Marion Bell
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Marion Lee Bell (November 16, 1919 – December 14, 1997) was an American singer and musical theatre performer best known for her role in the Broadway musical ''
Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...
''.Mel Gussow
Marion Bell, Star of 'Brigadoon,' Dies at 78
''New York Times'' (December 14, 1997). Retrieved 3 April 2020.


Personal life

Bell was born in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. Her father was a freight agent on the
Wabash Railroad The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including track in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri and the province of Ontario. Its primary con ...
.Gene Lees, ''The Musical Worlds of Lerner and Loewe'' (University of Nebraska Press, 1990), pp. 29, 49–52. She had three sisters, Evelyn, Ruth, and Veronica. The family moved to California, and were established there by the time she was 15. In 1947, she married the librettist
Alan Jay Lerner Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre bot ...
. She was the second of his eight wives, and the only one not to come from a wealthy, socially well-placed family. The marriage lasted two years. Lerner left her six months after ''Brigadoon'' closed its first Broadway run. Her third husband was Tom Charlesworth, an actor and singer she met during a production of ''
The Chocolate Soldier ''The Chocolate Soldier'' (German: ''Der tapfere Soldat'' he courageous soldieror ''Der Praliné-Soldat'') is an operetta composed in 1908 by Oscar Straus based on George Bernard Shaw's 1894 play, '' Arms and the Man''. The German language li ...
''. That marriage lasted only three months, but the two had a son.Lees, ''The Musical Worlds of Lerner and Loewe'', p. 332. Bell was known for her "striking" appearance, and was described as "raven" haired, "big-bosomed and sexy," and "handsome to the eye."N.S., "Marion Bell Seen in Recital Debut," ''New York Times'' (October 11, 1948).


Early singing career

Bell began her career on local radio by the age of eight, singing with Ted Straeter's orchestra."Marion Bell Dies at 78," ''Variety'' (January 3, 1998). A
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
, she studied
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
in Rome for a year with Mario Marafioti, but returned to the United States as the
Second World War 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 ...
loomed. Back in California, she studied with
Nina Koshetz Nina Koshetz (; December 30, 1891 – May 14, 1965) was an operatic lyric soprano, recital singer, and the niece of Alexander Koshetz. Early life and career Nina Koshetz was born in Kyiv, then moved to Moscow and became an opera singer. ...
and sang leading roles with the San Francisco Opera Company, including the Shepherd in
Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
’s ''
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; ), often stylized "The Tannhäuser", was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1265. His name ...
'' and the young girl in '' Love of Three Kings'' by Montemezzi. She also sang at the now-defunct St. Louis Opera Company and the Opera Nacional in Mexico City.


Film career

Her return to California led to
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro ...
signing her to a film contract. Accounts of her discovery as a potential film star vary: her obituaries in the ''New York Times'' and ''
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), ...
'' credited her signing to the director
Robert Z. Leonard Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to Silent film, silent star Mae Murray with t ...
, who heard her sing at a party. Musical theatre historian
Gene Lees Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist. Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a musi ...
noted that a talent scout had noticed her in one of her opera roles. After signing with MGM at age 15, Bell toured with the
Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...
in their
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 ...
show, and had a small uncredited role in their 1935 movie '' A Night at the Opera''. In the stateroom scene, she pushes through the crowd to call "Aunt Minnie." In 1944, it was announced that she was to star in the screen operetta '' The Kissing Bandit'' with
John Hodiak John Hodiak ( ; April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film. Early life Hodiak was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Anna (Pogorzelec) and Walter Hodiak. He was of Ukrainian and ...
;Screen News, "Metro Gives John Hodiak Lead in Operetta," ''New York Times'' (December 2, 1944). produced by
Joe Pasternak Joseph Herman Pasternak (born József Paszternák; September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was a Hungarian-American film producer in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Pasternak spent the Hollywood Musical film, "Golden Age" of musicals ...
, this project came to fruition in 1949 without either Bell or Hodiak in the cast. She sang a duet from '' La Traviata'' with James Melton in ''
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 ...
'', which was completed in 1944 and considered her screen debut. Her MGM contract delayed her Broadway debut by preventing her from accepting a role in the Lerner- Loewe musical '' The Day Before Spring'' in 1945.


