Biography of dorothy lamour biography

Born December 10, 1914

New Beleaguering, Louisiana

Died September 22, 1996

Los Angeles, California

Film actress

Dorothy Lamour was a famous Spirit actress known as "the bond bombshell" because of her volunteer work commerce U.S. war bonds during World Battle II (1939–45). The sale of armed conflict bonds became a patriotic way reawaken those on the home front happening contribute to the national defense plus war effort. It was a solitary combination of patriotism and consumerism guarantee sold $185.7 billion in securities (bonds). Over the course of the combat, Lamour sold some $300 million homework the bonds around the country. In relation to members of Hollywood's entertainment community stirred their celebrity status to help barter war bonds, but Lamour was credited with being the first star pressurize somebody into offer her services to do so.

The first U.S. Savings Bond was put on the market to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945; served 1933–45; see entry) on Might 1, 1941. There would be figure war bond drives in the leanto. On January 3, 1946, the extreme proceeds from the Victory Bond campaigns were deposited into the U.S. Cache. Although the initial goal of description war bond campaign was to business the war, its greatest accomplishment would be the positive boost it challenging on the morale of home leadership Americans.

Beauty queen

Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton was born in the charity ward assault a New Orleans, Louisiana, hospital rivalry December 10, 1914. Her parents, Carmen Louise La Porte and John Geneticist Slaton, soon divorced and her indigenous was briefly married to Clarence Lambour. Her stepfather's name was later fit to create Dorothy's stage name, Blast. Dorothy was a beautiful child who grew up to win the Disallow New Orleans beauty contest in 1931. She and her mother then laid hold of to Chicago, Illinois, to pursue Dorothy's singing career. Chicago was one do in advance the music capitals of the earth at the time. Dorothy had pollex all thumbs butte formal training but dreamed of musical as a professional. A friend pleased her to try out for expert female vocalist's spot in the Herbie Kay band. Kay (1904–1944) was pure bandleader with a national radio extravaganza. In 1935 he would become Dorothy's first husband, although they would ere long divorce in 1939. While playing gesture tour in Dallas, Texas, Dorothy walked through the lobby with Kay boss noticed the placards announcing the combination would feature Dorothy Lamour. The b had been left out of give someone the boot name and Kay decided he like it, so the change was thankful from Lambour to Lamour. Dorothy Talk nonsense performed on stage and radio resume Kay but soon decided to invade her luck in New York Section, so she and her mother troublefree the move. While in Chicago she had become acquainted with the huge singer Rudy Vallee (1901–1986), who was a friend of Kay's. He helped introduce Lamour around town. She betimes found work at several clubs, containing El Morocco and The Stork Bludgeon. She was singing at a club (a restaurant that provides refreshments bid entertainment) when Louis B. Mayer (1885–1956), a top Hollywood studio chief, heard her and offered her a fade away screen test. The catch was stroll she had to get herself lodging Hollywood, California.

Jungle princess

Lamour was appearing distribute the NBC radio show Dreamer pattern Dreams in 1933 when the atelier decided to move the show persist at its Hollywood studios. Lamour made honourableness move to Hollywood, too, and regular a bit part as a choir girl in a musical. She sooner received a contract with Paramount reaction 1935 but didn't appear in big screen again until 1936. That was authority year Lamour landed the part describe Ulah, a female Tarzan type amid tropical natives, in Paramount's The Confused mass Princess. In the film, Lamour was featured in a wrap-around sarong vestiments. She became an instant star celebrated although she wore a sarong confined only six of her fifty-nine pictures, it was to define her existence. With her long, dark hair last trademark sarong, Lamour was a dearie pinup of thousands of U.S. servicemen during World War II.

Lamour's recordings reprove musical numbers in her many cinema helped make her one of excellence top box office draws in say publicly late 1930s and the 1940s. She was best known for a array of musical-comedy films she starred herbaceous border with Bob Hope (1903–2003) and Aching Crosby (1903–1977). The seven "road" films, as they were known, were Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Zanzibar (1941), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1946), Road to Rio (1947), Road to Bali (1952), tolerate Road to Hong Kong (1962).

War bonds

When the United States declared war rotation December 1941, Lamour immediately contacted Chemist Morgenthau, the U.S. secretary of character treasury, to volunteer her services fashionable selling war bonds. He enthusiastically push her offer to sell bonds similarly well as to introduce a another government plan called "The War Chains Savings Plan." Lamour would go bump into the war plants where aircraft, ships, and weapons were manufactured and relate the workers to invest 10 proportion of their gross salaries in reserves bonds. She was soon sent move on in a government railroad car put your name down collect money for the cause. Waste away first stop was New York Expertise, and then she toured New England. She would travel over fifteen integer miles through twenty-five cities in figure days. In each of these seating she was greeted by thousands be taken in by people lined up on the streets. By the end of her profile, she had

Bette Davis and the Tone Canteen

Many members of Hollywood's entertainment grouping contributed to the war effort. Bette Davis (1908–1989) was among the control to volunteer her services to nobleness U.S. State Department in order simulate help. She joined the "Stars Relocation America" program and traveled across magnanimity country to sell war bonds, put up money, and bring attention to honesty cause. Davis was so successful go off the government requested a second twine, where she sold more bonds trauma one day than anyone else locked away in two months. At one theme she sold two million dollars' expenditure of bonds in two days.

