This female vocalist is from Scranton, Pa. or perhaps the surrouiding area.

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Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 15 Feb 2003 11:20 PST

Hello Boomer4-ga,

Do you the name of the 1942 Broadway Musical? 

Thanks,

--Bobbie7-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 15 Feb 2003 14:20 PST

boomer4--

On my first pass, I found several female vocalists performing in
Broadway musicals that opened in 1942 who were born in Philadelphia. 
I haven't found any Scrantonites yet.  Since there is a large number
of singers in minor roles in these productions, it would be useful to
have some further information to help narrow the search.  Do you know
the name of the show or whether the person you are interested in had a
major or minor role, and do you have any other non-private
biographical information?

markj-ga

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Clarification of Question by boomer4-ga on 16 Feb 2003 01:01 PST

This reply takes a story...In early Dec 1942 I was on the NY
City/Staten Island Ferry, packed into an open stake truck with a load
of USN sailors who had been rescued from a ship that almost sank in a
hurricane. From out of the limousine
stepped two couples, the men in tuxedos and the two women in full
lenght fur
coats and evening gown. They were naturally curious and one of the
females
came to the side of the truck to inquire in any of us was from
Scranton, her
home town. Noboby was. She then said she was in a Broadway show and
invited us to go see it. I don't remember the show's name. Anyhow, she
suddenly wipped off her fur coat in the freezing cold of NY harbor,
and belted out a song which I don't remember. It was like a scene from
an Irving Berlin WWI movie.  Soory,
but that's the story. I was 17 the and I'm now 78, and I've wondered
all this
time..Who was that women. If she's still alive, I'd like to thank her
for the
memory of a lifetime - freezing cold night, singing her heart out in a
strapless
evening gown.

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Clarification of Question by boomer4-ga on 16 Feb 2003 01:16 PST

This reply takes a story...In early Dec 1942 I was on the NY
City/Staten Island Ferry, packed into an open stake truck with a load
of USN sailors who had been rescued from a ship that almost sank in a
hurricane. From out of the limousine
stepped two couples, the men in tuxedos and the two women in full
lenght fur
coats and evening gown. They were naturally curious and one of the
females
came to the side of the truck to inquire in any of us was from
Scranton, her
home town. Noboby was. She then said she was in a Broadway show and
invited us to go see it. I don't remember the show's name. Anyhow, she
suddenly wipped off her fur coat in the freezing cold of NY harbor,
and belted out a song which I don't remember. It was like a scene from
an Irving Berlin WWI movie.










but that's the story. I was 17 the and I'm now 78, and I've wondered
all this
time..Who was that women. If she's still alive, I'd like to thank her
for the
memory of a lifetime - freezing cold night, singing her heart out in a
strapless
evening gown.Janet Blair was from Blair, Pa, near Scranton and was in
the movie
"My Sister Eileen" which opened in 1942 and could have been playing in
NYC
at the time. Possibly I misunderstood about a Broadway Musical and it
could have
been Janet Blair.  You know..when people come from a hick town that
nobody heard
of, then mention the nearest recognizable city i.e. Scranton in this
case.
I'm confused after 67 years, probably this women's identity will never
be
known to my satisfaction. The only acid-test would be to find somebody
like
Janet Blair and ask her if she remembers the incident on the Ferry.

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 16 Feb 2003 04:40 PST

boomer4 --

That's quite a story, all right, and well told.  It inspires me to
look further for Scrantonites on Broadway in December 1942, but it
seems like coming up with a single convincing answer to your question
may not be feasible. We'll see.

markj-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 16 Feb 2003 06:19 PST

boomer4-ga

I have found one possibility for you. 

The actress Lizabeth Scott was born as Emma Matzo in the Czech ghetto
in Scranton.  Although she was known as a movie actress (and not as a
singer), her first break came as the understudy to Tallulah Bankhead
in the Thornton Wilder play, "The Skin of our Teeth," which opened at
the Plymouth Theater on Broadway on November 18, 1942.  Although she
long ago ended her movie career, she is apparently still living.

Here is a link to a group of pictures of her in her prime:
Lizabeth Scott Gallery
http://silverscreensirens.com/lizimage.htm

Here is a link to the brief bio that includes the facts of her
Scranton birth and her Broadway role:
Yahoo! Movies: Lizabeth Scott
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&id=1800054651&cf=biog&intl=us

And here is link to a fact sheet about the Broadway run of "The Skin
of our Teeth:"
Internet Broadway Database: The Skin of our Teeth
http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=1240


Since there may be other possible candidates, and because your
recollection is understandably a little vague, I don't believe that a
definitive answer to your question is going to be possible.  Of
course, if you are convinced that Ms. Scott is the one you are looking
for, I would be happy to write this information up as an answer.

markj-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by nellie_bly-ga on 16 Feb 2003 14:52 PST

Dear Boomer4-

I believe the singer you met may have been Wynn Murray who was born in
Carbondale, PA.  She was a Broadway performer in 1942, was discovered
in Scranton and was know for her USO performances, often under
difficult circumstances.

She was remembered fondly by many soldiers for her USO performances,
one in a thunder storm, in an Ann Landers column, Monday , August 7,
2000

Dear Ann Landers: You recently printed a letter from a World War II
vet who asked about Wynn Murray, a young singer with a USO troupe who
entertained soldiers on Morotai in 1944. She performed in a downpour
while lightning streaked across the sky. He said she was magnificent,
and asked whatever happened to her.

Thank you for printing that letter, Ann. Wynn Murray was my sister.
Shortly after Wynn performed for those troops, she was hit with
shrapnel in New Guinea, for which she received the Purple Heart. She
was lucky. Two young chorus girls from the company were killed. Later,
Wynn went to the European theater, where she met and married a captain
in the U.S. Army. She then retired and settled down as an Army wife.
She and her husband had three daughters, Mary, Alice and Kathleen.

In 1957, Wynn died at the age of 35 from a heart attack. She is buried
in Arlington National Cemetery.
http://www.thehollandsentinel.net/stories/080700/fea_entertainer.html

One of her Broadway shows was Babes in Arms.  
This story mentions that she was singing in a church choir in Scranton
when a talent scout spotted her.
http://www.willowstheatre.org/babes%206.htm

Search strategy: Search of Internet Broadway Database by age, gender
and place of birth. Review of the 29 possibles.
Then a Google search for "Wynn Murray"

Since it is impossible for me to be certain this is the woman you are
looking for, I haven't posted it as an answer.  Should you agree that
this is probably the performer on the ferry, please let me know that I
may post it as an answer.

Yours is a great story. 
I really believe I found the answer and that's satisfying to me as a
researcher, but I am sorry that Ms Murray is no longer around to hear
how much she meant to you. She must have been a nifty lady.

Nellie Bly
Google Answers Researcher