Wini Shaw (c. 1907 – May 2, 1982), sometimes credited as Winifred Shaw, was a 20th century American actress, dancer and singer.

Early life

She was born as Winifred Lei Momi in about 1907 in San Francisco, the youngest of 13 children of Hawaiian descent. Some sources suggest she was born in 1910, while the

Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was a database of death records created from the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File until 2014. Since 2014, public access to the updated Death Master File has been via the Limit ...

under her married name Wini O'Malley suggests she was born in 1907.

Career

Shaw began her entertainment career as a child in her parents'

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 and later appeared in a number of

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

musical films in the 1930s. She is best remembered for introducing the song " Lullaby of Broadway" in the musical film ''

Gold Diggers of 1935 ''Gold Diggers of 1935'' is an American Warner Bros. musical film directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, his directorial debut. It stars Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart, and Alice Brady, and features Hugh Herbert, Gle ...

'' (1935). Shaw's only recording, with

Dick Jurgens Richard Henry Jurgens (January 9, 1910 – October 5, 1995) was an American swing music bandleader and composer who enjoyed great popularity in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Life and early career Dick Jurgens was born in Sacramento, Californ ...

and His Orchestra, was "Lullaby of Broadway" and " I'm Goin' Shoppin' with You". Both songs were from the film, and the recording was made on February 28, 1935. She also sang " The Lady in Red" in the musical film ''

In Caliente ''In Caliente'' (also known as ''Viva Señorita'') is a 1935 American romantic musical comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring Dolores del Río and Pat O'Brien. The film was written by Ralph Block and Warren Duff. The musical numbers ...

'' (1935) starring

Dolores del Río María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...

; the song was made famous when cartoon character

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

(voiced by

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for come ...

) parodied it in drag. In 1937 she filmed a complicated duet live on the sound stage with a reciting and speaking

Ross Alexander Ross Alexander (born Alexander Ross Smith, Jr.; July 27, 1907 – January 2, 1937) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Alexander was born Alexander Ross Smith. Jr. in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Maud Adelle (nee Cohen) and Al ...

as she sang " Too Marvelous for Words" for the finale of '' Ready, Willing, and Able''. Shaw appeared in a brief revival of the production of '' Simple Simon'' (1931) on Broadway in New York City. During World War II, she toured service camps and

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

clubs for the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

, sometimes as part of the

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

Larry Adler Lawrence Cecil Adler (February 10, 1914 – August 6, 2001) was an American harmonica player and film composer. Known for playing major works, he played compositions by George Gershwin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, Darius Milhaud ...

troupes.Cotter, Margaret, “Red Cross Girl Overseas,” ''

National Geographic Magazine ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

'', vol. 86, no. 6, December 1944, picture & caption, p.763.

Filmography

*'' Cross Country Cruise'' (1934), uncredited *'' Gift of Gab'' (1934) *''

What, No Men! ''What, No Men?'' is a 1934 American short comedy film directed by Ralph Staub and starring El Brendel, Wini Shaw, and Phil Regan. It was filmed in Technicolor. In 1934, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Comedy) a ...

'' (1934) short film *''

I Believed in You ''I Believed in You'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by Irving Cummings and written by William M. Conselman. The film stars Rosemary Ames, John Boles, Victor Jory, Gertrude Michael, George Meeker and Leslie Fenton. The film w ...

'' (1934), uncredited *'' Million Dollar Ransom'' (1934) *'' Sweet Adeline'' (1934) *'' Three on a Honeymoon'' (1934) *'' Wake Up and Dream'' (1934) *''

Wild Gold ''Wild Gold'' is a 1934 American romantic comedy drama film directed by George Marshall and written by Lester Cole and Henry Johnson. The film stars John Boles, Claire Trevor, Harry Green, Roger Imhof, Ruth Gillette, Monroe Owsley and Edward G ...

'' (1934) *'' Broadway Hostess'' (1935) *''

The Case of the Curious Bride ''The Case of the Curious Bride'' is a 1935 American mystery film, the second in a series of four starring Warren William as Perry Mason, following ''The Case of the Howling Dog''. The script was based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Erl ...

'' (1935) *''

Front Page Woman ''Front Page Woman'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay by Laird Doyle, Lillie Hayward and Roy Chanslor based on the novel ''Women Are Bum Newspapermen'' by Richard Macauley. Plot Ellen Garfield refuses ...

'' (1935) *''

'' (1935) *'' Gypsy Sweetheart'' (1935) *''

'' (1935) *'' Page Miss Glory'' (1935), uncredited *''

The Case of the Velvet Claws ''The Case of the Velvet Claws'' is a 1936 American mystery film directed by William Clemens and starring Warren William, Claire Dodd and Wini Shaw. It is based on the first Perry Mason novel (1933) by Erle Stanley Gardner and featuring the fo ...

'' (1936) *''

Fugitive in the Sky ''Fugitive in the Sky'' (aka ''Heroes of the Air'') is a 1936 American aviation drama film directed by Nick Grinde and written by George Bricker. The stars are Jean Muir, Warren Hull, Gordon Oliver, Carlyle Moore Jr., Howard Phillips, Winifre ...

'' (1936) *'' King of the Islands'' (1936) *'' Romance in the Air'' (1936) *''

Satan Met a Lady ''Satan Met a Lady'' is a 1936 American detective film directed by William Dieterle and starring Bette Davis and Warren William. The screenplay by Brown Holmes is a loose adaptation of the 1929 novel '' The Maltese Falcon'' by Dashiell Hammett ...

'' (1936) *''

The Singing Kid ''The Singing Kid'' is a 1936 American musical romance film directed by William Keighley and written by Warren Duff and Pat C. Flick. Starring Al Jolson, Sybil Jason, Beverly Roberts, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot and Allen Jenkins, it ...

'' (1936) *'' Sons o' Guns'' (1936) *''

Melody for Two ''Melody for Two'' is a 1937 American musical film directed by Louis King and starring James Melton, Patricia Ellis and Marie Wilson. The film is notable for introducing the song " September in the Rain", which subsequently became a pop standard ...

'' (1937) *'' Ready, Willing, and Able'' (1937) *''

September in the Rain "September in the Rain" is a popular song about nostalgia by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film ''Melody for Two''. It has become a standard, having been recorded by many artists sin ...

'' (1937), voice *''

Smart Blonde ''Smart Blonde'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Frank McDonald. Starring Glenda Farrell as Torchy Blane, a fast-talking wisecracking female reporter, teaming up with her boyfriend detective Steve McBride, to solve the killing of an ...

'' (1937) *'' Little Me'' (1938) *'' Rhumba Land'' (1939)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Wini 1900s births 1982 deaths American female dancers American film actresses American Roman Catholics Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Queens) Actresses from San Francisco Singers from San Francisco American vaudeville performers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers American people of Native Hawaiian descent Native Hawaiian actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American dancers