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| birthname = Henrietta Hazel Tout
| birthname = Henrietta Hazel Tout
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1890|3|23|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1890|3|23|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]], [[Utah]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]], Utah
| death_date = {{dda|1988|8|23|1890|3|23|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{dda|1988|8|23|1890|3|23|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| death_place = [[New York City]], New York
| othername = The Pink Lady
| othername = The Pink Lady
| yearsactive = 1914 – 1954
| yearsactive = 1914–1931
| spouse = {{marriage| Charles Edward Gruelle | 1927 | 1941 | end= his death }}
| spouse = {{marriage| Charles Edward Gruwell | 1927 | 1941 | end= his death }}
| children = 2
| children = 2
}}
}}


'''Hazel Dawn''' (born '''Henrietta Hazel Tout'''; March 23, 1890 – August 28, 1988) was an American stage, film and television actress, and [[violin]]ist. She was born to a [[Mormon]] family in Utah, and studied music in Europe where her father was a missionary. Dawn rose to fame as a stage actress in [[Ivan Caryll]]'s 1911 Broadway production of ''[[The Pink Lady (musical)|The Pink Lady]]'', which ran for over 300 performances and earned Dawn the eponymous nickname.
'''Hazel Dawn''' (born '''Henrietta Hazel Tout'''; March 23, 1890 – August 28, 1988) was an American stage, film and television actress, and [[violin]]ist. She was born to a [[Mormon]] family in Utah, and studied music in Europe where her father was a missionary. Dawn rose to fame as the title character in [[Ivan Caryll]]'s ''[[The Pink Lady (musical)|The Pink Lady]]'', which opened in 1911 on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and ran for over 300 performances; it earned Dawn the eponymous nickname. She performed extensively on Broadway and began work in film in 1914, appearing in a total of 13 feature films. Dawn died at age 98 in New York City.

She was also an original member of the [[Ziegfeld Follies]] in 1907, and would transition into film in 1914, appearing in a total of 15 feature films. She retired from acting in 1954, and spent the remainder of her life working as a casting executive. Dawn died at age 98 in New York City.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Dawn was born Henrietta Hazel Tout{{sfn|Hunter|2013|p=234}} in [[Ogden, Utah]], in 1890.{{sfn|Slide|2012|p=123}} She went to Wales with her family at the age of eight when her father served as a Mormon missionary there. Dawn studied violin and voice in London, Paris, and Munich.{{sfn|Slide|2012|p=123}} She especially was impressed by the attentiveness of teachers she studied under in Paris. Her sister, Nancy Tout, was an opera singer who sang with the Opera Comique in Paris.
Dawn was born Henrietta Hazel Tout{{sfn|Hunter|2013|p=234}} in [[Ogden, Utah]], in 1890.{{sfn|Slide|2012|p=123}} She went to Wales with her family at the age of eight when her father served as a Mormon missionary there. Dawn studied violin and voice in London, Paris, and Munich.{{sfn|Slide|2012|p=123}} She especially was impressed by the attentiveness of teachers she studied under in Paris. Her sister, Nancy Tout, was an opera singer who sang with the [[Opéra-Comique]] in Paris.


==Career==
==Career==
===Stage work===
===Stage work===
She met producer [[Ivan Caryll]] at a party in London. Caryll suggested the name Hazel Dawn, considering Tout to be "impossible." Dawn met composer [[Paul Rubens (composer)|Paul Rubens]] who offered her a part in ''[[Dear Little Denmark]]'' at the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] (1909), where she made her theatrical début. She then starred in ''[[The Balkan Princess]]'' in 1910 as Olga. She achieved a great success with her performance in [[Ivan Caryll]]'s ''[[The Pink Lady (musical)|The Pink Lady]]'' (1911).{{sfn|Slide|2012|p=124}} The show ran a total of 316 performances on Broadway and then toured, making Dawn famous, even though she was not the leading lady.<ref name=vanleer>{{cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/495035/UTAH-ACTRESS-HAZEL-DAWN-LIT-UP-THE-STAGE-AND-SCREEN.html|work=Deseret News|author=Van Leer, Twila|title=Utah Actress Hazel Dawn Lit Up the Stage and Screen|date=11 June 1996|accessdate=22 July 2017}}</ref> In the production, she introduced ''My Beautiful Lady'', which she sang and played on her violin. Subsequently she was known as "The Pink Lady"<ref name=obit>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/31/obituaries/hazel-dawn-stage-actress-is-dead-at-98.html|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Hazel Dawn, Stage Actress, Is Dead at 98|author=Fraser, C. Gerald|date=31 August 1988|accessdate=24 July 2017}}</ref> and the [[Pink Lady (cocktail)|cocktail]] may have been named for her.<ref name="Clarke">{{Cite book|title=Pseudonyms|author=Joseph F. Clarke|publisher=BCA|date=1977|page=48}}</ref>
She met producer [[Ivan Caryll]] at a party in London. Caryll suggested the stage name Hazel Dawn for her, considering Tout to be "impossible". She met composer [[Paul Rubens (composer)|Paul Rubens]], who offered her a part in ''[[Dear Little Denmark]]'' at the [[Prince of Wales Theatre]] (1909), where she made her theatrical début. She then starred in ''[[The Balkan Princess]]'' in 1910 as Olga. She achieved a great success with her performance in [[Ivan Caryll]]'s [[Edwardian musical comedy]], ''[[The Pink Lady (musical)|The Pink Lady]]'' (1911).{{sfn|Slide|2012|p=124}} The show ran a total of 316 performances on Broadway and then toured, making Dawn famous.<ref name=vanleer>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1996/6/11/19247966/utah-actress-hazel-dawn-lit-up-the-stage-and-screen |work=Deseret News |author=Van Leer, Twila |title=Utah Actress Hazel Dawn Lit Up the Stage and Screen|date=11 June 1996|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> In the production, she introduced "My Beautiful Lady", which she sang and played on her violin. Subsequently she was known as "The Pink Lady",<ref name=obit>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/31/obituaries/hazel-dawn-stage-actress-is-dead-at-98.html|work=[[New York Times]]|title=Hazel Dawn, Stage Actress, Is Dead at 98|author=Fraser, C. Gerald|date=31 August 1988|access-date=24 July 2017}}</ref> and the [[Pink Lady (cocktail)|Pink Lady cocktail]] may have been named for her.<ref name="Clarke">{{Cite book| title=Pseudonyms |author=Joseph F. Clarke|publisher=BCA|date=1977|page=48}}</ref>

⚫
''The Little Cafe'' (1913) was produced by the [[New Amsterdam Theatre]] and adapted from a book by [[C.M.S. McLellan]]. One reviewer found the play lacking when compared to ''The Pink Lady'', but he enjoyed the song "Just Because It's You".{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} Dawn performed it in the third act. He wrote: "Dawn was radiantly beautiful and sang far better than did other members of the cast." The Little Cafe was a place in Paris where large crowds assembled to admire the renowned beauty of the owner's daughter.


⚫
She starred in the [[operetta]] ''The Debutante'' (1914) at the [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|National Theater]] in Washington, D.C. under the management of John C. Fisher. [[Harry B. Smith]] wrote the book and play adaptation. The setting of the operetta is in London and Paris, and Dawn played a young American girl pursued by a nobleman, who desires her fortune. She plays the violin during a scene where she runs away to Paris and makes her musical debut before an appreciative audience. In December, she appeared in ''The Debutante'' at the [[Knickerbocker Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Knickerbocker Theatre]] in Washington. The shows she appeared in include ''The Great Temptations'', ''Getting Gertie's Garter'', and ''The Demi-Virgin'' as well as vaudeville. Her last appearance on Broadway was in ''Wonder Boy'' (1931).<ref>{{ibdb name|37542|Hazel Dawn}}</ref>
⚫
''The Little Cafe'' (1913) was produced by the [[New Amsterdam Theatre]] and adapted from a book by [[C.M.S. McLellan]]. One reviewer found the play lacking when compared to ''The Pink Lady'', but he enjoyed the song ''Just Because It's You''.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} Dawn performed it in the third act. He wrote: "Dawn was radiantly beautiful and sang far better than did other members of the cast." The Little Cafe was a place in Paris where large crowds assembled to admire the renowned beauty of the owner's daughter.


She emerged from retirement in June 1948 to appear on stage with her daughter Hazel Dawn Jr. in a revival of [[Ruth Gordon]]’s play ''Years Ago ''at the Casino Theatre in Newport, Rhode Island.<ref>''The Billboard'', June 12, 1948, p.44</ref>
⚫
She starred in the [[operetta]] ''The Debutante'' (1914) at the [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|National Theater]] in Washington, D.C. under the management of John C. Fisher. [[Harry B. Smith]] penned the book and play adaptation. The setting of the operetta is in London and Paris, with Dawn's depicting a young American girl who is pursued by a nobleman, who desires her fortune. She plays the violin during a scene where she runs away to Paris and makes her musical debut before an appreciative audience. In December, she appeared in ''The Debutante'' at the [[Knickerbocker Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Knickerbocker Theatre]]. She continued performing for Ziegfeld until 1927 when she married.


===Transition to film===
===Transition to film===
[[File:Under Cover.jpg|thumb|''Under Cover'' (1916)]]
[[File:Under Cover.jpg|thumb|''Under Cover'' (1916)]]
She made her screen debut as Kate Shipley in ''[[One of Our Girls]]'' (1914). Her association with [[Famous Players-Lasky]] film company dated from this movie. Dawn followed this role with others in ''[[Niobe]]'' (1915), ''Clarissa'' (1915), and ''[[The Masqueraders]]'' (1915). ''Niobe'' is the screen version of a play written by Harry and Edward S. Paulton. She made ''[[The Fatal Card]]'' (1915) with [[Paramount Pictures]].
She made her screen debut as Kate Shipley in ''[[One of Our Girls]]'' (1914). Her association with [[Famous Players–Lasky]] film company dated from this movie. Dawn followed this role with others in ''[[Niobe]]'' (1915), ''Clarissa'' (1915), and ''[[The Masqueraders]]'' (1915). She made ''[[The Fatal Card]]'' (1915) with [[Paramount Pictures]].{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}


In ''[[My Lady Incog]]'' (1916), Dawn played a female detective in a motion picture that is a [[mystery film]], comedy, and a romance. Playing the character Nell Carroll, she co-starred with George Majeroni. In ''[[The Lone Wolf (1917 film)|The Lone Wolf]]'' (1917), she acts with [[Bert Lytell]] in an adaptation of a novel by [[Louis Joseph Vance]]. Producer [[Herbert Brenon]] was responsible for adaptation to film from the book. Her last film credit was ''[[Margie (1946 film)|Margie]]'' in 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-09-03/news/mn-2873_1_hazel-dawn|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|title=Hazel Dawn; Singer, Actress|date=3 September 1988|accessdate=26 December 2016}}</ref>
In ''[[My Lady Incog]]'' (1916), Dawn played a female detective in a movie that is a [[mystery film]], comedy, and a romance. Playing the character Nell Carroll, she co-starred with George Majeroni. In ''[[The Lone Wolf (1917 film)|The Lone Wolf]]'' (1917), she acts with [[Bert Lytell]] in an adaptation of a novel by [[Louis Joseph Vance]]. Producer [[Herbert Brenon]] was responsible for adaptation to film from the book. Her last film credit was ''[[Devotion (1921 film)|Devotion]]'' (1921).


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Dawn married Charles Edward Gruwell, a mining engineer from Montana, in 1927. At the time, Gruwell was purported to be one of the "richest men in the West."<ref name=obit/> The couple had two children. Following Gruwell's death in 1941, Dawn worked in the casting department of J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.<ref name=obit/> She retired in 1963.
Dawn married Charles Edward Gruwell, a mining engineer from Montana, in 1927. At the time, Gruwell was purported to be one of the "richest men in the West."<ref name=obit/> The couple had two children, Dawn Gruwell and Charles E. Gruwell. Her daughter had a career as an actor and singer on film, television and Broadway under the name Hazel Dawn Jr.<ref>{{ibdb name|530449|Hazel Dawn Jr.}}</ref> Many public records confuse the two.<ref name=obit/><ref>''Los Angeles Times'' Sept. 3 1988</ref> Following Gruwell's death in 1941, Dawn worked in the casting department of J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.<ref name=obit/> She retired in 1963.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}


Dawn made a claim for $4,643 against the London Theatre Company which filed for bankruptcy in August 1915. The company, which produced and staged plays, was located at 1476 Broadway. Dawn was once the mascot of both the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy at one of their annual football games. At one point, [[West Point]] cadets tossed their hats onto the stage, one of them belonging to future U.S. President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].
Dawn made a claim for $4,643 against the London Theatre Company, which filed for bankruptcy in August 1915. The company, which produced and staged plays, was located at 1476 Broadway. Dawn was once the mascot of both the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy at one of their annual football games. At one point, [[West Point]] cadets tossed their hats onto the stage, one of them belonging to future U.S. President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].<ref name=obit/>
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:AzadigianPaintingHazelDawn.jpg|thumb|right|Dawn having her portrait painted at her Amityville, New York estate by artist [[Manuel Azadigian]] in 1924. Azadigian was discovered to be suffering from fatal cancer while working on it and died before the painting could be completed. His death at age 22 had a profound effect on her.]] -->


==Death==
==Death==
Hazel Dawn died at the home of her daughter in Manhattan in 1988 at age 98. She was survived by her daughter, Dawn Gruwell Kaufman, and a son, Charles E. Gruwell, both of whom resided in New York City.
Hazel Dawn died at the home of her daughter in Manhattan in 1988 at age 98.<ref name=obit/>


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
Actress [[Ruth Gordon]] cited Dawn as her own inspiration for becoming an actress.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/01/archives/going-home-to-history-at-80-ruth-gordon-recalls-her-side.html|work=New York Times|title=Going Home to History at 80, Ruth Gordon Recalls ‘Her Side’|date=1 November 1976|author=Gussow, Mel|page=82}}</ref> Gordon, who was five years younger, predeceased Dawn, dying in 1985. A 14-year-old Adele Astaire, sister of Fred, saw Dawn's performance in ''The Pink Lady'' and idolized her, thinking her to be "the most lovely, graceful creature" she had seen.
Actress [[Ruth Gordon]] cited Dawn as her inspiration for becoming an actress.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/01/archives/going-home-to-history-at-80-ruth-gordon-recalls-her-side.html|work=New York Times|title=Going Home to History at 80, Ruth Gordon Recalls 'Her Side'|date=1 November 1976|author=Gussow, Mel|page=82}}</ref> A 14-year-old [[Adele Astaire]] saw Dawn's performance in ''The Pink Lady'' and idolized her, thinking her to be "the most lovely, graceful creature" she had seen.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}


In 1953, Dawn was portrayed by Kay Williams in the film ''[[The Actress]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/385841%7C27615/The-Actress.html|work=Turner Classic Movies|title=The Actress|accessdate=22 July 2017|author=Soares, Emily}}</ref>
In 1953, Dawn was portrayed by [[Kay Williams]] in the film ''[[The Actress]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/385841%7C27615/The-Actress.html|work=Turner Classic Movies|title=The Actress|access-date=22 July 2017|author=Soares, Emily}}</ref>


== Filmography==
== Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| 1921 || ''[[Devotion (1921 film)|Devotion]]'' || Ruth Wayne ||
| 1921 || ''[[Devotion (1921 film)|Devotion]]'' || Ruth Wayne ||
|-
| 1943 || ''[[The Youngest Profession]]'' || Hazel || Uncredited
|-
| 1946 || ''[[Margie (1946 film)|Margie]]'' || ||
|-
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1950 || ''[[Prudential Family Playhouse|The Prudential Family Playhouse]]'' || Jan Lupton || Episode: "Over 21"
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Armstrong Circle Theatre]]'' || || Episode: "Table for Two"
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Kraft Theatre]]'' || || Episode: "Hour of Crisis"
|-
| 1954 || ''[[Pond's Theater]]'' || || Episode: "Kitty Foyle"
|-
|-
|}
|}
Line 114: Line 90:


