Oscar Shaw
Encyclopedia
Oscar Shaw was a stage and screen actor and singer. United States census records show that Shaw was already working as a stage actor in 1910, while still living with his mother, brother, and stepfather.
In 1913, Shaw married Mary Louise Givler (a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania), in England
, on August 3, where they both worked in a show called the "First American Ragtime Review" at the London Opera House. The couple lived in the Village of Great Neck Estates, and in 1937, later moved to the Thomaston section of Great Neck, first in a private home, and later lived in an apartment building on Welwyn Road.
His wife died March 31, 1964, at the age of 77, leaving an estate of $4,000 in a savings account at the Franklin National Bank
in Great Neck. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
. In addition to selling his Myrtle Drive home in 1937, Shaw settled a lawsuit with an actress, Florence Roberts
(stage name: Etna Ross), who brought a $50,000 lawsuit against Shaw, who allegedly had thrown her down a staircase while the two worked together in a road company. The suit was settled in January 1937.
Shaw sold his home on 9 Myrtle Drive in March 1937. It is not known if the sale of his home had anything to do with the settlement of the lawsuit from two months earlier that year.
In 1913, Shaw married Mary Louise Givler (a native of Carlisle, Pennsylvania), in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on August 3, where they both worked in a show called the "First American Ragtime Review" at the London Opera House. The couple lived in the Village of Great Neck Estates, and in 1937, later moved to the Thomaston section of Great Neck, first in a private home, and later lived in an apartment building on Welwyn Road.
His wife died March 31, 1964, at the age of 77, leaving an estate of $4,000 in a savings account at the Franklin National Bank
Franklin National Bank
Franklin National Bank, based in Franklin Square in Long Island, New York was once the United States' 20th largest bank. On October 8, 1974, it collapsed in obscure circumstances, involving Michele Sindona, renowned Mafia-banker and member of the irregular freemasonic lodge, Propaganda Due...
in Great Neck. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
. In addition to selling his Myrtle Drive home in 1937, Shaw settled a lawsuit with an actress, Florence Roberts
Florence Roberts
Florence Roberts was an actress of the stage and in motion pictures.-Stock Company Actress:Born in Frederick, Maryland, she began acting on the stage in New York, New York at the age of 19. Her career began at the Brooklyn, New York Opera House in Hoop of Gold...
(stage name: Etna Ross), who brought a $50,000 lawsuit against Shaw, who allegedly had thrown her down a staircase while the two worked together in a road company. The suit was settled in January 1937.
Shaw sold his home on 9 Myrtle Drive in March 1937. It is not known if the sale of his home had anything to do with the settlement of the lawsuit from two months earlier that year.
Major events in Shaw's life
Here is a brief chronology of some of his shows and movies:- In 1915, he appeared as Dick Rivers in the Princess Theatre Show, “Very Good, Eddie,” with music by Jerome KernJerome KernJerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
and libretto by Guy BoltonGuy BoltonGuy Reginald Bolton was a British-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the U.S., he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred working in collaboration with others, principally the English writers P. G...
. - In 1917, he appeared in the Jerome Kern musical, “Leave It to JaneLeave It to JaneLeave It to Jane is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, based on the 1904 play College Widow, by George Ade. The story concerns the football rivalry between Atwater College and Bingham College, and satirizes college life in a...
,” by Kern and Bolton, with lyrics by P. G. WodehouseP. G. WodehouseSir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
. - In 1919, he appeared as Tommy Tilford in “The Rose of China” with lyrics by P. G. WodehouseP. G. WodehouseSir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
. - In 1920, he was Bradford Adams in the Victor JacobiVictor JacobiVictor Jacobi, Jakobi Viktor was a Hungarian operetta composer.He studied at Zeneakadémia in Budapest at the same time as the noted Hungarian composers Imre Kálmán and Albert Szirmai...
musical “The Half Moon.” - In 1921, he appeared in three shows: “Ziegfeld 9 O'Clock Frolic,” as Robert Barker in the Vincent YoumansVincent YoumansVincent Youmans was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.- Life :Vincent Millie Youmans was born in New York City on September 27, 1898 and grew-up on Central Park West on the site where the Mayflower Hotel once stood. His father, a prosperous hat manufacturer, moved the family to...
and Arthur Francis (Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
) musical comedy, “Two Little Girls in BlueTwo Little Girls in BlueTwo Little Girls in Blue is a musical theatre work composed by Paul Lannin and Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a libretto by Fred Jackson. The musical premiered at the George M...
”, and as Billy van Courtland in the 1921 Kern musical, “Good Morning, Dearie.” - In 1923, he appeared as Bastien in the play with music, “One KissOne KissOne Kiss is the seventh studio album by Canadian country music group Prairie Oyster. It was released by Open Road Recordings on August 22, 2006...
.” - In 1924, he appeared in two shows: as Laddie Munn in “Dear SirDear SirDear Sir is the debut album by American singer/songwriter Chan Marshall, also known as Cat Power. It was released in 1995 on Runt Records. The 2001 Plain Recordings reissue adds the song "Great Expectations" as the eighth track. The cover art depicts text superimposed over a male torso. The album...