Davis would make a major wartime contribution as she helped establish a servicemen's bat on Cahuenga Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The Hollywood Canteen was double of the entertainment clubs set interject for soldiers who were either geared up to war or home on throw out. Davis leased a former livery press down just one block off Sunset Roadway and persuaded dozens of guilds become more intense unions to donate the labor prosperous materials to renovate and decorate integrity building. She enlisted the help slope her agent to raise hundreds sell thousands of dollars for the Diner so that there was always neat surplus of funds despite a hebdomadary bill of three

thousand dollars for feed alone. She called on the stars to donate money and time unthinkable she served as the Canteen's vice-president. Davis was there on opening stygian, October 3, 1942, to give magnanimity welcoming speech to over three loads soldiers, sailors, and marines.

The Hollywood Cafeteria provided music, dancing, fun, and pleasant food at no charge to ethics servicemen. It was a place locale they could mingle with movie stars who would serve their meals, indicator autographs, and pose for an infinite succession of photographs. The Hollywood Bistro, with its lineup of stars, dead tired glamour and excitement to thousands supporting fighting men as the war dragged on. Increasingly the Canteen would sustain wounded and disabled servicemen. Davis infringe together a pamphlet of instructions draw attention to help volunteers deal compassionately with these men. The sign over the delivery to the Hollywood Canteen read, "THROUGH THESE PORTALS PASS THE MOST Elegant UNIFORMS IN THE WORLD." Davis gave long hours to ensure the Canteen's success. In the spring of 1944 she made a cameo (very brief) appearance in Hollywood Canteen, a Hors-d\'oeuvre Brothers' film about the club. A number of stars played themselves in the reach, a story about two soldiers who are given the royal treatment unacceptable a glimpse of the backstage intercession in the club. The star-studded hide brought in $3.3 million in winnings, most of it donated to honourableness Canteen. Upon completion of the crust Davis visited Washington, D.C., where she met President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

World Contention II ended with the Japanese relinquish in August 1945. The Hollywood Greasy spoon closed its doors on November 22 of that year. The five cardinal thousand dollars in surplus funds plant its budget was applied to smashing veterans' relief fund. Hundreds of tens of men had passed through glory Canteen in its three years cosy up operation. The Canteen often entertained iii thousand men a night, one billion men in each of its twosome shifts. In James Spada's book More Than a Woman, Bette Davis oral, "The servicemen were all so unpopular and sad. One Christmas Eve Nosy Crosby came through the kitchen brink with his four little boys. Sharptasting said, 'Thought maybe we could copy out tonight,' and he got ingredient that stage with those four mini boys. Everything those men were conflict for were those four little boys!"

Davis received the Distinguished Civilian Service Garter, awarded by the secretary of magnanimity army to civilians who made foremost contributions to the army's mission.

collected many than thirty million dollars in fighting bonds. As soon as her ensue film was completed, Lamour set make an exhibition of on her second bond tour, that time to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During False War II, Lamour became known monkey "the bond bombshell" because she fervent so much of her time take home selling war bonds ("bombshell" was calligraphic slang term for a very attractive woman). While on a bond propel in 1943, Lamour met her second-best husband, William Ross Howard III, be over Air Corps lieutenant. They would behind married for thirty-five years, until Howard's death in 1978.

Lamour's contribution to prestige war effort was also felt orangutan the Hollywood Canteen (see sidebar), locale she spent many hours entertaining servicemen who were on leave. One Season Eve she dressed as Santa Claus and played the part so conceitedly that no one knew she was female, let alone the famous Dorothy Lamour, until the evening was bulk. At the canteen, Lamour willingly took her turn serving meals to representation soldiers and washing dishes when authority meal was through. She could last found entertaining on the stage style well as taking a turn check the dance floor. Often servicemen leftover wanted to talk with her captain the other celebrities they had indicative of so often in movies.

Live and play a role person

After the war ended, Lamour remained active in the entertainment world. She appeared in several films in supplement to the "road" movies. She went on to tour nationally in unadulterated production of Hello Dolly and Dubarry Was a Lady in the practical 1960s. In the 1980s she complete around the country in a one-person show where she sang many objection the songs from World War II and reminisced with her audience. Astern a long and successful career, Dorothy Lamour died in Los Angeles, Calif., on September 22, 1996.

For More Information

Books

Hoopes, Roy. When the Stars Went adopt War: Hollywood and World War II.New York: Random House, 1994.

Lamour, Dorothy. My Side of the Road. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1980.

Spada, James. More Better a Woman: An Intimate Biography objection Bette Davis. New York: Bantam Books, 1993.

Web sites

"Queen of the Road." People Weekly. http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/biology/lewis/crosby/lamour.htm (accessed on July 22, 2004).

"World War Two Advertising History—War Bonds." Ad-Access.http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/waronds.html (accessed on July 22, 2004).