Helen Shipman
Encyclopedia
Helen Shipman was an American
singer, dancer and actress who starred in various Broadway
musicals and musical comedies and who also acted in movies.
. Her full name was Helen Phyllis Shipman. Helen's mother was a stage actress of some note in her youth, and her father was a printer who died in 1925. Helen began performing at the age of three doing impressions of famous adult stars. Her first professional job was as "Baby Phyllis" at the Duquesne Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She later (in 1908) toured on the B. F. Keith show circuit in a play titled Little Nemo. After that tour, she moved with her mother and older sister to New York City to advance her career, however, she continued to tour on the B.F. Keith show circuit. Between tours, she worked in variety shows at the Palace Theatre in NYC where she sang songs composed for her by the well-known lyricist, Neville Fleeson. It was in these shows that she got to know other entertainers such as Jimmy Durante
and the Marx Brothers
. She was childhood friends with Ira
and George Gershwin
, the latter of which became enamored with her. Nelson Eddy
was also one of her suitors when she was a teenager in New York.
In 1915, Shipman was invited by Florenz Ziegfeld
to co-star in his new Midnight Frolic production on the rooftop of the New Amsterdam Hotel in New York City
. She had her first starring role on Broadway in the musical Oh, Boy!
in 1917, and followed that with another Broadway musical comedy, Oh Lady! Lady!. She then took the 1919 Broadway musical
, Irene
, on tour playing the title role and introducing the song "My Sweet Little Alice Bluegown" to audiences in places like Cleveland and Chicago. Her longest running Broadway play was The Lady In Ermine which ran for 232 performances at the Ambassador Theatre in 1922. She also starred in many other Broadway plays. Helen also performed in at least 14 movies including Christopher Bean (1933) with Beulah Bondi
and Marie Dressler
, Naughty Marietta (1935) with Nelson Eddy
and Frank Morgan
, San Francisco
(1936) with Clark Gable
and Jeanette MacDonald
, and Small Town Girl
(1936) with Robert Taylor
and James Stewart
.
while he was in Hollywood performing in movies. Pawley had been a star on Broadway and was the first actor to portray Sinclair Lewis
' Elmer Gantry
character on the Broadway stage in 1928. Shipman effectively quit show business after their marriage and focused more attention on her other interests, such as gardening, the arts, reading and music. She was also an active member of the fraternal order known as the Rosicrucian
s. In 1951 when her husband left his starring role as 'Steve Wilson' on the very popular radio show, Big Town
, they retired to Rappahannock County, Virginia. She died there of heart failure on April 13, 1984 at the age of 85. She did not have any children.
Helen Shipman has sometimes been confused with Helena Shipman who was born in the State of Washington and who married actor Robert Keith and had a son, Brian Keith
, who became a famous actor in the movies and on TV. Helena Shipman was also a stage actress for a while, but never achieved the fame which Helen Shipman attained.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, dancer and actress who starred in various Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musicals and musical comedies and who also acted in movies.
Early life and career
Helen Shipman was the daughter of William H. and Annie L. (Mitchell) Shipman of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Her full name was Helen Phyllis Shipman. Helen's mother was a stage actress of some note in her youth, and her father was a printer who died in 1925. Helen began performing at the age of three doing impressions of famous adult stars. Her first professional job was as "Baby Phyllis" at the Duquesne Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She later (in 1908) toured on the B. F. Keith show circuit in a play titled Little Nemo. After that tour, she moved with her mother and older sister to New York City to advance her career, however, she continued to tour on the B.F. Keith show circuit. Between tours, she worked in variety shows at the Palace Theatre in NYC where she sang songs composed for her by the well-known lyricist, Neville Fleeson. It was in these shows that she got to know other entertainers such as Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
and the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
. She was childhood friends with Ira
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
and George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, the latter of which became enamored with her. Nelson Eddy
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
was also one of her suitors when she was a teenager in New York.
In 1915, Shipman was invited by Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. , , was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the Ziegfeld Follies , inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris. He also produced the musical Show Boat...
to co-star in his new Midnight Frolic production on the rooftop of the New Amsterdam Hotel in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She had her first starring role on Broadway in the musical Oh, Boy!
