This Broadway singing giant ("Girl Crazy", "Annie Get Your Gun", "Gypsy") had a brassy, larger-than-life star persona and a uniquely powerful, heart-felt voice and popularized songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, among others. Merman's belt-it-out rendition of Berlin's "There's No Business Like Show Business" has become the anthem of the entertainment industry. In occasional films from 1930, Merman undeniably brightened a number of features (several of which, like "Anything Goes" 1936, "Call Me Madam" 1953 and "There's No Business Like Show Business" 1954, were full-fledged star vehicles), but the medium and, all too often, her material didn't give full reign to her magnetic, grand-slam personality.
- Also Credited As:
Ethel Agnes Zimmerman
- Born:
January 16, 1908 in Astoria, New York, USA
- Died:
February 15, 1984.
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Job Titles:
Actor, Singer, Stenographer
Family
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Daughter: Ethel Levitt. born in July 1942; suffered with mental problems; estranged from her mother after her marriage at age 18; rift partially mended after birth of her two children committed suicide in August 1967
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Father: Edward Zimmerman. died in 1977
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Granddaughter: Barbara Geary. born c. 1961; daughter of Ethel Merman Jr; producing a documentary on grandmother
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Mother: Agnes Zimmerman. died in 1974
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Son: Robert Levitt. born c. 1945
Significant Others
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Companion: Sherman Billingsley. owned the Stork Club in NYC; was married at time of relationship with Merman; wife refused to give him divorce so he ended relationship with Merman c. 1940
Education
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William Cullen Bryant High School, Long Island City, New York
Milestones
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1926 Obtained letter of introduction to producer George White from her employer; White subsequently offered Merman a chorus role which she declined (date approximate)
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1927 Signed to 9 year contract by agent Lon Irwin (date approximate)
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1928 Signed 6 month contract with Warner Bros.; made film debut in short subject in nonspeaking role (date approximate)
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1929 Adopted surname of Merman
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1930 Broadway debut in Gershwin s Girl Crazy ; introduced I Got Rhythm and other songs
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1932 Appeared in George White s Scandals and introduced song, Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries
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1934 Appeared as Reno Sweeney in Cole Porter s Anything Goes on Broadway
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1934 First full-length feature appearance, We re Not Dressing opposite Bing Crosby
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1935 Radio series debut with the weekly The Ethel Merman Show
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1936 Appeared in film version of Anything Goes
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1940 Starred on Broadway in Panama Hattie
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1946 Played Annie Oakley in Irving Berlin s Annie, Get Your Gun
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1950 Broadway appearance in Call Me Madam
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1953 First film in 10 years, Call Me Madam
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1959 Signature role of Mama Rose in stage version of Gypsy
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1969 Final stage appearance Hello, Dolly! ; the play had been originally created with her in mind but she turned down the role; finally played Dolly on Broadway after Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Martha Raye, Betty Grable and Phyllis Diller had played it
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1980 Last film role, a cameo in Airplane!
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Worked as stenographer upon high school graduation