Lorraine Bridges

Lorraine Bridges (August 17, 1906 – December 4, 1993) was an American actress and singer who was known for her ability to hit high notes.

Bridges was a native of Oklahoma,[1][2][3] where she was a singer for radio station WKY early in her career.[4]

Bridges was a contract player at Paramount; the studio dropped her in 1935.[5] She was signed by MGM three weeks later.[6]

Bridges performed as a vocal stand-in, often uncredited, for actresses in popular films such as for BIllie Burke in The Wizard of Oz (1939)[7] and Jeanette MacDonald in New Moon (1940), Bitter Sweet (1940), and Smiling Through (1941).[8]

Bridges also performed on stage, including with the St. Louis Municipal Opera in the 1942 season.[4] She had a show at The Palace in New York in 1951. A Variety review of her show described her as "a fine lyric soprano whose voice occasionally achieves the qualities of a coloratura".[9] She married Leonard Ceeley in 1943.[10] They were principal players in the Marx brothers revue A Day at the Races.[11][12]

She appeared in a number of shows in England, including an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac titled Gardenia Lady, which was written, composed, produced by and costarred her husband Leonard Ceeley, in Leeds in 1947.[13][14]

Her husband, Leonard Ceeley, died in 1977.[15]

Filmography

References
  1. Nobel, George. "Times Square: Chatter: Oklahoma City." Variety. Vol. 103, Iss. 5,  (Jul 14, 1931): 39.
  2. "City Girl Gets Film Contract: Lorraine Bridges". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  3. "Adult Department No 1". Oklahoma City Star. 1944-03-24. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  4. "Aside We've Gathered". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  5. "Pictures: Par, WB Drop 45 Writers; Others." Variety. Vol. 118, Iss. 2,  (Mar 27, 1935): 2.
  6. "Pictures: Banquet Warbling Wins MG Termer for Castoff." Variety. Vol. 118, Iss. 9,  (May 15, 1935): 4.
  7. Nash, Jay Robert; Ross, Stanley Ralph (1987). The Motion Picture Guide. Cinebooks. ISBN 978-0-933997-09-7.
  8. Staff, America Film Institute; Gevinson, Alan; Institute, American Film; Afi, American Film (1997). Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20964-0.
  9. "House Review: Lorraine Bridges." Variety. Vol. 183, Iss. 10,  (Aug 15, 1951): 20, 63.
  10. "Leonard Ceeley Weds Lorraine Bridges". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1943-05-22. p. 12. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  11. Rees, Les. "Pictures: Marx Bros.' Presentation Break-In of 'Day at Races' Evidences OK Comedy." Variety. Vol. 123, Iss. 6,  (Jul 22, 1936): 2.
  12. "Marxes "Comic Caravan" Hits the Road Next Week". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1936-07-04. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  13. "New Show to Open in Leeds." Accordion Times and Musical Express. Iss. 45,  (Aug 15, 1947): 1.
  14. Gänzl, Kurt (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. Schirmer Books. ISBN 978-0-02-871445-5.
  15. "Obituary for O' Connor Alh ". The Los Angeles Times. 1977-05-10. p. 40. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  16. Tyler, Don (2007-04-02). Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-2946-2.
  17. Hogan, David J. (2014-06-01). The Wizard of Oz FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Life According to Oz. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4803-9720-0.
  18. Films in Review. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 1975.
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