Martha Lorber
Martha Lorber | |
|---|---|
 Martha Lorber as photographed by Nickolas Muray, from a 1922 publication. | |
| Born | June 11, 1900 Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 2, 1983 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, actress, model, singer |
Martha Caroline Theresa Lorber (June 11, 1900 – July 2, 1983) was an American dancer, actress, singer, model, and Ziegfeld Girl.
Early life
Martha Caroline Theresa Lorber was born in New York City, to Frederick, a waiter, and Marie Lorber (née Westfeldt), who were both German immigrants. She graduated from Girls' High School in Brooklyn. She studied dance with Alexis Kosloff,[1] Ekaterina Galanta,[2] and Michel Fokine.[3][4]
Career
Martha Lorber's Broadway career began when she was still in her teens, and included roles in Over the Top (1917–1918), Mecca (1920–1921),[5] Tangerine (1922),[6] Ziegfeld Follies of 1922,[7] Ziegfeld Follies of 1923,[8] Ziegfeld Follies of 1924, Mozart (1926), and Three Little Girls (1930). In the Ziegfeld Follies she played opposite W. C. Fields in some sketches, showing some comedic talent.[9] She played a lead role in Ferenc Molnár's The Play's the Thing, in Baltimore in 1928.[10] In 1929, she was in London, playing in Little Accident.[11]
In 1930 she broke away from musicals with a dramatic part in the Zoe Akins drama The Greeks Had a Name for It.[12] She starred in another drama the following year, Torch Song (1931), in Canada.[13] In 1933, she was featured in two roles in another musical, The Red Robin, in Chicago.[14] In 1934 she was in True to the Marines in Locust Valley.[15]
In 1941, she toured in a one-woman show, Songs in Action.[16] In 1951, she was hired by the U. S. State Department for a cultural relations position.[17]
Lorber was also a model, posing for works by photographers Edward Steichen,[18][19][20] Nickolas Muray,[21][22] and Arnold Genthe, pin-up artist Alberto Vargas, and sculptor Harriet Whitney Frishmuth,[23] among others.
Personal life
Martha Lorber died at her home in Lebanon Township, New Jersey, in 1983, aged 83 years.[24]
References
- ^ "Martha Lorber is From Girls High". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 30, 1930. p. 58. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Regarded as 'Best Bet' Among American Dancers". The Morning Call. March 14, 1922. p. 10. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oh Boy!". The Judge. 82: 15. July 29, 1922.
- ^ "Art of the Ballet Russe Revived in America". The Morning Call. March 12, 1922. p. 24. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Premiere Dancer in 'Mecca' Spectacle". The Boston Globe. September 4, 1921. p. 52. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dietz, Dan (2019-04-10). The Complete Book of 1920s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 30, 74. ISBN 9781538112823.
- ^ "Mr. Hornblow Goes to the Play". Theatre Magazine. 36: 95. 1922.
- ^ Wilson, Victoria (2013-11-12). A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907–1940. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781439199985.
- ^ "Martha Lorber to Quit Dancing for a Serious Career". Daily News. November 8, 1925. p. 212. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Has Important Role in Molnar Comedy". The Evening Sun. March 3, 1928. p. 7. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mr. Gest Gave Martha Lorber Her First Big Opportunity". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 6, 1930. p. 20. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Stein, Edwin C. (August 29, 1930). "Gift of Dancing Retards Rise of Martha Lorber". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 12. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Torch Song' to Remain Next Week". The Windsor Star. February 14, 1931. p. 22. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Collins, Charles (March 6, 1933). "'The Red Robin' Opens Shubert Regime in City". Chicago Tribune. p. 7. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Theatre Notes". Daily News. June 23, 1934. p. 171. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Martha Lorber in 'Songs in Action'". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 30, 1941. p. 40. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gardner, Hy (September 12, 1951). "Early Bird on Broadway". Oakland Tribune. p. 31. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ 1926 photograph of Martha Lorber in costume for Mozart, made by Edward Steichen, in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
- ^ A photograph of Martha Lorber in costume for Mozart, by Edward Steichen, in the collection of Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum.
- ^ A photograph of Lorber and Marion Morehouse modeling pajamas, by Edward Steichen, in the collection of the Condé Nast Archive.
- ^ A nude portrait of Martha Lorber (1925) by Nickolas Muray, at Artnet.
- ^ Another nude portrait of Martha Lorber by Nickolas Muray, at Bonhams.
- ^ Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, "Martha Lorber" (1927), from MutualArt.
- ^ "Martha T. Lorber, Retired Dancer". The Courier-News. July 5, 1983. p. 14. Retrieved April 5, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
