Lyda roberti biography template
Biography
Lyda's father was German clown Roberti, her mother a Polish trick rider. As a child performer, she toured Europe and Asia with the Circus in which she was born, leaving it (and her reportedly abusive father) in Shanghai, China. In this truly international city, Lyda became a child cafe entertainer and learned the fractured English that became her trademark. Around 1927, she emigrated to California, finding work in vaudeville, where she was "discovered" in 1930 by Broadway producer Lou Holtz and became an overnight star in his 1931 show 'You Said It'. Lyda's unforgettable stage and screen character was a sexy blonde whose charming accent and uninhibited man-chasing were played for hilarious laughs. From 1932-35 she made 8 comedy and musical films mainly at Paramount, with Fields, Cantor, and other great comedians; her unique singing style was also popular on the radio and records. Her health declining from premature heart disease, she briefly replaced the late Thelma Todd in Hal Roach comedy shorts with Patsy Kelly and appeared in 3 features for MGM and Columbia, then retired from film work a few months before her fatal heart attack at age 31.
Date of Birth 20 May 1906, Warsaw, Poland, Russian Empire [now Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland]
Date of Death 12 March 1938, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack)
Lyda's father was German clown Roberti, her mother a Polish trick rider. As a child performer, she toured Europe and Asia with the Circus in which she was born, leaving it (and her reportedly abusive father) in Shanghai, China. In this truly international city, Lyda became a child cafe entertainer and learned the fractured English that became her trademark. Around 1927, she emigrated to California, finding work in vaudeville, where she was "discovered" in 1930 by Broadway producer Lou Holtz and became an overnight star in his 1931 show 'You Said It'. Lyda's unforgettable stage and screen character was a sexy blonde whose charming accent and uni Side One ETHEL MERMAN (1932-1935) EADIE WAS A LADY (Buddy DeSyrva-Nacio Herb Brown-Richard Whiting) From the Musical Production Take a Chance, with THE TAKE A CHANCE OCTETTE. Recorded 12/16/32, mx B 12735-B, B 12736-B, Brunswick 6456 (5:57). AN EARFUL OF MUSIC (Gus Kahn-Walter Donaldson) From the Samuel Goldwyn Picture Kid Millions, with JOHNNY GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Recorded 10/8/34, mx B 16117-A, Brunswick 6995 (2:52). YOU'RE A BUILDER UPPER (Ira Gershwin-E.Y. Harburg-Horold Arlen) From the Musical Production Life Begins at Eight Forty, with JOHNNY GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Recorded 10/8/34, mx B 16118-A, Brunswick 6995 (2:34). I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU (Cole Porter) From the Musical Production Anything Goes, with JOHNNY GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Recorded 12/4/34, mx B 16397-A, Brunswick 7342 (3:05). YOU'RE THE TOP (Cole Porter) From the Musical Production Anything Goes. with JOHNNY GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Recorded 12/4/34, mx B 16398-A, Brunswick 7342 (2.49). THE LADY IN RED (Mort Dixon-Allie Wrubel) From the Warner Bros. Picture In Caliente. Orchestra Conducted by AL GOODMAN. Recorded 7/17/35, mx B 17824-1, Brunswick 7491 (2 46). IT'S THE ANIMAL IN ME (Mack Gordon-Harry Revel) From the Paramount Picture The Big Broadcast of 1936. Orchestra Conducted by AL GOODMAN. Recorded 7/17/35, mx B 17825-1, Brunswick 7491 (3:12). Side Two LYDA ROBERTI (1934) COLLEGE RHYTHM (Mack Gordon-Harry Revel) From the Paramount Picture College Rhythm, with JIMMIE GRIER AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Recorded 10/5/34, mx LA 228-A, Columbia 2967-D (2,50). TAKE A NUMBER FROM ONE TO TEN (Mack Gordon-Harry Revel) From the Paramount Picture College Rhythm, with JIMMIE GRIER AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Recorded 10/5/34, mx LA 227-B, Columbia 2967-D (2:55). MAE WEST (1933) A GUY WHAT TAKES HIS TIME (Ralph Rainger) From the Paramount Picture She Done Him Wrong. Recorded 2/7/33, mx B 13037-B, Lyda Roberti, born Lyda Pecjak on May 20, 1906, in Warsaw, Poland, was a vibrant and captivating performer whose life, though tragically short, left an indelible mark on early Hollywood. Her career and personality reflected her unique background and eclectic experiences. ________________________________________ Early Life Lyda's childhood was anything but ordinary. Born into a family with a father who was a circus performer, she traveled extensively across Europe and Asia during her formative years. This nomadic lifestyle instilled in her a cosmopolitan worldview and an adaptable spirit. The family’s frequent travels eventually led them to Shanghai, China, where Lyda spent much of her youth. During this time, she cultivated her natural flair for performance, inspired by her father’s theatrical endeavors and the rich cultural exposure of their itinerant life. When her father passed away, Lyda and her mother moved back to Europe. There, she turned to entertainment as a means of supporting herself. Her early performances as a cabaret singer and dancer in Germany and Austria showcased her exuberant personality and undeniable talent, earning her a reputation as a bold and electrifying entertainer. ________________________________________ Path Toward Success Lyda’s exotic charm, comedic timing, and sultry voice made her an instant standout. She was discovered by American producers who recognized her potential as a star in the rapidly expanding film industry. She immigrated to the United States in the late 1920s and began performing in vaudeville. Lyda's big break came in the early 1930s when she transitioned to Hollywood. Her vivacious personality, coupled with her heavy Polish accent, made her an ideal fit for comedic roles in the burgeoning genre of screwball comedy. She gained widespread recognition for her performances in films like The Kid Ethel Merman, Lyda Roberti, Mae West (1934)
Lyda Roberti
Lyda Roberti (1906 – 1938)
Biography and Movie Career
Lyda Roberti Profile
20 May 06 is born in Warsaw, Poland, the daughter of Roberti, famous Continental circus clown; her mother is also in the circus as a trick rider. She has a sister, Manya, and a brother. Her grandfather was a circus clown and lived to be 100. 00s thru mid-20s travels with circuses throughout Europe, northern Africa, and Asia as a dancer in a sideshow, a bareback rider, and an aerialist. She is trapped in Russia during the war, flees across Siberia when the revolution begins, and finally reaches a Chinese port. Her most memorable experience occurs when the maddened revolutionists of Russia set fire to the circus. Her father locks her and her sister in a dressing room fearing they might be harmed if discovered by soldiers. He doesn't think of fire. One of the soldiers, who rushing into the flames to get the prize circus horse as loot, releases the girls from their apparent doom. speaks four languages Early '20s is stranded in Shanghai while in her teens when her father's circus goes bankrupt. There she works as a dancer in the Carlton café. Eventually, she salvages enough to pay her passage to the U.S., where she makes her debut in San Francisco in a Fanchon and Marco vaudeville unit as a chorus girl and as a stage dancer and a singer in Los Angeles. 19 January 31 attracts the attention of Lou Holz, famous stage comedian, who is producing a new musical comedy show, You Said It. He issues her a summons to go East, and she makes a hit with New York theater goers. Also in the cast is her sister, Manya, who came to the States three years ago. The play will run through July at Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. 27 February 31 O.O. McIntyre writes in his New York Day By Day column: "The Paramount theatre tower lights up only on Saturday night. The market crash made it soft for fortune tellers. Lyda Roberti, the platinum haired Polish girl, who is a new toast of Broadway. And deservedly." 15 April 31 the International Ne