==Works cited==
==Works cited==
*{{cite book|last=Hunter|first=James Michael|title=Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon. Literature, Art, Media, Tourism, and Sports|year=2013|volume=II|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|isbn=978-0-313-39167-5|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Hunter|first=James Michael|title=Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon. Literature, Art, Media, Tourism, and Sports|year=2013|volume=II|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|isbn=978-0-313-39167-5}}
*{{cite book|last=Slide|first=Anthony|title=The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville|year=2012|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1-617-03250-9|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Slide|first=Anthony|title=The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville|year=2012|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1-617-03250-9}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* {{cite news|publisher=Lincoln Daily Star |title=Hazel Dawn, Who Smiled Her Way to Fame, Soon to Appear in Another Play |date=January 2, 1916 |page=31}}
* {{cite news|publisher=Lincoln Daily Star |title=Hazel Dawn, Who Smiled Her Way to Fame, Soon to Appear in Another Play |date=January 2, 1916 |page=31}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[Mansfield, Ohio]] News |title=Stage and Screen |date=December 10, 1917 |page=4}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[Mansfield, Ohio]] News |title=Stage and Screen |date=December 10, 1917 |page=4}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[New York Times]] |title=American Gilrs In Paris |date=March 19, 1911 |page=X2}}
* {{cite news|work=[[New York Times]] |title=American Gilrs In Paris |date=March 19, 1911 |page=X2}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[New York Times]] |title=''The Little Cafe'' Has Big Hit Song |date=November 11, 1913 |page=13}}
* {{cite news|work=[[New York Times]] |title=''The Little Cafe'' Has Big Hit Song |date=November 11, 1913 |page=13}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[New York Times]] |title=''Debutante'' In September'' |date=June 28, 1914 |page=X9}}
* {{cite news|work=[[New York Times]] |title=''Debutante'' In September |date=June 28, 1914 |page=X9}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[New York Times]] |title=London Theatre Co. Fails |date=August 27, 1915 |page=9}}
* {{cite news|work=[[New York Times]] |title=London Theatre Co. Fails |date=August 27, 1915 |page=9}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[New York Times]] |title=Hazel Dawn, Stage Actress, Is Dead at 98 |date=August 31, 1988 |page=D21}}
* {{cite news|work=[[New York Times]] |title=Hazel Dawn, Stage Actress, Is Dead at 98 |date=August 31, 1988 |page=D21}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[Woodland, California]] Democrat |title=Hazel Dawn's Portrayal Of Detective In ''My Lady Incog'' Very Clever|date=August 30, 1916 |page=6}}
* {{cite news|publisher=[[Woodland, California]] Democrat |title=Hazel Dawn's Portrayal Of Detective In ''My Lady Incog'' Very Clever|date=August 30, 1916 |page=6}}


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* {{IMDb name|0206008}}
* {{IMDb name|0206008}}
* [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=hazel+dawn Hazel Dawn] photo gallery NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
* [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=hazel+dawn Hazel Dawn] photo gallery NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
* [http://www.corbisimages.com/Search/SearchResults.aspx?q=hazel+dawn Hazel Dawn] gallery at Corbis
*[http://broadway.cas.sc.edu/index.php?action=showPerformer&id=37 Hazel Dawn bio & photos]

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
⚫
[[Category:American violinists]]
[[Category:People from Ogden, Utah]]
[[Category:People from Ogden, Utah]]
[[Category:Vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1988 deaths]]
[[Category:1988 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Utah]]
[[Category:Actresses from Utah]]
[[Category:20th-century violinists]]
[[Category:20th-century American violinists]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:Ziegfeld girls]]
[[Category:Ziegfeld girls]]
[[Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:American expatriate actresses]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Germany]]
[[Category:American expatriates in England]]
[[Category:American expatriates in France]]
[[Category:American expatriate actresses in Germany]]
⚫
[[Category:American expatriate actresses in France]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from New York (state)]]

Latest revision as of 09:51, 20 July 2024

Hazel Dawn
Dawn in 1914
Born
Henrietta Hazel Tout

(1890-03-23)March 23, 1890
Ogden, Utah
DiedAugust 23, 1988(1988-08-23) (aged 98)
New York City, New York
Other namesThe Pink Lady
Years active1914–1931
Spouse
Charles Edward Gruwell
​
​
(m. 1927; died 1941)​
Children2

Hazel Dawn (born Henrietta Hazel Tout; March 23, 1890 – August 28, 1988) was an American stage, film and television actress, and violinist. She was born to a Mormon family in Utah, and studied music in Europe where her father was a missionary. Dawn rose to fame as the title character in Ivan Caryll's The Pink Lady, which opened in 1911 on Broadway and ran for over 300 performances; it earned Dawn the eponymous nickname. She performed extensively on Broadway and began work in film in 1914, appearing in a total of 13 feature films. Dawn died at age 98 in New York City.

Early life

[edit]

Dawn was born Henrietta Hazel Tout[1] in Ogden, Utah, in 1890.[2] She went to Wales with her family at the age of eight when her father served as a Mormon missionary there. Dawn studied violin and voice in London, Paris, and Munich.[2] She especially was impressed by the attentiveness of teachers she studied under in Paris. Her sister, Nancy Tout, was an opera singer who sang with the Opéra-Comique in Paris.

Career

[edit]

Stage work

[edit]

She met producer Ivan Caryll at a party in London. Caryll suggested the stage name Hazel Dawn for her, considering Tout to be "impossible". She met composer Paul Rubens, who offered her a part in Dear Little Denmark at the Prince of Wales Theatre (1909), where she made her theatrical début. She then starred in The Balkan Princess in 1910 as Olga. She achieved a great success with her performance in Ivan Caryll's Edwardian musical comedy, The Pink Lady (1911).[3] The show ran a total of 316 performances on Broadway and then toured, making Dawn famous.[4] In the production, she introduced "My Beautiful Lady", which she sang and played on her violin. Subsequently she was known as "The Pink Lady",[5] and the Pink Lady cocktail may have been named for her.[6]

The Little Cafe (1913) was produced by the New Amsterdam Theatre and adapted from a book by C.M.S. McLellan. One reviewer found the play lacking when compared to The Pink Lady, but he enjoyed the song "Just Because It's You".[citation needed] Dawn performed it in the third act. He wrote: "Dawn was radiantly beautiful and sang far better than did other members of the cast." The Little Cafe was a place in Paris where large crowds assembled to admire the renowned beauty of the owner's daughter.

She starred in the operetta The Debutante (1914) at the National Theater in Washington, D.C. under the management of John C. Fisher. Harry B. Smith wrote the book and play adaptation. The setting of the operetta is in London and Paris, and Dawn played a young American girl pursued by a nobleman, who desires her fortune. She plays the violin during a scene where she runs away to Paris and makes her musical debut before an appreciative audience. In December, she appeared in The Debutante at the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington. The shows she appeared in include The Great Temptations, Getting Gertie's Garter, and The Demi-Virgin as well as vaudeville. Her last appearance on Broadway was in Wonder Boy (1931).[7]

She emerged from retirement in June 1948 to appear on stage with her daughter Hazel Dawn Jr. in a revival of Ruth Gordon’s play Years Ago at the Casino Theatre in Newport, Rhode Island.[8]

Transition to film

[edit]
Under Cover (1916)

She made her screen debut as Kate Shipley in One of Our Girls (1914). Her association with Famous Players–Lasky film company dated from this movie. Dawn followed this role with others in Niobe (1915), Clarissa (1915), and The Masqueraders (1915). She made The Fatal Card (1915) with Paramount Pictures.[citation needed]

In My Lady Incog (1916), Dawn played a female detective in a movie that is a mystery film, comedy, and a romance. Playing the character Nell Carroll, she co-starred with George Majeroni. In The Lone Wolf (1917), she acts with Bert Lytell in an adaptation of a novel by Louis Joseph Vance. Producer Herbert Brenon was responsible for adaptation to film from the book. Her last film credit was Devotion (1921).

