Lillian Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Lillian Lorraine was a stage and screen actress of the 1910s and 1920s, best known for her beauty and for being perhaps the most famous Ziegfeld Girl
in the Broadway revues Ziegfeld Follies
during the 1910s.
Lorraine was born January 1, 1892 in San Francisco, California
. Some sources state her birth name as Mary Ann Brennan, others say Ealallean De Jacques.
Lorraine began her career on stage in 1906; in 1909 she was pulled out of the chorus line of the 1909 production of "Miss Innoncence" by Florenz Ziegfeld
and quickly became of the most celebrated and famous of Ziegfeld stars, introducing the song "By the Light of the Silvery Moon
".
The relationship between Ziegfeld and Lorraine was personal as well as professional and led to the demise of his marriage to actress Anna Held
. (A fictitious character clearly based on Lorraine was portrayed by Virginia Bruce
in the 1936 motion picture The Great Ziegfeld
). Lorraine and Ziegfeld's romance was turbulent thanks to her temper but their passion was such Ziegfeld's later wife Billie Burke
confessed Lorraine was the only one of Ziegfeld's past girlfriends she was jealous of.
Lorraine starred in many annual productions of The Ziegfeld Follies as well as the 1912 Broadway musical Over The River. She ventured into motion pictures with limited success, appearing in about ten films between 1912 and 1922.
Lorraine's personal life earned her perhaps more notoriety than either her talent or her beauty and she was a staple in newspapers of the day with accounts of her latest turblent romance or feuds with rival stars such as Fanny Brice
. Her personality and private life reportedly was a large influence on Anita Loos
in the creation of the character of Lorelei for the novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
.
Although Lorraine's affair with Ziegfeld was over by the end of the 1910s, her box office drawing power kept her in a number of his productions of the period. Lorraine's fame waned in the 1920s and she worked for a period in vaudeville
. She had long been out of the news at the time of her death on April 17, 1955 at age 63, dying in poverty in New York, New York.
The first biography of Lorraine, Lillian Lorraine: The Life and Times of a Ziegfeld Diva by Nils Hanson will be published in October 2011 by McFarland Press. Lorraine was portrayed by Valerie Perrine
in the 1978 movie Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women (Columbia Pictures).
Ziegfeld girl
Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies , which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris....
in the Broadway revues Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
during the 1910s.
Lorraine was born January 1, 1892 in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Some sources state her birth name as Mary Ann Brennan, others say Ealallean De Jacques.
Lorraine began her career on stage in 1906; in 1909 she was pulled out of the chorus line of the 1909 production of "Miss Innoncence" by Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...
and quickly became of the most celebrated and famous of Ziegfeld stars, introducing the song "By the Light of the Silvery Moon
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (song)
"By The Light of the Silvery Moon" is a popular song. The music was written by Gus Edwards, and the lyrics by Edward Madden. The song was published in 1909 and first performed on stage by Lillian Lorraine. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era.The song has been used...
".
The relationship between Ziegfeld and Lorraine was personal as well as professional and led to the demise of his marriage to actress Anna Held
Anna Held
Helene Anna Held was a Polish-born stage performer, most often associated with impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, her common-law husband. -Early life:...
. (A fictitious character clearly based on Lorraine was portrayed by Virginia Bruce
Virginia Bruce
Virginia Bruce was an American actress and singer.-Career:Born Helen Virginia Briggs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she went with her family to Los Angeles intending to enroll in the University of California when a friendly wager sent her seeking film work. She got it as an extra in Why Bring That...
in the 1936 motion picture The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
). Lorraine and Ziegfeld's romance was turbulent thanks to her temper but their passion was such Ziegfeld's later wife Billie Burke
Billie Burke
Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was an American actress. She is primarily known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the musical film The Wizard of Oz. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live...
confessed Lorraine was the only one of Ziegfeld's past girlfriends she was jealous of.
Lorraine starred in many annual productions of The Ziegfeld Follies as well as the 1912 Broadway musical Over The River. She ventured into motion pictures with limited success, appearing in about ten films between 1912 and 1922.
Lorraine's personal life earned her perhaps more notoriety than either her talent or her beauty and she was a staple in newspapers of the day with accounts of her latest turblent romance or feuds with rival stars such as Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice was a popular and influential American illustrated song "model," comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances and is known as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show...
. Her personality and private life reportedly was a large influence on Anita Loos
Anita Loos
Anita Loos was an American screenwriter, playwright and author.-Early life:Born Corinne Anita Loos in Sisson, California , where her father, R. Beers Loos, had opened a tabloid newspaper for which her mother, Minerva "Minnie" Smith did most of the work of a newspaper publisher...
in the creation of the character of Lorelei for the novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (novel)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady is a comic novel written by Anita Loos first published in 1925. Loos was inspired to write the book after watching a sexy blonde turn intellectual H. L. Mencken into a lovestruck schoolboy. Mencken, a close friend, actually...
.
Although Lorraine's affair with Ziegfeld was over by the end of the 1910s, her box office drawing power kept her in a number of his productions of the period. Lorraine's fame waned in the 1920s and she worked for a period in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. She had long been out of the news at the time of her death on April 17, 1955 at age 63, dying in poverty in New York, New York.
The first biography of Lorraine, Lillian Lorraine: The Life and Times of a Ziegfeld Diva by Nils Hanson will be published in October 2011 by McFarland Press. Lorraine was portrayed by Valerie Perrine
Valerie Perrine
- Life and career :Perrine was born in Galveston, Texas, the daughter of Winifred , a dancer who appeared in Earl Carroll's Vanities, and Kenneth Perrine, a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. Owing to her father's career, Perrine lived in many locations as the family moved to different...
in the 1978 movie Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women (Columbia Pictures).
Broadway Appearances
- Miss Innocence [Musical] Nov 30, 1908 - May 1, 1909 [Role: Angele]
- Ziegfeld Follies of 1909 [Musical Revue] Jun 14, 1909 - Aug 7, 1909
- Ziegfeld Follies of 1910 [Musical Revue] Jun 20, 1910 - Sep 3, 1910
- Ziegfeld Follies of 1911 [Musical Revue] Jun 26, 1911 - Sep 2, 1911
- Over the River [Musical] Jan 8, 1912 - Apr 20, 1912 [Role: Myrtle Mirabeau]
- Ziegfeld Follies of 1912 [Musical Revue] Oct 21, 1912 - Jan 4, 1913
- The Whirl of the World [Musical Revue] Jan 10, 1914 - May 30, 1914 [Roles: Fifi, Cleopatra II]
- Odds and Ends of 1917 [Musical Revue] Nov 19, 1917 - Feb 23, 1918
- Ziegfeld Follies of 1918 [Musical Revue] Jun 18, 1918 - [unknown]
- Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic [1918] [Musical Revue] Jul 1918 - [unknown]
- The Little Blue Devil [Musical] Nov 3, 1919 - Jan 3, 1920 [Role: Paulette Divine]
- Ziegfeld Girls of 1920 [Musical Revue] Mar 8, 1920 - May 1920
- The Blue Kitten [Musical-Comedy] Jan 13, 1922 - May 13, 1922 (Role: Totoche)