This Jewish movie star wishes you all a lovely and meaningful Rest in Shabbat.
Can you identify the Hollywood star?
She was born into an Orthodox family from Brooklyn. After working as a teen-age model she was featured in the Ziegfled Follies. Soon, Hollywood came calling and she was offered a series of feature roles. Her career flourished.
She appeared opposite the biggest stars of the era: Gloria Swanson, Richard Barthelmess, Helen Twelvetrees, Mabel Normand, Norma Shearer, Bing Crosby, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Nancy Carroll, Mary Astor, Caludette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, Franchot Tone, Robert Montgomery, Herbert Marshall, Joan Blondell, Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, and Myrna Loy. Our actress had a lovely, contralto voice so the transition to sound was smooth for this talented actress.
Known as one of the most stylish and well-dressed women in Hollywood, our actress once repainted her living room in order to color coordinate with her outfit for a lavish Gatsbyesque party she was hosting at her Malibu beach house.
Though rich and famous, our actress never forgot her roots, and was always more than generous to Jewish charities, especially to children’s hospitals.
So beloved was our actress by her Jewish fans that at her levaya, her funeral—it was strictly Orthodox, on the Lower East Side, was a massive crowd of over 10,000 hysterical fans. Also in attendance, Hollywood royalty : Mary Pickford, Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice and Jack Benny. Eddie Cantor delivered the hesped, the eulogy.
Women fainted, and scores of mourners pushed past the police guards attempting to steal flowers and wreaths as souvenirs. Several women fell into the open grave. There were scores of injuries before the police restored order.
Answer on Sunday.
Karen and I wish all our friends a lovely and meaningful Rest in Shabbat.
Ariel Chaim Avrech, ZT'L, May His Righteous Memory be a Blessing.
9 Comments
Some further data on ‘Broncho Billy’ Gilbert M. Anderson: In researching his U.S. Federal Censuses info, there are later conlicting information regarding his birthdate and family background. Here is a copy-paste of some biographic info on Broncho Billy Anderson:
GILBERT M. ANDERSON was born Maxwell Henry Aronson on either 21 March or 3 April 1880 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas; erroneously listed in Internet Broadway Database as being born on 10 March 1883 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In the 1880 U.S. Federal Census dated 4 June, Max H. Aronson is listed as a 2-month-old for the census of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas (making Anderson’s birthdate 3 April 1880); this same listing has the shortened form of his full birthname Maxwell Henry Aronson. A 1900 U.S. Federal Census lists this same Max Aronson as a St. Louis, Missouri resident with March 1880 as his birth month & year; this could be attributed to Anderson’s birthdate written down in European format as 03/04/1880 (03 Apr 1880) but mistakenly recorded when shortened to 03/1880 (Mar 1880). Another item from the U.S. Federal Censuses which added to the confusion regarding Anderson’s birthdate was another individual whose real name was Gilbert M. Anderson (born on 20 March 1883 in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas; the son of one Harry Anderson).
“Broncho Billy” Gilbert M. Anderson was the 6th of 7 surviving children born to Henry Aronson (born Feb 1846 in New York state) & Esther Ash-Aronson (born Sep 1847 in New York state). Even though Anderson’s both paternal and maternal grand-parents were listed in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census as Prussian immigrants to America, it was actually his maternal grand-parents who were from Prussia. Anderson’s father Henry was a traveling dry goods salesman whose parents were immigrants from Southern Norway; because of immigration flack and red tape Norwegian immigrants particularly received at New York City’s port, there were mass migrations of Norwegians that entered the U.S. via Canada who were consequently further unwelcome and unpopular. It was for this reason, Anderson’s paternal grand-parents were listed as Prussian in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census. Anderson’s paternal grand-parents had also altered the spelling of their surname from the Norwegian Aronsen to the Americanized Aronson. This was because all Norwegians with the surname ‘Aronsen’ who had immigrated to America via New York City’s port, had their surnames automatically altered to the Americanized spelling of ‘Aronson’ by port officials. An estimated 900,000 Norwegians immigrated to the U.S. from 1825-1925.
Anderson’s mother Esther was a housewife and homemaker of North German descent; her maiden name was originally spelled Asch. Her parents left Prussia, as had so many others, primarily because of all the continuous wars fought by Prussian Germany. Another reason her parents left was because they were among those who never truly accepted the Prussian Union (the merger between the Lutheran and Calvinist churches).
There was a later conflicting 1900 U.S. Federal Census which listed Anderson’s father Henry Aronson as a German immigrant arriving in the year 1858 and Esther Ash-Aronson as being the daughter of Russian immigrants; however, in the case of Anderson’s mother, it was a clear typographical and/or phonetic clerical error from ‘Prussian’ to ‘Russian’. Claims of Anderson’s alleged Ashkenazic roots are incorrect as was a further claim that he was the grandson of a rabbi. Anderson’s both paternal and maternal immigrant grand-parents were Lutherans, while Anderson’s parents were culturally Christian as were Anderson and his siblings. Anderson was cremated at the Chapel Of The Pines Mortuary & Crematory in Los Angeles, California.
