Gilda Gray
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Gilda Gray (born Marianna Michalska; October 25, 1895 – December 22, 1959) was a Polish-American dancer and actress who popularized a dance called the "
shimmy A shimmy or shoulder shakes is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are quickly alternated back and forth. When the right shoulder goes back, the left one comes forward. United States In 1917, a dance ...
" which became fashionable in 1920s films and theater productions.


Early life and 'the shimmy'

Gilda Gray claimed herself to have been born on 24 October 1901 in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
(then part of Galicia-Lodomeria,
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, and now part of Poland) and she was an adopted child of Maksymilian (Max) and Wanda Michalski (née Kuras).Giordano, Ralph G. (2008)
''Satan in the Dance Hall: Rev. John Roach Straton, Social Dancing, and Morality in 1920s New York City''
Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. p. 119. .
However, according to her birth certificate she was born on 25 October 1895 in a village Rydlewo near
Żnin Żnin (; , 1941–45: ) is a town in north-central Poland with a population of 14,181 (June 2014). It is in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (previously Bydgoszcz Voivodeship) and is the capital of Żnin County. The historical town, initially es ...
(
Żnin County __NOTOC__ Żnin County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms pass ...
,
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship * Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) in Poland. * Kuyavian-Pomeranian is one of 13 Polish constituency of the European Parliament. * Kuyavian-Pomeranian Regional Assembly is the regional legislature of t ...
) and Maksymilian and Wanda Michalski were her biological parents.Góralczyk, Iwona, ''Gwiazda Hollywood z... Rydlewa pod Żninem. Oto informacje o Mariannie Michalskiej, znanej jako Gilda Gray'', naszemiasto.pl
/ref> In 1903 she emigrated with her parents to the United States. She had one sister, Josephine, who was born in 1904 in
Bayonne, New Jersey Bayonne ( ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, in the Gateway Region on Bergen Neck, a peninsula between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill Van Kull to the south, and New York ...
. In 1907, the family moved to Cudahy, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. At the age of only 14 or 15, Gray entered into an arranged marriage with John Gorecki, a concert violinist, who was the son of
Socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
,
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
member, and union leader Martin Gorecki. The couple had one child, then divorced in 1923. Their son later became a bandleader, performing under the name Martin Gray (1913–1969).Cullen, Frank, Florence Hackman, and Donald McNeilly (2007)
''Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America''
New York: Routledge. p. 452. .
Although the shimmy is said to have been introduced to American audiences by Gray in New York in 1919, the term was widely used before, and the shimmy was already a well-known dance move. Gray appropriated it as her own, saying that she had accidentally invented the shimmy while dancing at her father-in-law's Cudahy saloon and "shaking her chemise" (or her "shimee", as her Polish accent rendered it).Slide, Anthony (2010). ''Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses''. University Press of Kentucky. p. 153. . Gray attributed the origin of the shimmy to the American Indian in an interview published in the July 8, 1919 issue of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''. The article notes she was working at the time at
Reisenweber's Reisenweber's Cafe, also known as Reisenweber's Restaurant or simply Reisenweber's, was a restaurant, nightclub, and hotel in Columbus Circle, Manhattan, on the intersection of Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eighth Ave and 58th Street, from 1856/7 t ...
with her partner Mildred Vernon. Gray had just been signed to perform in the ''Gaieties of 1919'' when she described the dance, saying "The original shimmy dance has never been properly introduced in New York. I know for I studied the dancing characteristics of the Indians for a long time and they are really responsible for the shimmy which they labeled the 'Shima Shiwa'. There have been continual efforts on the part of this dancer and that one, with each declaring that his or her version is the 'original.' There is no doubt but that the shimmy dance as it was constructed by the American Indians...would have a greater popularity were it done right."


