Jennie Goldstein (May 8, 1896 – February 9, 1960) was a Jewish American theater actress and singer.

Early life

Goldstein was born in New York; her father was a butcher. When she was 6, actress Rosa Margulies noticed her pretty voice and drew her into child roles at the Windsor Theater, including ''Hanele di neytorin (Hannah the seamstress)'' with

Bertha Kalich Bertha Kalich (also spelled Kalish, born Beylke Kalakh; 17 May 1874 – 18 April 1939) was a Jewish-American actress. Though she was well-established as an entertainer in Eastern Europe, she is best remembered as one of the several "larger-th ...

. Having made a good impression, Jennie was soon making $9 a week. She went to Kenny Liptsin in the Thalia Theater and played in

Jacob Mikhailovich Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-United States, American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing Re ...

's טהרת המשפחה ''Family Purity''—for which

Sigmund Mogulesko Sigmund Mogulesko (16 December 1858 – 4 February 1914) — Yiddish: זעליק מאָגולעסקאָ ''Zelik Mogulesko'', first name also sometimes spelled as Zigmund, Siegmund, Zelig, or Selig, last name sometimes spelled Mogulescu & ...

wrote her the song ''Oyf yener zayt (On the other side)''—and ''Der umbakanter (The stranger)''.Zalmen Zylbercweig, ''Leksikon fun Yidishn teater'', Book one, 378 At the age of 13 she began to play adult roles for Max R. Veyner, her first being Yoysef Lateyner's ''Dos Yidishe harts (the Jewish heart)''. She moved to Clinton Street Vaudeville in 1909. She met Max Gabel (Gebil) there and married him when she was sixteen years old. Gebel wrote melodramas in which the couple starred, including ''Alts far libe (Everything for love)'' and ''Kol shofar (voice of the shofar)'', specially written for her. The shows were popular and the couple played in Winnipeg and then in the Lipson Theater and the Grand Music Hall and Peoples Theater where she and Gebil were co-directors. David-Kessler Jennie-Goldstein Malvina-Lobel

David-Kessler Jennie-Goldstein Malvina-Lobel

In 1924, she toured in London and the American provinces. She wrote lyrics for some of her songs, recording them for radio and phonograph recordings. Goldstein and Gabel divorced in 1930; she subsequently managed the Prospect Theater in the Bronx in 1932–1933. She married lawyer Charles W. Groll in May 1936. She starred in her only film role, ''Tsvey shvester (Two Sisters)'' in 1939.

Later career

Goldstein was known for playing unhappy heroines and, later, their mothers:

There was the tragedienne Jennie Goldstein wringing her heart and wracking her sob-filled voice as she repeated the travails of the innocent immigrant girl seduced by the villainies of the cruel and heartless New York sweatshop world.

However, during the 1940s, after deciding that audiences had had enough to cry about because of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she became a comedian. She played at Jewish organizational functions, performed in two Broadway shows in the 1950s, and appeared on television. Goldstein died in New York City on February 9, 1960. She was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery in

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldstein, Jennie 1896 births 1960 deaths Yiddish theatre Jewish American actresses Actresses from Manhattan 20th-century American actresses Burials at Mount Hebron Cemetery (New York City) 20th-century American Jews