Lillian Cornell | |
|---|---|
 Lillian Cornell (fair use) | |
| Born | Lillian Michuda June 2, 1916 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | May 25, 2015, (age 98) Miami, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Singer, actress |
| Spouse | Asa Fessenden (1947-1984, his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Lillian Cornell (born Lillian Michuda; June 2, 1916 - May 25, 2015) was an American singer on old-time radio and an actress in films in the early 1940s.
Cornell was born Lillian Michuda June 2, 1916, in Chicago. [1] Her name was changed to Lillian Cornell by studio executives when she began to act in films. [2]
In 1936, Cornell (billed as Lillian Michuda) had her own radio program on WCFL in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois. [3] Three years later, she had moved to NBC, where she had the self-titled Lillian Cornell program. [4]
She also performed on Pleasure Parade, [5] Club Matinee , Roy Shield Revue, Jamboree and Sunday Dinner at Aunt Fanny's. [6]
In 1944, Cornell was the featured singer at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago. A review published in the Chicago Tribune on November 26, 1944, described Cornell as "a dark haired beauty with a clear, impressive voice and an admirably gracious, easy manner." [7]
Cornell's venture into the film industry was initiated via radio. Radio Varieties magazine reported that because radio commitments kept Cornell in Chicago, "her managers arranged a cocktail party in the movie mecca, at which an audition of Lillian's voice was heard by special wire from the Windy City." [8] She signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and soon appeared in Buck Benny Rides Again . [8]
In 1946, Cornell was part of the cast of The Window Shade Revue, a 45-minute musical broadcast on WNBT in New York City. An article in Billboard magazine reported that the program was "said to be one of the biggest budgeted shows yet done by NBC on WNBT since the web took over Channel Four." [9] She also appeared on Close-Ups on NBC that year. [10]
In 1947, Cornell married Asa Fessenden. They were married until he died in 1984. [1]
Cornell died May 25, 2015, in Miami, Florida. [1]
Sigmund Romberg was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly The Student Prince (1924), The Desert Song (1926) and The New Moon (1928).
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Helena Bliss was an American actress and singer. A talented soprano, she actively performed in musicals, operettas, and operas in the United States, both on stage and on television and radio, from the 1930s through the 1950s. She is best known for her portrayal of Nina Hagerup in the original Broadway production of Robert Wright and George Forrest's Song of Norway. She also appeared successfully in a few productions on London's West End.
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Nancy McCord was an American soprano and actress who had an active career in opera, musical theatre, and vaudeville during the 1920s, 1930s and early 1940s. She appeared in operettas and musicals on Broadway and in operas with several American companies, including the St. Louis Municipal Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Her repertoire consisted mainly of roles from light opera and operettas. She is best remembered for creating the roles of Marie-Baroness von Schlewitz in the original production of Oscar Hammerstein II and Sigmund Romberg's May Wine (1935); and Mary Stone in the world premiere of Douglas Moore's The Devil and Daniel Webster (1939). She also performed leading roles in the United States premieres of two operettas: Franz Lehár's The Land of Smiles and Robert Stolz's Venus in Seide.
