Dorothy Jardon (born Mary Jardon;
[''1900 United States Federal Census''] June 1, 1883 – September 30, 1966)
[''California, Death Index, 1940-1997''] was an American soprano and actress. She was sometimes billed as "the American
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...
".
Early life and education
Jardon was born in New York, the daughter of Ignace Jardon, a chef who immigrated to the United States from France in 1864, and Bridget Mary Jardon (''née'' Kavanagh), who immigrated from Ireland in 1884.
She studied voice with William S. Brady.
Career
Jardon's Broadway credits included roles in the shows ''The Fisher Maiden'' (1903), ''The Merry-Go-Round'' (1908), ''The Yankee Girl'' (1910), ''Madame Sherry'' (1910–1911), ''
La Belle Paree
''La Belle Paree'' was a musical revue that launched the legitimate theatre career of Al Jolson. The book was by Edgar Smith (librettist), Edgar Smith, music by Jerome Kern and Frank Tours and lyrics by Edward Madden (lyricist), Edward Madden. Bill ...
'' (1911), ''Bow-Sing'' (1911), ''The Revue of Revues'' (1911), ''The Wedding Trip'' (1911–1912), ''The Pleasure Seekers'' (1913–1914), ''The Dancing Duchess'' (1914), ''Papa's Darling'' (1914–1915). She sang with the
Chicago Opera
Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...
in the title role of
''Fedora'' in 1919.
She was billed as "the American Carmen" after
Fortune Gallo
Fortune Thomas Gallo (May 9, 1878 – March 28, 1970) (born Fortunato Gallo) was an Italian-born opera impresario. Gallo was owner and General Manager of the traveling San Carlo Opera Company from 1913 until its disbandment in the late 1950s.
...
cast her in the role in 1922.
Jardon made several recordings for
Victor and
Brunswick labels. Among her acting credits, she played Bimoula in ''
Oh! Oh! Delphine!'' at the
Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. It opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, with a capacity of 2,500. The current capacity is 1,416. The title "Shaftesbury Theat ...
in London in 1913.
Charles Wakefield Cadman
Charles Wakefield Cadman (December 24, 1881 – December 30, 1946) was an American composer. For 40 years, he worked closely with Nelle Richmond Eberhart, who wrote most of the texts to his songs, including ''Four American Indian Songs''. She als ...
wrote "Love Like the Dawn Came Stealing" for Jardon.
Jardon was considered a fashionable stage beauty, and her gowns were described in detail in the press. "It isn't mere prettiness of face and body that Dorothy Jardon has. It is downright knock-you-dead beauty. She's a smothered-in-red-roses, drenched-with-Russian-perfume exotic," explained an interviewer in 1917, adding that Jardon "makes
Theda Bara
Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...
look like a glass of milk." She was especially known for her "beautiful back", and wore gowns with low-cut backs to highlight that feature.
Jardon retired from the stage in 1927.
Personal life
Jardon was married twice. Her first husband was songwriter
Edward Michael Madden. Her second husband was Harry Edmond Oelrichs; they married in 1928. Her son Edward became a singer, and later a brewery executive.
She died in Los Angeles in 1966, at the age of 83.
References
External links
Portrait of Dorothy Jardon in the collection of the Kansas City Public Library
* White Studio (1912)
"Dorothy Jardon, in 'A Winsome Widow'" publicity photograph in the collection of the
Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of ...
*
Apeda Studioundated portrait of Dorothy Jardon in the collection of the University of Washington Libraries
Jardon with fellow singer Tamaki Miurain 1922, from the Library of Congress
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jardon, Dorothy
1883 births
1966 deaths
Actresses from New York City
Singers from New York City
American people of French descent
American people of Irish descent
American sopranos
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers