Dorothy Dell
| Dorothy Dell | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
Dorothy Dell Goff January 30, 1915 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | June 8, 1934 (aged 19) Altadena, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Traffic Collision |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1932–1934 |
Dorothy Dell (January 30, 1915 – June 8, 1934) was an American film actress. She is best remembered for her tragically short life. Her death in an auto accident at age 19 ended what appeared to be a promising Hollywood career.
Born Dorothy Dell Goff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to entertainers, she moved with the family to New Orleans, Louisiana, at age 13. She was born into a socially prominent family, and her mother was a descendant of Jefferson Davis. Initially desiring to become a singer, she was discovered by composer Wesley Lord, and soon signed a radio contract. She began entering and winning beauty pageants and at the age of 15 won the title of "Miss New Orleans" in 1930. That same year she attended the International Pageant of Pulchritude in Galveston, Texas, and won. With this success. she established a successful vaudeville act. Although she had received better offers, she decided to enter the vaudeville circuit, because she believed it would enable her to help her friend Dorothy Lamour rise to fame, a promise she had made shortly before winning the Miss Universe title at the Pageant (not to be confused with the later Miss Universe founded in 1952).
After working on the vaudeville circuit for 32 weeks, she moved to New York in 1931. One night, she sang at a benefit and was discovered by Florenz Ziegfeld, who arranged for her to appear on Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies, and she followed this success with her role in the production of Tattle Tales in 1933. During this time she was closely associated with Russ Colombo, and her celebrity status was elevated by the media attention she received while denying rumors of an impending marriage. Dell and Columbo had met at her Ziegfeld audition; Columbo's manager, Con Conrad, was determined to end their relationship and did so with a series of "publicity only" romances between Columbo and other, more famous actresses.
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