Rita Gould

Rita Gould (August 8, 1890 – March 15, 1981) was an American singer and actress, born in Odessa. She performed in vaudeville in the 1920s, and in American films in the 1930s and 1940s. She was also known for her costumes and for the hats she made, and was a Christian evangelist in her middle years.

Rita Gould
A white woman with dark eyes, chin in hand, arm bare to shoulder, wearing a fabric headwrap and a loose-fitting garment
Rita Gould, from a 1916 publication
Born(1890-08-08)August 8, 1890
Odessa, Russian Empire
DiedMarch 15, 1981(1981-03-15) (aged 90)
Los Angeles, California, US
Other namesRita Gould Forest
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, vaudeville performer

Early life

Rita Gould was born in Odessa, in the Russian Empire,[1] the daughter of Lazarus Rosenblum and Rose Bars.

Sheet music illustrated with a drawing of a woman waving to a soldier; photograph of a woman
Sheet music for "Send Me Away with a Smile" (1917), featuring a photograph of Rita Gould (inset)

Career

Gould was a stage performer in the 1910s and 1920s,[2][3][4] appearing on vaudeville bills across the United States,[5][6][7] and in plays, including Maid in America (1916).[8][9] She was known for popularizing the wartime song, "Send Me Away With a Smile" (1917).[10] She toured in France for eighteen months with the Over There League of the YMCA, entertaining American troops during World War I,[11] and afterwards at veterans' hospitals and events in the United States.[12][13] In 1919 she gave a command performance for King George V and Queen Mary in London.[14] In 1921, she toured with a song cycle written by Frances Nordstrom.[15] "Always the actress with a dominant manner and a perfect enunciation," noted one reviewer in 1928, "she has lost none of her magnetism."[16]

Gould's film career began in her forties, with roles in Kiss and Make-Up (1934), Girls' Dormitory (1936), He Couldn't Say No (1938), Red Barry (1938), So's Your Uncle (1943), South of Dixie (1944), Her Lucky Night (1945), The Vicious Circle (1948), and The Big Combo (1955). She was often heard on radio[17] and hosted a radio program.[1][18] She also took an early interest in televising revue-style entertainment.[19]

Gould was known for her "striking costumes", including a "frock of tangerine-colored velvet" and another of "red and white checked taffeta".[20] Her stage act in 1922 included making a turban-style hat on stage to wear while singing.[21] In 1940, while living in Hollywood, Gould began making and selling crocheted hats and turbans "in unusual styles", sometimes with matching accessories.[22]

Personal life

Gould married several times. In 1930 she was involved in a scandal when fellow performer Natalie Chadwick accused Gould of stealing the affections of criminal Joseph Sheldon.[10] She promoted the writings of Scottish evangelist Henry Drummond.[1] She died in Los Angeles in 1981, aged 90 years.

References
  1. Proctor, Vaughn (1960-01-04). "Rita Gould Fondly Recalls 50 Years in Show Business". Valley Times. p. 17. Retrieved 2021-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Rita Gould Heads Hippodrome Bill". Spokane Chronicle. 1916-06-26. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Theatre Briefs: Loew's Metropolitan". The Chat. 1926-12-11. p. 32. Retrieved 2021-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Hot Weather Fails to Reduce Rita Gould's Customary Vim". The South Bend Tribune. 1922-09-05. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Rita Gould Says She Wants to be a Resident of Butte". The Anaconda Standard. 1916-06-20. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Comedienne Likes the Way She is Treated in Louisville". The Courier-Journal. 1924-10-26. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "At the Lyric". The Birmingham News. 1921-03-25. p. 27. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Cowl, Jane (March 1916). "Is Stage Emotion Real?". Theatre Magazine. 23: 146.
  9. "Rita Gould Sings Syncopated Songs with her Hands". The St. Louis Star and Times. 1915-10-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Her Love Saved Him From Prison, Then Her Jealousy Put Him There". The San Francisco Examiner. 1930-09-14. p. 100. Retrieved 2021-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "An A. E. F. Singer at Electric". The Kansas City Star. 1920-07-04. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "At the Theaters". The Capital Times. 1922-08-26. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Rita Gould, Gotham Girl, Entertainer for Legion Posts". Palladium-Item. 1921-09-08. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "American Actress Honored in England". The Salt Lake Tribune. 1919-08-31. p. 25. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Rita Gould, Brunet Beauty, Headlines Columbia New Bill". The Rock Island Argus and Daily Union. December 3, 1921. p. 12. Retrieved May 12, 2021 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
  16. Muir, James (1928-09-14). "Some Notables at Keith's". Dayton Daily News. p. 31. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Doran, Dorothy (1931-10-26). "Premiere Pierre Laval to Give Radio Speech". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 21. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Rita Gould to Appear in Record's Radio Concert". Fort Worth Record-Telegram. 1922-10-20. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Plays and Players on Stage and Screen". The Courier-Journal. 1928-01-01. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Striking Costumes Worn by Rita Gould". Women's Wear. August 8, 1923. p. 2 – via ProQuest.
  21. "Hot Weather Fails to Reduce Rita Gould's Customary Vim". The South Bend Tribune. 1922-09-05. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Hand-Crocheted Hats in Unusual Styles Made by Ritz Gould". Women's Wear Daily. November 1, 1940. p. 29 – via ProQuest.
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