''Brigadoon'' and New York recital

When the Broadway musical ''Brigadoon'' was in production, Bell was appearing in
summer stock In American theater, summer stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock ...
. It was suggested that she audition. She traveled to New York City to do so, and there met Lerner for the first time. Bell won the role of Fiona. The reviewer
Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...
said that Bell and David Brooks had "sung rapturously" on "
Almost Like Being in Love "Almost Like Being in Love" is a show tune with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was written for the score of their 1947 musical '' Brigadoon''. The song was first sung by David Brooks and Marion Bell, in the Broadway ...
." Bell won the Donaldson Award for the best debut performance by an actress in a musical and a
New York Drama Critics Circle Award The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 23 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jon ...
. She sang on the original cast album of ''Brigadoon'' and made other recordings for
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
such as ''Smash Hits of Broadway,'' released on four 10-inch disks and featuring songs from several Broadway musicals. Bell had been interviewed by the ''
New York World-Telegram The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...
'' during tryouts in Boston and intimated that she regarded the Broadway musical as a lesser artform than opera. While ''Brigadoon'' was enjoying its successful run, she gave a recital featuring the European art music she preferred. Lees conjectures that the ''New York Times'' review of her recital would have been painful, as it found her good enough for Broadway but insufficient for the classical repertoire. That review, signed only with the initials "N.S.," praised her "expert showmanship … which captivated the large and highly responsive audience" and her "enviable poise and an ability to project a song in a way to hold the attention not commonly encountered among newcomers on the concert stage." The reviewer, however, faulted her for bringing an "
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
type of singing" to the challenging pieces she programmed, which included works in six languages. The program included
aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...
s by
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
,
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
,
Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version of Shakespeare's ...
and
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
; Russian songs by
Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...
,
Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...
and
Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...
; "Seven Spanish Folk Songs" by de Falla; and the first performance of "La Bonne Cuisine" by
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
and "A Day Is Born" by
Albert Hay Malotte Albert Hay Malotte (May 19, 1895 – November 16, 1964) was an American pianist, organist, composer and educator, best known for his musical setting of "The Lord's Prayer". Biography and career Malotte was the son of Charles and Katherine (Donav ...
. The reviewer found her "most at home" with the song "Somehow I Could Never Believe" from '' Street Scene'' by
Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...
. Bell's accompanist for the recital, which took place at the
Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
performance venue, was Edwin McArthur. The year Bell spent performing in ''Brigadoon'', which ran for 581 shows over 18 months, was the extent of her Broadway career, although she was floated as the possible female lead for ''
Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...
''. During the war, Bell had entertained troops from the
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
and Africa campaigns who were recovering at the hospital in Waco, Texas. There she contracted infectious hepatitis, but continued working contrary to her doctor's orders. Her hepatitis recurred during the run of ''Brigadoon'' and contributed to the mental exhaustion that caused her to withdraw from the show.


Other performances

Courtesy of MGM, Bell helped entertain the troops in 1945 at
Camp Roberts, California Camp Roberts is a California National Guard post in central California, located on both sides of the Salinas River in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, now run by the California Army National Guard. It was opened in 1941 and is named afte ...
, performing with Joseph Sullivan in ''
Naughty Marietta (operetta) ''Naughty Marietta'' is an operetta in two acts, with libretto by Rida Johnson Young and music by Victor Herbert, written as a vehicle for Emma Trentini and produced by Oscar Hammerstein I. Set in 18th century New Orleans, it tells how Captain ...
''. Bell sang in the world premiere of the
folk opera Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
'' Down in the Valley'' by Weill and
Arnold Sundgaard Arnold Olaf Sundgaard (October 31, 1909 – October 22, 2006) was an American playwright, librettist, and lyricist. He was also a writer of short stories and children's books as well as a college professor specializing in drama and theatrics. Sund ...
for the Indiana University Opera Theatre in 1948. She appeared in the telecast production that aired January 1950 as the first show of the NBC Opera Theatre series. A review of mixed opinion signed "R.P." said that Bell "acted sincerely and sang appealingly." She sang on the RCA Victor recording of ''Down in the Valley,'' released on three 45 rpm disks. In 1947 she was announced as one in a series of female guest singers on
Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer, and television and radio host. He appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, ''Oklahoma!'' (1955) and ''Carousel'' (1956), and ...
's summer series, ''Troubadour 1947,'' on CBS Radio. During her mid-career, Bell also sang at the
St. Louis Municipal Opera The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheatre, amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first ...
, the
Los Angeles Civic Light Opera The Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (LACLO) was an American theatre/opera company in Los Angeles, California. Founded under the motto "Light Opera in the Grand Opera manner" in 1938 by impresario Edwin Lester, the organization presented fifty season ...
, and the Sacramento Music Circus. In 1951, she was performing in '' Three Wishes for Jamie'' with
John Raitt John Emmet Raitt (; January 29, 1917 – February 20, 2005) was an American actor and singer best known for his performances in musical theatre. His most notable roles were Billy Bigelow in the original Broadway cast of ''Carousel'' and Curly ...
and
Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' ...
, a production tried out at the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...
Auditorium and then moved to the
Curran Theatre The Curran Theatre, located at 445 Geary Street between Taylor and Mason Streets in the Theatre District of San Francisco, California opened in February 1922, and was named after its first owner, Homer Curran. As of 2014, the theater is owned b ...
in San Francisco. She sang in more than 200 concerts during her career.


Later life

In an interview, Bell said that Lerner's interest in her waned as he left ''Brigadoon'' behind for his next project. She retreated from the relationship, and her fame declined. She spent much of the next decade hospitalized for mental illness. In 1960, she returned to California, where her parents still lived. There she supported her son with the help of her parents and by working at various jobs. In the late 1990s, Bell provided archival film of her Town Hall recital for "
Classic Arts Showcase Classic Arts Showcase (CAS) is a television channel in the United States promoting the fine arts. The television program content includes prepared media and recorded live performances. It is a 24-hour non-commercial satellite channel broadcastin ...
" television, of which she was said to be a regular viewer. In 1990, Lees visited Bell in
Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights to the ea ...
, where she still lived with her father. She had cancer, which was in remission due to
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
, and earned a living giving voice lessons. Although she had alleged cruelty as
grounds for divorce Grounds for divorce are regulations specifying the circumstances under which a person will be granted a divorce. Adultery is the most common grounds for divorce. However, there are countries that view male adultery differently than female adulter ...
from Lerner,"'Brigadoon' Author Divorced," ''New York Times'' (September 16, 1949), Associated Press brief. Lees remarked that she was "remarkably free of bitterness," and Bell said she had never stopped loving him. Bell spent the last 15 years of her life in Culver City, where she was involved with local
light opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...
and community activities. She died in 1997.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Marion 1919 births 1997 deaths American sopranos 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers