Helen Morgan

Helen Morgan, nee Helen Riggins ( born August 2, 1900 in Danville, Illinois, † October 9, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois) was an American jazz singer and actress.

Life and career

Helen Morgan grew up the daughter of a farmer and a teacher in rural Illinois. After her mother's divorce, she took the last name of Morgan, later she moved to Chicago with her mother. There she began her career in the 1920s and celebrated as a Torch Song singer successes in the speakeasies. She regularly occurred during Prohibition in large clubs like the Green Mill or Rose's Backstage Club.

In 1927 she had her breakthrough in the original version of the Broadway musical Show Boat, in which she played the role of Julie LaVerne. During the next 11 years she played and sang this role in various stage and film versions of the play, in the first film adaptation of her partner but was taken over by Alma Rubens. Morgan also sang the skin trolls in the musical Sweet Adeline, in the film version, however, Irene Dunne was cast in the role played by Morgan in Show Boat together. From 1931 Morgan also appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies shows and began to study music at the Metropolian Opera.

As a result of many years of alcoholism Morgan was treated in hospital after a collapse in 1940, but recovered and launched a comeback. 1941 but they broke again together during the performance of George White's Scandals of 1942 on stage. Helen Morgan died on October 8, 1941 from liver cirrhosis. Your life in 1957 as The Helen Morgan Story ( Eng.: A Life in noise ) filmed, with Ann Blyth in the title role and Paul Newman as Morgans Manager Larry Maddux.

Filmography

• The Heart Raider (1923 )
• Six Cylinder Love (1923 )
• Show Boat (1929 )
• Applause (1929 )
• Roadhouse Nights (1930 )
• The Gigolo Racket ( 1931)
• You Belong to Me ( 1934)
• Marie Galante (1934 )
• Go Into Your Dance ( 1935)
• Frankie and Johnnie (1936 )
• Show Boat (1936 )