John Kenrick Presents Ethel Merman
You couldn’t ask for anything more!
BY JUDITH TANE
Photos by Dawn Steinberg On Thursday, March 28th,
at a meeting of the North
Shore Towers University
Club, John Kenrick, our popular
maven of musical theater, presented
a program featuring the
American legend Ethel Merman.
Opening with a photograph of one
of Merman’s last appearances on
a “Best of Broadway” television
special, resplendent in a sparkly
dress and a bouffant hairdo, Kenrick
took the rapt audience back
to the early days of the performer’s
career.
Ethel Agnes Zimmermann was
born in 1908 in Astoria, Queens.
Her family was of German and
Scottish ancestry. Her father,
Edward, was an accountant and
her mother, Agnes, was a teacher.
With a great voice that became
evident when she was very young,
Ethel sang in a church choir and
seemed destined for fame as she
stood outside the Astoria Film
Studios watching well known stars
come and go. Her parents recognized
her talent but insisted that
she gain some employable skills, so
Ethel studied shorthand and typing,
which she enjoyed and excelled in
at Bryant High School.
Her first job was with the BK
Auto Vacuum Booster Factory in
Long Island City. She also sang
at various clubs, earning $7-$10 a
night. Ethel occasionally sang on
stage between film showings at local
movie houses and was heard by a
Broadway producer, who arranged
for her to meet George and Ira
Gershwin at their penthouses in
Manhattan. The young singer was
given a part in The Gershwins’ new
play, “Girl Crazy.” She had ten lines
and two songs. One of those songs
was “I’ve Got Rhythm.” George
Gershwin told her, “Never go near
a singing teacher and never forget
your shorthand.” Ethel never did
have a singing teacher and never
forgot her shorthand. The famous
opera star, Lily Pons,
upon hearing Ethel’s
amazing voice, asked
her, “Where do you
breathe from?”
Ethel starred in Cole
Porter’s “Anything
Goes” in 1934 with Billy
Gaxton, who remained a
lifelong friend. Kenrick
showed a television
broadcast, made years
after Gaxton died, with
Merman and Sylvia Fine
Kaye. A surprise guest
was to sing the title song
with Ethel. It turned
out to be a tuxedo-clad
Rock Hudson, who did a great job
with Ethel, while Sylvia played the
piano accompaniment.
Many musicals followed for
Merman, including “Red, Hot and
Blue” with Jimmy Durante,
“Alexander’s Ragtime Band,”
“DuBarry Was A Lady” with Bert
Lahr, “Something For The Boys,”
“Annie Get Your Gun,” “Call
Me Madam,” “Gypsy,” and “Hello
Dolly.” When some of the plays
were made into movies, Ethel wanted
to reprise her stage roles, but as
often happens, she sometimes lost
out to popular film stars.
Particular disappointments for
her were the film versions of “Annie
Get Your Gun” which went to Betty
Hutton, and “Gypsy,” which was
given to Rosalind Russell. Merman
was in a number of movies in the
1930s and 40s, but is perhaps best
remembered for her roles in “It’s a
Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and
“Airplane.”
Along the way, there were Tony
Awards, concerts, TV shows and
guest appearances. Ethel was a performer
who strove for perfection,
and once she found it, she never
varied from what she thought was
the best she could be. Her amazing,
powerful voice was immediately
recognizable all over the world.
John Kenrick told the audience that
his students (he is a theater professor
at New York University) rarely
know anything about Broadway
before “The Lion King” but they
all seem to have heard of Ethel
Merman.
Merman had close friendships,
romantic relationships and marriages
with several men. Her first
serious attachment was to Sherman
Billingsley of “The Stork Club.” (He
was already married, but showered
her with gifts.) She was married to
William Smith from 1940-1941; to
Robert Levitt from 1941-1952, with
whom she had a daughter, Ethel;
to Robert Six from 1953-1960,
with whom she had a son, Robert;
and to Ernest Borgnine for just 32
days in 1964 (a quick marriage but
a long story). Merman co-wrote
two memoirs, “Who Could Ask
For Anything More” in 1955 and
“Merman” in 1978.
Ethel Merman died on February
14, 1974 of an incurable brain
tumor. She was 76 years old. She
lived a full, successful life and will
remain an icon of the American
musical theater.
May 2019 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 25