Career

Her desire to continue her burgeoning career (she used the professional name Mary Gray for a while) and her faltering relationship with her husband prompted her to relocate to Chicago, where she was noticed by a talent agent,
Frank Westphal Frank Christian Westphal (June 15, 1889 – November 23, 1948) was an American pianist, dance band leader and composer who recorded in the 1920s, following the end of his marriage to singer Sophie Tucker. Biography He was born in Chicago, the g ...
, who took her to New York and introduced her to his wife, singer
Sophie Tucker Sophie Tucker (born Sofia Kalish; January 13, 1886 – February 9, 1966) was a Russian-born American singer, comedian, actress, and radio personality. Known for her powerful delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popula ...
. It was Tucker who prompted her to change her first name to Gilda. By 1919, she was appearing in a
J.J. Shubert Jacob J. Shubert (August 29, 1879 – December 26, 1963) was an American theatre owner/operator and producer, the youngest brother of the notable Shubert family. Biography Born in 1879 in Vladislavov, in the Suwałki Governorate of Congress Pola ...
show, ''The Gaieties of 1919''. By 1920, Gray found a new manager, Gaillard T. "Gil" Boag. She was subsequently hired by
Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the '' Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He al ...
to perform in the 1922
Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...
, and her shimmy became a national craze. After her divorce from her first husband, she married Gil Boag in 1923 and took her successful
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
act to Hollywood, California; they divorced four years later. She quickly abandoned vaudeville to become a film star, and between 1919 and 1936, Gray made several movies, in all of which she performed her famous shimmy. Her second role was a small part in ''Girl with the Jazz Heart''.
Jesse Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer Film producer, motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life ...
signed her to a contract with
Famous Players–Lasky The Famous Players–Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Companyoriginally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Playsan ...
, which released films through
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
. With him she made '' Aloma of the South Seas'' (1926), which grossed $3 million in its first three months. The success of this Paramount film was enhanced by Gray's personal appearances doing the shimmy as a promotion. In 1927, she made two more films, ''
The Devil Dancer ''The Devil Dancer'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Fred Niblo and produced by Samuel Goldwyn. The film stars Gilda Gray. For his work on this film, '' The Magic Flame'' and '' Sadie Thompson'', cinematographer Geor ...
'' and ''
Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
''. By January 1929, she had sued Gil Boag for divorce on grounds of cruel treatment. He, in turn, accused her of an affair with C.D. Krepps, her tour manager. In 1928, she went to England to star in ''
Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, England, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road (England), A4 road that connects central London to ...
'', a 1929 silent film written for her by
Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist, who wrote prolifically. Between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaborati ...
that appeared in the United States with added sound and effects. In his July 15, 1929, review, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' critic
Mordaunt Hall Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.


1929 stock market crash

When the
stock market crashed in 1929, Gray lost most of her financial assets, but she managed to get a job dancing at the Palace Theatre in New York City. She also appeared on stage in Cleveland, and became the subject for two popular ceramic sculptures by Waylande Gregory: "The Nautch Dancer" and "The Burlesque Dancer".Folk, Thomas. ''Waylande Gregory: Art Deco Ceramics and the Atomic Impulse''. Richmond, Virginia: University of Richmond Museums, 2013
/ref> She attempted comebacks but was hindered by poor health from regaining her status as a star. In 1931, she suffered a heart attack. In 1932, Gray announced her engagement to singer
Art Jarrett Arthur L. Jarrett Jr. (July 20, 1907 – July 23, 1987) was an American singer, bandleader and actor during the 1930s and 1940s. He was the son of stage actor and playwright Arthur L. Jarrett Sr. (1884–1960). Early career Near the end of th ...
, but abandoned their marriage plans when it became clear that the five-day waiting period between filing a marriage license and the actual ceremony could not be waived. On May 23, 1933, she married Venezuelan diplomat Hector Briceño de Saa. The couple separated two years later and divorced in 1938.


Polish patriot

During World War II, Gray worked for Poland including raising money.Biskupski, M.B.B. (2010) ''Hollywood's War With Poland 1939-1945''
University Press of Kentucky The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and was organized in 1969 as successor to the University of Kentucky Press. The university had sponsored scholarly publication since 1943. In 194 ...
Page 12
In 1953,
Ralph Edwards Ralph Livingstone Edwards (June 13, 1913DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 86-87. – November 16, 2005) was an American radio ...
did her life story on the television show '' This Is Your Life''. He portrayed her courage in bringing six Polish citizens to America during the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
era. Gray also subsidized their education. She was decorated by Poland "for her interest and help to her countrymen and her country".


Death

On December 22, 1959, died of an apparent heart attack at the home of friends in Hollywood, aged 63.


Filmography


Plays

* ''Music Box Revue'' (1921) * ''
Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...
'' (1922) * ''Devil Dancer Play'' (1927)


References and notes


Sources

* The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', ''Shimmy Dancer Gilda Gray Dies'', December 23, 1959, page 2. * ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', "Gilda Gray Dead on Coast at 58; Creator of Shimmy Was Singer", December 23, 1959, page 27.


External links

* * * * Gilda Gray at th
Dance History Archives

Gilda Gray
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Gilda 1901 births 1959 deaths American female dancers American film actresses American silent film actresses American stage actresses Polish emigrants to the United States Actresses from Kraków Actresses from Milwaukee Polish vaudeville performers American vaudeville performers 20th-century American actresses Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century American dancers