981) Folkways Records
FW02830
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
actress.
Biography
Born Margaretha Keller in Vienna, Austria, she studied dance from the age of eight, followed by acting. Her début was in Pavillon, in Vienna. She also appeared on stage with Marlene DietrichMarlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
in Broadway, in which she sang and danced. A recording contract with Ultraphon in 1929 took her from Vienna to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where she enjoyed great success with Peter Igelhoff
Peter Igelhoff
Peter Igelhoff was an Austrian pianist, light music and film composer, arranger and entertainer; he took his mother's maiden name as soon as he resolved on a career in light entertainment.Peter Igelhoff made an early career as a jazz pianist in bars before deciding to hone what became a sharp...
and Peter Kreuder. For over 45 years her voice was familiar worldwide, in radio shows, films, revues, concerts and musicals, but above all in recordings. First called The Great Lady Of Chanson in her native Vienna, the nickname followed her to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Marriage
In Hollywood she met and married Gaspar Griswold Bacon, Jr. son of Gaspar G. BaconGaspar G. Bacon
Gaspar Griswold Bacon, Sr. was on the board of Harvard University, President of the Massachusetts Senate from 1929 to 1932 and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1933 to 1935.-Biography:...
from a prominent Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmins are wealthy Yankee families characterized by a highly discreet and inconspicuous life style. Based in and around Boston, they form an integral part of the historic core of the East Coast establishment...
family. The elder Bacon was a member of the board of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and had been a close associate of J.P. Morgan, and later served as Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and ambassador to France under William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
.
Known in film and theater as David Bacon, her husband was murdered in 1943, two weeks after finishing a major role in the Republic
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
serial "The Masked Marvel
The Masked Marvel
The Masked Marvel was a 12-chapter film serial created by Republic Pictures, who produced many of the best known of the serials. It was Republic's thirty-first serial, of the sixty-six they produced.-Plot:...
." Speculation involved affairs with Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
and another actor, but the murder was never solved. Not long after that, their child was stillborn.
It took some time for her to recover from these events, but she restarted her career in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, then on to Vienna, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and back to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Career
Her lieder voice carried the charm of the ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian women but never lost the heart of the girl from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Greta's singing in what some call "a style reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich" comes from the fact she was the model for how Marlene Dietrich developed her own voice. Greta Keller made recordings throughout the world and from the earliest days of "schellack" to the dawn of CDs. She spent many years in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, notably in hotel club rooms at the Waldorf
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...
and (later) the Stanhope
Stanhope Hotel
995 Fifth Avenue is a 16-story co-op condominium building at 995 Fifth Avenue and East 81st Street in New York City, across Fifth Avenue from Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was constructed in 1926 as The Stanhope Apartment Hotel and designed by Rosario Candela...
in New York, where her show always included "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
", with lyrics composed by Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
, and a number of Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
numbers. A "singer's singer," Keller often drew other performers to the room, including the Nordstrom Sisters
Nordstrom Sisters
The Nordstrom Sisters were an American cabaret act which performed internationally from 1931 to 1976.Dagmar Nordstrom the younger of the two sisters was a composer, arranger and the pianist of the duo...
, Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
and Hildegarde. Other regulars would book the same tables most nights that she was performing, including photographer Edgar de Evia
Edgar de Evia
Edgar Domingo Evia y Joutard, known professionally as Edgar de Evia , was a Mexican-born American photographer....
. Favorites of the Stanhope crowd were the songs of Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
and Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
, for their sexual innuendo and double entendres. These included "Miss Otis Regrets
Miss Otis Regrets
"Miss Otis Regrets" is a song by Cole Porter from 1934. It was first performed on stage by Douglas Byng in Hi Diddle Diddle, which opened October 3, 1934 at the Savoy Theatre, London...
" and "I'm the Other Woman in His Life" by her close friend Elisse Boyd. She regularly returned to Vienna. The poet and singer Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen is an American poet, songwriter, composer, and singer. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks, and classical music...
was introduced by her to an audience in Vienna. McKuen, in turn,hosted a concert presenting her at Lincoln Center in the 1970s, and wrote the English lyric "If You Go Away
If You Go Away
"If You Go Away" is a song in English based upon the French song "Ne me quitte pas" , written by Jacques Brel. The English lyrics were written by Rod McKuen as part of a larger project to translate Brel's work. "If You Go Away" is considered a pop standard and has been recorded by many artists,...
" to Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel
Jacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
's "Ne Me Quitte Pas," which she always sang.
