Rose Marie Magrill
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Magrill was Miss Florida
in 1939. At the time she was crowned she was underage. She went on to place as a semi-finalist in Miss America
and became widely known as a "tap dancer extraordinary" with shows in a number of famous venues including Broadway
. As of 2006 she was a dance teacher in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
.
. Her lifelong interest in dance already showed by age 7, at which age the Miami News says she was "teaching playmates at 10 cents per lesson". The 1941 article continues to track her career - running a dance school of 150 pupils by age 12, and "Miss Florida" at age 14, until her 17th pageant win at age 16, which won her a tour of the United States
and South America
.
pageant, girls were required to be at least 18 and were carefully screened for age, but there were 260 other girls in the contest and Magrill was able to complete the screening process without being asked her age. The finals took place in Atlantic City in September 1939. Her true age was not revealed to contest officials until after her crowning, when she was competing for the title of Miss America
. Magrill was permitted to continue in the Miss America contest, where she ultimately finished as a semi-finalist.
At some time after the Miss America contest, Magrill lived in New York and became a Broadway dancer. She was the cover girl for True Story magazine in October, 1939 - a major national magazine at the time. A November 2006 article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel described her dance career:
According to Broadwayworld.com her Broadway performances included dancing girl and performer roles for:
Miss Florida
The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss America pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown.-Winners:* Assumed the crown after Miss Florida won Miss America...
in 1939. At the time she was crowned she was underage. She went on to place as a semi-finalist in Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
and became widely known as a "tap dancer extraordinary" with shows in a number of famous venues including 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...
. As of 2006 she was a dance teacher in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
.
Childhood
Rosemary Magrill grew up in Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Her lifelong interest in dance already showed by age 7, at which age the Miami News says she was "teaching playmates at 10 cents per lesson". The 1941 article continues to track her career - running a dance school of 150 pupils by age 12, and "Miss Florida" at age 14, until her 17th pageant win at age 16, which won her a tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
1930's - 1940's fame
Rosemary Magrill was a Miss Miami local contest winner. In order to compete in the Miss FloridaMiss Florida
The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Florida in the Miss America pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown.-Winners:* Assumed the crown after Miss Florida won Miss America...
pageant, girls were required to be at least 18 and were carefully screened for age, but there were 260 other girls in the contest and Magrill was able to complete the screening process without being asked her age. The finals took place in Atlantic City in September 1939. Her true age was not revealed to contest officials until after her crowning, when she was competing for the title of Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
. Magrill was permitted to continue in the Miss America contest, where she ultimately finished as a semi-finalist.
At some time after the Miss America contest, Magrill lived in New York and became a Broadway dancer. She was the cover girl for True Story magazine in October, 1939 - a major national magazine at the time. A November 2006 article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel described her dance career:
- "[Rose Marie Magrill] was called "tap dancer extraordinary" by newspapers in the '30s. She danced on BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway 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...
and in the George White ScandalsGeorge White's ScandalsGeorge White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modelled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan, Ethel Merman, ...
of 1939 and the Duke Ellington ReviewDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
of 1943. She danced in hotel venues and all the big clubs in the country, including the Martha Raye'sMartha RayeMartha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
Five O'clock Club in Miami Beach. Her name was in lights on the marquee at the 500 Club in Atlantic City."
According to Broadwayworld.com her Broadway performances included dancing girl and performer roles for:
- George White's ScandalsGeorge White's ScandalsGeorge White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modelled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan, Ethel Merman, ...
(1939) - A Connecticut Yankee (Broadway Revival, 1943)
- Bright Lights of 1944Bright Lights of 1944Bright Lights of 1944 was a 1943 Broadway musical revue with music composed by Jerry Livingston and lyrics by Mack David.It opened at the Forrest Theatre where it played for a total of four performances...
(Original Broadway Production, 1943)