Lucille Norman
| Lucille Norman | |
|---|---|
Lucille Norman, 1950
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lucille Pharaby Boileau |
| Born |
June 15, 1921 Lincoln, Nebraska, United States |
| Died | April 1, 1998 (aged 76) Glendale, California, USA |
| Genres | Traditional pop music; show tunes, opera |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, radio personality |
| Years active | 1942-1962 |
| Labels | Capitol Records |
Lucille Norman (June 15, 1921 – April 1, 1998) was an American mezzo-soprano, radio personality, and stage and film actress active in the 1940s and 1950s.
Lucille Norman was born Lucille Pharaby Boileau in Lincoln, Nebraska into a performing family. Her father was her first vocal teacher. During high school she performed frequent singing roles at her school and on local radio. At the age of 14 she did a summer stint singing with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her musical experiences earned her a two-year scholarship to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She appeared on the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air in December 7, 1941 singing an aria from Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck. Although the radio show was interrupted by a bulletin about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, her appearance was met with the offer of a screen test for the movies. Unsure about moving in this direction, she took some time to consider the offer, but decided to give it a try. Her MGM screen test in New York was successful and she headed west to Hollywood.
Lucille Norman's first film roles were in 1942. First, an uncredited part in the film Personalities, which was a vehicle that MGM used to showcase their new stars. Then she and Gene Kelly both made their official screen debuts singing and dancing with Judy Garland in the MGM film For Me and My Gal.
Fate intervened in interrupting her Hollywood film career, and she next performed on the Broadway stage. Fred F. Finklehoffe, the film's co-writer, was so impressed with Norman's abilities that he offered her the leading role in his new vaudeville-type show called "Show Time," already a hit in Los Angeles. Norman replaced Kitty Carlisle in New York and found herself a featured artist performing songs and comedy with Jack Haley and George Jessel (342 performances Sept 16, 1942 through April 3, 1943).
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