Greta's greatest strength was in her adaptability. She sang each song in a unique way. Her repertoire included songs from the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
through the war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as well as popular songs of the day. A few years before her death, her voice was heard in the Academy Award-winning movie, Cabaret
Cabaret (film)
Cabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
(1972), for which she sang the song, "Heirat" (Married). The last years of her life, from 1973 until her death in November 1977 Greta lived, worked, and traveled with her last partner, Wolfgang Nebmaier, who now lives in Southern Oregon.
Filmography
- Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht, Der (1931) (uncredited) .... Singer... aka Jim, der Mann mit der Narbe (Germany)... aka Looking for His Murderer
- Lied vom Leben, Das (1931) .... Singer... aka Song of Life (USA: informal literal English title)
- Melodie der Liebe (1932) .... Singer... aka Right to Happiness (USA)
- Abenteurer von Paris, Der (1936) .... Cabaret Singer... aka The Paris Adventure (USA)
- Reunion in France (1942) (uncredited) .... Baroness von Steinkamp... aka Mademoiselle France (UK)... aka Reunion
- Herz spielt falsch, Ein (1953) .... Chansonniere/Cabaret Singer ... aka A Heart's Foul Play (International: English title)
- Blaue Stunde (1967) .... Singer
- Cabaret (1972) her voice was heard on a record as the singer of: "Heirat"
Notable TV Guest Appearances
- "Five Fingers" playing "Micheline" in episode: "Station Break" (episode # 1.1) 3 October 1959
- "'Drehscheibe, Die'" playing "Singer" 6 November 1968
- "V.I.P.-Schaukel" playing "Herself" (episode # 4.3) 15 December 1974
Discography
LP: Greta Keller1938, Das Schönste von damals (1935–1938) Telefunken HT-P 500, mit Peter Kreuder und Orchester
LP: GRETA KELLER
196?,BLACK FFRR LABEL,SLRW LONDON 5926M
LP: SINGS KURT WEILL
1953,TEN INCH LP,SWOBC,COOL BURT GOLDBLATT COVER ART ATLANTIC ALS 405M
LP: XII O'CLOCK: MUSIC IN A MIDNIGHT MOOD
195?,SOC DOLPHIN 5M
LP: WITH ALL MY LOVE
UK, (MONO), SL CW, SM CORNER BEND DECCA ECLIPSE:2049
LP: LOVE IS A DAYDREAM
STEREO MON:725
7" SINGLE: WENN DIE SONNE HINTER DEN DÄCHERN VERSINKT B: JONNY,WENN DU GEBURTSTAG HAST DE
ELITE SPECIAL:010075
10": GROUP OF INTIMATE SONGS
1953 US HARVEST H-0056
LP: SINGS KURT WEILL
ALS405
LP: IN CONCERT
1975 ORIGINAL RECORDED LIVE IN NEW YORK 1972 STANYAN:SR10041
LP: ERINNERUNGEN-HISTORISCHE AUFNAHMEN
(1977)
LP: ERINNERUNGEN
DE 1977 DE RCA INTERNATIONAL:42053
7" SINGLE: GOODBYE LIEBER JONNY / APOLLO UMBERTO SILVANO ROBERTO ROMANO
UK CA45F10649
LP: GRETA KELLER CONCERT
UK / 69 TSSCLR1261
LP: WITH ALL MY LOVE
MONO UK / 71 PSEECM2049
LP: EINE BLAUE STUNDE
(IMPORT) PLPE 30048
LP: GREAT SONGS OF THE 30'S
STANYAN SR 10042
LP: REMEMBER ME
LONDON, 1305
LP: GRETA KELLER IN CONCERT
STANYAN:SR10041
LP: EINE BLAUE STUNDE
ELITE SPECIALCHPLPE
LP: LEGENDE EINER STIMME
TELEFUNKENG642 322
LP: REMEMBER ME
LONDON:1305
LP: XII O'CLOCK
DOLPHIN:5
SR 5040 • Evening In Vienna / Rod McKuen & Greta Keller
"Greta Keller Sings Love is a Daydream and other Songs by Yulya" Monitor Records MON00725
"Blue Moon" (January 29, 1935) was included on the album "Pennie's from Heaven" Decca DDV 5007/8 music from the BBC TV series "Pennies from heaven" starring Bob Hoskins
"Diverse Songs and Moods of the 1940's: Stella Brooks and Greta Keller" (1981) Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
FW02830