Leni Lynn

Last updated
Leni Lynn
Born
Angelica Ciofani

(1923-05-03)May 3, 1923
DiedJanuary 1, 2010(2010-01-01) (aged 86)
Other namesLeni Hoffer
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Parent(s)Francesco Ciofani
Carmelita Ciofani

Leni Lynn (born Angelina Ciofani; May 3, 1923 – January 1, 2010) [1] was an American actress [2] and a contralto singer. [3] She was also known as Leni Hoffer. [1]

Contents

The daughter of a Passaic, New Jersey, dye-goods factory worker, Francesco Ciofani, and his wife, Carmelita, who worked in a dress factory, [4] [5] Lynn learned to sing by listening to recordings. [6] When she was 13, friends and neighbors in Pasaic contributed 10,000 dimes to send her to Hollywood to try for success in films. On September 6, 1938, she received a contract from MGM. [3]

Lynn was married four times. [1] In 1942, she married British insurance executive Edward Thomas Hopkin; they divorced on March 23, 1949. [7] Her last husband, composer and conductor Bernard Hoffer, survived her. [1]

On January 1, 2010, Lynn died of complications of a stroke in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. She was 86. [1]

Selected filmography

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lentz, Harris M. III (2011). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2010. McFarland. p. 254. ISBN   9780786441754 . Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Leni Lynn". Film Forever. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 "10,000 Dimes Help Her". Daily News. New York, New York City. September 6, 1938. p. 4. Retrieved October 19, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. Wagner, Laura (July 2019). "Leni Lynn: Passaic's Singing Cinderella". Classic Images (529): 6, 8–15.
  5. "Leni of the Movies Re-visits the Old Home Town," PM, Nov. 15, 1940
  6. Swisher, Clare (August 1, 1939). "It's a Great Life". Altoona Tribune. Pennsylvania, Altoona. p. 4. Retrieved October 19, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. "Husband Divorces U.S. Opera Singer". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. Associated Press. March 23, 1949. p. 23. Retrieved October 19, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg