Sunday 18 November 2018

Georgia Carroll born 18 November 1919


Georgia Carroll (November 18, 1919 – January 14, 2011) was an American singer, fashion model, and actress, best known for her work with Kay Kyser's big band orchestra in the mid-1940s.

The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Carroll, she was born in Blooming Grove, Texas, where her father raised sheep. Her family moved to Dallas, Texas, where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School.

One of Carroll's early jobs was modelling for a department store in Dallas, Texas. She eventually went to New York City and worked for the John Powers modelling agency. While she worked as a model in New York, she took vocal lessons. Aged 17, she made the cover of 'Redbook' and her face continued to be featured 
throughout the 1930's and 40's in fashion magazines (Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Ladies Home Journal), on calendars and in advertising

She had her first brush with celebrity when she was the model for "The Spirit of the Centennial" statue at the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. The statue still stands in front of what is now The Women's Museum. She was a 1937 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas and has been inducted into the school's Hall of Fame along with many other well-known graduates.

Carroll came to Hollywood when producers wanted her to play Daisy Mae in a film version of the Li'l Abner. Her height cost her that opportunity, however, when she turned out to be taller than the actor selected to play the title character. Her acting career began in 1941 when she appeared in several uncredited small roles in films such as Maisie Was a 
Lady with Lew Ayres and Ann Sothern, Ziegfeld Girl with Judy Garland, as well as You're in the Army Now and Navy Blues, in both of which she appeared with the Navy Blues Sextette.

She appeared as Betsy Ross in the James Cagney musical Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. She also did modelling during this time, appearing in advertisements for Jewelite hairbrushes, among other products. Anne Taintor used some of these advertisements featuring Carroll to express the voice of the modern woman.

In 1943, Carroll joined Kay Kyser's band, (Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge), as a featured vocalist. Capitalizing on her good looks, she was given the nickname "Gorgeous Georgia Carroll", probably as a joking reference to the professional wrestler George Wagner, who used the name "Gorgeous George".


                            

As a member of Kyser's band, Carroll appeared in three films: Around the World, Carolina Blues, and most notably the Second World War-era "morale booster" Thousands Cheer which gave fans a chance to see Kyser and his band in Technicolor. 
Kyser's band has a featured performance near the end of the film, with Carroll delivering a key solo interlude of the Arthur Freed/Nacio Herb Brown standard, "Should I?"

Carroll and Kyser fell in love soon after she joined the band. A popular story often goes that one night in 1944 the two were pulled over for speeding in Nevada. After introducing themselves, Kyser, who wanted to avoid a ticket, quickly made up a story that they were in a hurry to get married. Knowing that publicity over the traffic stop would soon catch up to them, they decided it was best to find a Justice of the Peace and marry that night, in order to avoid negative press. But according to
Carroll, “We were playing a show in the desert for the service men. Kay was supposed to be headed for Los Angeles but headed for Nevada because that was the only place to get married in a hurry. I knew where he was going but just hoped I was doing the right thing. The story about worrying over the press catching wind of the speeding ticket is not true. Kay and Carroll went on to become one of the most successful couples in show business.

Georgia continued as vocalist with the Kay Kyser band, as well making appearances on television, retiring from performing in 1946. She concentrated on raising her family, collecting antiques and being active in the Chapel Hill historical preservation movement. Kyser himself retired from performing in 1951. The couple, who had three children, remained married until his death in 1985. 

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is custodian of a large archive of documents and material about Kay Kyser which was donated by Carroll.

Georgia Carroll died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on January 14, 2011, age 91. (Compiled and edited from Wikipedia & IMDB)

6 comments:

Dusty said...

Ain't Much of Georgia Carroll around this is from the V disc records

https://www16.zippyshare.com/v/nXTfyoT1/file.html


Kay Kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll - Candlelight and Wine 1944 .mp3
Kay Kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll - Don't Belive Everything You Dream 1943
kay-kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll - I Dug A Ditch .mp3 1944
kay-kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll - I'm In The Mood For Love .mp3 1945
Kay Kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll & Harry Babbitt - Candlelight and Wine.
Kay Kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll - Do It Again.mp3 1943
Kay Kyser & his orchestra v Georgia Carroll - There Goes That Song Again 1945.mp3
Kay Kyser & his Orchestra v Georgia Carroll - Ma, Hes making eyes at me.mp3 1946


Dusty

boppinbob said...

Thanks Dusty, That's seven more to add to the collection!

JennyD said...

I just adored her. My favorite by her was When I'm With You. "Every street I walk on becomes a lover's lane, when I'm with you..." from an old Shirley Temple movie. In that same old movie, she did You've Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby. I swear, the things I remember, haha.

JennyD said...

Well.....scratch that entire comment. It was Alice Faye that did that song. Geez, I'm older than I even think. Sorry. BUT, I did think that Georgia was the most gorgeous woman!
Here's Alice Faye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMCXx6GE7_I

Erwin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Erwin said...

Thanks for this one. But the fourth song has nothing to do with Georgia Garroll.