Personal life

[edit]

Dawn married Charles Edward Gruwell, a mining engineer from Montana, in 1927. At the time, Gruwell was purported to be one of the "richest men in the West."[5] The couple had two children, Dawn Gruwell and Charles E. Gruwell. Her daughter had a career as an actor and singer on film, television and Broadway under the name Hazel Dawn Jr.[9] Many public records confuse the two.[5][10] Following Gruwell's death in 1941, Dawn worked in the casting department of J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.[5] She retired in 1963.[citation needed]

Dawn made a claim for $4,643 against the London Theatre Company, which filed for bankruptcy in August 1915. The company, which produced and staged plays, was located at 1476 Broadway. Dawn was once the mascot of both the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy at one of their annual football games. At one point, West Point cadets tossed their hats onto the stage, one of them belonging to future U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[5]

Death

[edit]

Hazel Dawn died at the home of her daughter in Manhattan in 1988 at age 98.[5]

Legacy

[edit]

Actress Ruth Gordon cited Dawn as her inspiration for becoming an actress.[11] A 14-year-old Adele Astaire saw Dawn's performance in The Pink Lady and idolized her, thinking her to be "the most lovely, graceful creature" she had seen.[citation needed]

In 1953, Dawn was portrayed by Kay Williams in the film The Actress.[12]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1914 One of Our Girls Kate Shipley
1915 Niobe Niobe
1915 Gambier's Advocate Clarissa
1915 The Heart of Jennifer Jennifer Hale
1915 The Fatal Card Margaret Marrable
1915 The Masqueraders Dulcie Larendie
1916 My Lady Incog. Nell Carroll
1916 The Saleslady Helen
1916 The Feud Girl Nell Haddon, 'The Spitfire'
1916 Under Cover Ethel Cartwright
1917 The Lone Wolf Lucy Shannon
1917 National Red Cross Pageant
1921 Devotion Ruth Wayne

References

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  1. ^ Hunter 2013, p. 234.
  2. ^ a b Slide 2012, p. 123.
  3. ^ Slide 2012, p. 124.
  4. ^ Van Leer, Twila (11 June 1996). "Utah Actress Hazel Dawn Lit Up the Stage and Screen". Deseret News. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Fraser, C. Gerald (31 August 1988). "Hazel Dawn, Stage Actress, Is Dead at 98". New York Times. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. ^ Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 48.
  7. ^ Hazel Dawn at the Internet Broadway Database
  8. ^ The Billboard, June 12, 1948, p.44
  9. ^ Hazel Dawn Jr. at the Internet Broadway Database
  10. ^ Los Angeles Times Sept. 3 1988
  11. ^ Gussow, Mel (1 November 1976). "Going Home to History at 80, Ruth Gordon Recalls 'Her Side'". New York Times. p. 82.
  12. ^ Soares, Emily. "The Actress". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 22 July 2017.

Works cited

[edit]
  • Hunter, James Michael (2013). Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon. Literature, Art, Media, Tourism, and Sports. Vol. II. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-39167-5.
  • Slide, Anthony (2012). The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-617-03250-9.

Further reading

[edit]
  • "Hazel Dawn, Who Smiled Her Way to Fame, Soon to Appear in Another Play". Lincoln Daily Star. January 2, 1916. p. 31.
  • "Stage and Screen". Mansfield, Ohio News. December 10, 1917. p. 4.
  • "American Gilrs In Paris". New York Times. March 19, 1911. p. X2.
  • "The Little Cafe Has Big Hit Song". New York Times. November 11, 1913. p. 13.
  • "Debutante In September". New York Times. June 28, 1914. p. X9.
  • "London Theatre Co. Fails". New York Times. August 27, 1915. p. 9.
  • "Hazel Dawn, Stage Actress, Is Dead at 98". New York Times. August 31, 1988. p. D21.
  • "Hazel Dawn's Portrayal Of Detective In My Lady Incog Very Clever". Woodland, California Democrat. August 30, 1916. p. 6.
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