” and in The Music Box Revue, with book, music, and lyrics by Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
. As a duet with Grace Moore, he sang the famous Berlin song, “All AloneAll Alone (1924 song)"All Alone" is a popular song.It was written by Irving Berlin. The song was published in 1924. The song has been recorded many times, becoming a standard; it was most popular in a 1962 recording by Frank Sinatra....
”, which was not written for the revue but interpolated into the show. The same year he appeared in the film, “Great White Way.” - In 1925, he was in the film “The King on Main StreetThe King on Main Street (1925 film)__notoc__The King on Main Street is a silent film romantic comedy directed by Monta Bell, released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Adolphe Menjou and Bessie Love. Carlotta Monterey, later wife of Eugene O'Neill from 1929 to 1953, has a small role as Mrs...
” with Adolphe MenjouAdolphe MenjouAdolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies, appearing in such films as The Sheik, A Woman of Paris, Morocco, and A Star is Born...
. - In 1926, he appeared in two films, “Going Crooked” and “UpstageUpstage (film)Upstage, also known as The Mask of Comedy, is a 1926 silent film directed by Monta Bell, starring Norma Shearer and New York musical comedy star Oscar Shaw.-Plot:...
” and also appeared as Jimmy Winter in the Guy BoltonGuy BoltonGuy Reginald Bolton was a British-American playwright and writer of musical comedies. Born in England and educated in France and the U.S., he trained as an architect but turned to writing. Bolton preferred working in collaboration with others, principally the English writers P. G...
, P. G. WodehouseP. G. WodehouseSir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
musical, “Oh, Kay!Oh, Kay!Oh, Kay! is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. It is based on the play La Presidente by Maurice Hanniquin and Pierre Veber. The plot revolves around the adventures of the Duke of Durham and his sister, Lady Kay, English...
” with Gertrude LawrenceGertrude LawrenceGertrude Lawrence was an English actress, singer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End theatre district of London and on Broadway.-Early life:...
and Victor MooreVictor MooreVictor Frederick Moore was an American actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.-Personal life:...
. - In 1927, he appeared as Gerald Brooks in “Five O'Clock Girl,” with Mary EatonMary EatonMary Eaton was a leading stage actress, singer, and dancer in the 1910s and 1920s. A professional performer since childhood, she enjoyed success in stage productions such as the Ziegfeld Follies and early sound films such as Glorifying the American Girl and The Cocoanuts, but found her career in...
and in 1929, he starred as Bob Adams in the movie version of the Marx Brothers’ musical, “The CocoanutsThe CocoanutsThe Cocoanuts is the first feature-length Marx Brothers film, produced by Paramount Pictures. The musical comedy stars the four Marx Brothers, Oscar Shaw, Mary Eaton, and Margaret Dumont. Produced by Walter Wanger and the first sound movie to credit more than one director , and was adapted to the...
” again with Mary EatonMary EatonMary Eaton was a leading stage actress, singer, and dancer in the 1910s and 1920s. A professional performer since childhood, she enjoyed success in stage productions such as the Ziegfeld Follies and early sound films such as Glorifying the American Girl and The Cocoanuts, but found her career in...
. Together they sang the Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
song, “When My Dreams Come True.” - In 1930, he starred as Todd Addison in the last De Sylva, BrownLew BrownLew Brown was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States.Brown was born as Louis Brownstein in Odessa, Russian Empire...
and HendersonRay HendersonRay Henderson , was an American songwriter.Born Raymond Brost in Buffalo, New York, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley...
musical, “Flying HighFlying High (musical)Flying High is a musical comedy with book by B. G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and John McGowan, lyrics by B. G. DeSylva and Lew Brown, music by Ray Henderson....
”, with Bert LahrBert LahrBert Lahr was an American actor and comedian. Lahr is remembered today for his roles as the Cowardly Lion and Kansas farmworker Zeke in The Wizard of Oz, but was also well-known for work in burlesque, vaudeville, and on Broadway.-Early life:Lahr was born in New York City, of German-Jewish heritage...
, in which he sang “Thank You Father” and “Happy Landing.” - In 1931, he appeared in the National Company of the Gershwin musical, “Of Thee I SingOf Thee I SingOf Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President of the United States on the "love" platform...
” and as Steve Merrick in “Everybody's WelcomeEverybody's WelcomeEverybody's Welcome is a musical comedy with a book by Lambert Carroll, lyrics by Irving Kahal, and music by Sammy Fain. The musical has two acts and a prologue. The story is based on "Up Pops the Devil" by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett....
.” - In 1935, he appeared as Duke Bradford in the comedy “A Lady Detained,” which ran for only 13 performances.
- In 1936, he was in the comedy, “A Private Affair,” which ran for 28 performances.
- In 1940, he appeared as Charlie Goodrich in the Victor YoungVictor YoungVictor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.-Biography:...
film, “Rhythm on the RiverRhythm on the RiverRhythm on the River is a 1940 musical comedy film starring Bing Crosby and Mary Martin as ghostwriters whose songs are credited to a composer played by Basil Rathbone. James V...
,” with Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Mary MartinMary MartinMary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
, Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
, and Oscar LevantOscar LevantOscar Levant was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor. He was more famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than for his music.-Life and career:...
. - In 1941, he appeared as Monte Trenton, Jr., in the play “Pie in the Sky”, which ran for only 6 performances.