Anderson’s parents were married in 1868 and had a total of 11 offspring with 4 infant deaths. Of their 7 children who reached adulthood, the following were born in New York state: Gertrude (b. 1870); Jerome (b. 1872); Edward (b. 1874); Hattie (b. 1875). In 1876, Anderson’s parents and siblings moved to Texas where his brother Nathan (erroneously listed by one source as Nathaniel) was born in 1878. His family then moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1879 where Anderson himself was born a year later. In 1883 at age 3, Anderson moved with his family to Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas where his younger sister, comic opera singer Leona Anderson, was born on 20 April 1885 (erroneously listed by some sources as being born on 3 April 1885 in St. Louis, Missouri).
In 1888 at age 8, Anderson then moved with his family to St. Louis, Missouri, living there for the next 10 years. As a teenager, Anderson was an office clerk like his older brothers Jerome, Edward, and Nathan. Even though listed in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census as still residing in St. Louis, Missouri, Anderson had actually moved back to Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1898 at age 18. His eldest sister Gertrude had settled there with her German spouse Louis Roth. Anderson became a cotton broker in partnership with his brother-in-law Roth for the next 2 years. Anderson made occasional trips back to St. Louis, Missouri to visit his parents during those 2 years in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; his parents’ home remained listed as his permanent residence while his stay at his eldest sister’s place was listed as his temporary residence. Anderson returned for a brief visit to see his folks in St. Louis, Missouri before he left there for New York City in 1900.
The census records for Anderson’s brother-in-law Louis Roth (b. 1858) lists Germany as his birthplace as well as that of his parents; however, it erroneously lists his year of immigration as 1850. Roth was Gertrude’s 2nd husband and the stepfather of her 2 children Harold (b. Dec 1888) and Idalia (b. Mar 1890). Gertrude’s 1st husband was a Polish immigrant who had left her and their 2 children. Gertrude had wedded in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and remained there after her parents and siblings moved to St. Louis, Missouri. After the departure of her 1st husband, Gertrude and her 2 children had moved in with her parents at St. Louis, Missouri in 1892. She later remarried to Louis Roth, a cotton broker and longtime family friend from Pine Bluff, and had moved back to Arkansas with her 2 children in 1897.
After the death of Anderson’s father Henry in 1908 in St. Louis, Missouri, Anderson’s mother Esther; elder brother Edward and his wife Theresa (daughter of Italian immigrants); older brother Nathan; and younger sister Leona all moved to New York City in 1909; his eldest brother Jerome and older sister Hattie remained in St. Louis, Missouri. Anderson’s eldest sister Gertrude remained with her husband and 2 children in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
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‘Broncho Billy’ Gilbert M. Anderson was NOT JEWISH. His family surname was Aronson because his paternal lineage was Norwegian. His mother was the daughter of North German immigrants. He was cremated and placed in a vault at the Christian Chapel Of The Pines Mortuary & Crematory. Anderson would have been interred at either of L.A.’s two most famous Jewish cemeteries: Mount Sinai Memorial Park (in Hollywood Hills) or Hillside Memorial Park (in Culver City)…Like most all the other Hollywood Jewish film & TV stars and other celebrities. The only known Jewish celeb to be interred at Chapel Of The Pines was Harry Ruby (aka Rubinstein).
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Kat:
Every pre-internet Hollywood actress shaved years off their bio. The actresses I know in Hollywood absolutely loathe Wikipedia. No place to hide anymore.
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I looked Lilyan Tashman up on the Censuses for New York, and she was born in October 1896. She shaved off a few years from her actual age. I noticed this for several 20s film actresses. Even Olive Thomas too. Tashman was quite attractive.
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The photo is named “Eidel Maidel” so, I think she is the Jewish Movie Star. Sorry for cheating.
Wonderful blog, by the way.
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Shavuah tov.
!
A big oops. Robert, I guess you just lost an eagle-eyed copy editor
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Since I am a lover of the films of the 30′s and 40′s as I found them very romantic I am going to guess Lilyan Tashman.Since I am a huge Charles Ruggles fan as he reminds me of my great grandpa I liked the movie Mama loves Papa and I also believe it or not enjoyed Riptide. I am a kid of the 60′s and grew up on these movies. Thanks Mom and Dad.Of your’s I like The Devils Arithmetic and yes A Stranger Among Us. Have a great weekend.
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Pearl:
That would be quite a trick, for as I write: “Also in attendance, Hollywood royalty: Mary Pickford, Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice…”
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Fanny Brice, perhaps?
3…2…1… and the computer is off.
Good Shabbos.
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