Actress & Singer Lillian Russell
Voluptuous Star of the American Musical Stage
A brief look at the life and career of Lillian Russell, the buxom beauty of the Gay Nineties Musical Theater.
Lillian Russell was born Helen Louise Leonard in Clinton, Iowa, in 1861, the daughter of Charles Leonard, publisher of the weekly "Herald." Her mother, Cynthia Van Names, was an early feminist who believed that a woman's fate should not rest in the hands of her husband. Lillian inherited some of her mother's toughness and determination, which was a big help in her career. In 1863 Cynthia urged her husband to move the family to Chicago, where she became a political reformer and crusader for women's rights.
Talent
Helen's talent was obvious from an early age, and her mother saw to it that she received the best training. Her early education was at Sacred Heart School, followed by the Park Institute, where she was lauded for her musical gifts. After appearing on stage at the Kimball Music Hall, where her ``bell-like,big, clear soprano`` was warmly received, she was positive that a career in opera lay ahead. When Helen was seventeen, her ambitious mother took her to New York City, where she believed her daughter's many talents would be immediately recognized.
Marriage
Helen appeared in an Edward E. Rice presentaion of HMS Pianfore at the age of eighteen, and her career was assured.The pit orchestra conductor, Harry Braham, courted her ardently, and the pair married in early 1879. A son was born later that year, but Helen was not truly interested in taking complete care of the child. One day the nursemaid inadvertently thrust a diaper pin into his stomach and Braham arrived home to find the infant dead. This exacerbated the already stressful marriage and they were soon divorced.
Tony Pastor
Helen now caught the eye of impresario Tony Pastor and was invited to sing at his variety shows for $75 per week.They decided to change her name and "Lillian Russell" was born.
By 1882 she was earning $250 a week and was being wooed by the millionaire Stage-Door Johnnies`` who attended her performances.The new man in her life now was Edward Solomon, the composer of her last musical with Tony Pastor. They sailed for England for a stage engagement and while there they married. Late in the summer of 1884 their daughter Dorothy was born. In 1885 Solomon said that he needed to return to England on business and when he arrived there he was arrested on a bigamy charge. Lillian, on receiving the embarrassing news, had her marriage annulled and never saw Solomon again.
Third and Fourth Marriages
Lilllian had been courted by Signor Don Giovanni Perugini (Jack Chatterton), a robust tenor who had a great ambition to be a star, and against advice of friends Lillian married him on January 24, 1894, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He soon became violent and at one point tried to throw Lillian out of a hotel window. Not surprisingly the marriage didn't last. Lillian's last gamble with marriage came in 1912, when she became the bride of Alexander P. Moore, the publisher of the Pittsburg Leader. This marriage was successful and Lillian lived in Pittsburg for many years.
Death
in 1921 Lillian became ill, but because of her Christian Science beliefs refused to consult a physician. However, internal complications that arose after a fall forced her to be put under a doctor's care. On June 6,1922, Lillian Russell, the toast of Broadway, friend of the portly Diamond Jim Brady, long time companion of Mr. Jesse Lewisohn, and, like her mother, a proponent of women's rights, died in Pittsburgh.
Source:
- Duet in Diamonds by John Burke, Manor Books Inc., 1972
For further reading about musical theater see this article aboutTony Pastor.