Oh, Boy! (musical)
Oh, Boy! is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. The story concerns befuddled George, who elopes with Lou Ellen, the daughter of Judge Carter. He must win over her parents and his Quaker aunt...
in 1917, and followed that with another Broadway musical comedy, Oh Lady! Lady!. She then took the 1919 Broadway musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, Irene
Irene (musical)
Irene is a musical with a book by James Montgomery, lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, and music by Harry Tierney.Based on Montgomery's play Irene O'Dare, it is set in New York City's Upper West Side and focuses on immigrant shop assistant Irene O'Dare, who is introduced to Long Island's high society when...
, on tour playing the title role and introducing the song "My Sweet Little Alice Bluegown" to audiences in places like Cleveland and Chicago. Her longest running Broadway play was The Lady In Ermine which ran for 232 performances at the Ambassador Theatre in 1922. She also starred in many other Broadway plays. Helen also performed in at least 14 movies including Christopher Bean (1933) with Beulah Bondi
Beulah Bondi
Beulah Bondi was an American actress.Bondi began her acting career as a young child in theater, and after establishing herself as a stage actress, she reprised her role in Street Scene for the 1931 film version...
and Marie Dressler
Marie Dressler
Marie Dressler was a Canadian-American actress and Depression-era film star. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930-31 in Min and Bill.-Early life and stage career:...
, Naughty Marietta (1935) with Nelson Eddy
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
and Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan
Frank Morgan was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of the title character in the film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
, San Francisco
San Francisco (film)
San Francisco is a 1936 musical-drama directed by Woody Van Dyke, based on the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The film, which was the top grossing movie of that year, stars Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald, and Spencer Tracy. The then very popular singing of MacDonald helped make this film...
(1936) with Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette MacDonald was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier and Nelson Eddy...
, and Small Town Girl
Small Town Girl (1936 film)
Small Town Girl is a film starring Janet Gaynor, Robert Taylor, and James Stewart. The romantic comedy was directed by William A. Wellman.Based on a novel by Ben Ames Williams, the film went through many changes before it reached the screen...
(1936) with Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (actor)
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
and James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
.
Later life
In 1937, Shipman married the Broadway, movie, and radio actor Edward PawleyEdward Pawley
Edward Joel Pawley was an American actor of radio, films and Broadway. The full name on his birth certificate is Edward Joel Stone Pawley, however, he never used the Stone name. It derived from a Stone family in Illinois.At maturity, Pawley was 5'-10" tall with thick black hair and blue eyes...
while he was in Hollywood performing in movies. Pawley had been a star on Broadway and was the first actor to portray Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
Harry Sinclair Lewis was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of...
' Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry is a satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis in 1926 and published by Harcourt in March 1927.-Background:Lewis did research for the novel by observing the work of various preachers in Kansas City in his so-called "Sunday School" meetings on Wednesdays. He first worked with William L...
character on the Broadway stage in 1928. Shipman effectively quit show business after their marriage and focused more attention on her other interests, such as gardening, the arts, reading and music. She was also an active member of the fraternal order known as the Rosicrucian
Rosicrucian
Rosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society, said to have been founded in late medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz. It holds a doctrine or theology "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe...
s. In 1951 when her husband left his starring role as 'Steve Wilson' on the very popular radio show, Big Town
Big Town
Big Town is a popular long-running radio drama series which was later adapted to both film and television and a comic book published by DC Comics.-Radio:...
, they retired to Rappahannock County, Virginia. She died there of heart failure on April 13, 1984 at the age of 85. She did not have any children.
Helen Shipman has sometimes been confused with Helena Shipman who was born in the State of Washington and who married actor Robert Keith and had a son, Brian Keith
Brian Keith
Brian Keith was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his four decade-long career gained recognition for his work in movies such as the 1961 Disney family film The Parent Trap, the 1966 comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, and the 1975 adventure saga The Wind and...
, who became a famous actor in the movies and on TV. Helena Shipman was also a stage actress for a while, but never achieved the fame which Helen Shipman attained.