Hazel Forbes (born Hazel Froidevaux, November 26, 1910 – November 19, 1980) was an American dancer and actress.

Beauty pageants

Her professional career began at one of the

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

beauty pageants where she won honors as Miss

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

. Forbes was 16 when she was chosen

Miss United States Miss United States is a pageant held in the United States for unmarried women between the ages of 20-29. The pageant includes women selected to represent all 50 states, District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mar ...

in the Paris International Beauty Pageant of 1926.

Stage

She became a showgirl in New York City at the age of 17 in 1927. She was hired away from

Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...

and his Ziegfeld Follies by Broadway theatre producer Earl Carroll. This was for a January 1929 production at his Earl Carroll Theatre. Carroll tempted Forbes with a substantial offer for a new dance review. Ziegfeld eventually won the struggle and Forbes starred in

Whoopee! ''Whoopee!'' is a 1928 musical comedy with a book based on Owen Davis's play, ''The Nervous Wreck.'' The musical libretto was written by William Anthony McGuire, with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Gus Kahn. The musical premiered on Bro ...

which opened December 4, 1928 and Rosalie which opened January 10, 1928., in support of

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

. In 1930 she was in Simple Simon, a musical comedy by Guy Bolton - which opened on February 18. She also appeared in a short run of "Steel" by John Wexley at the Webster Hall in 1932.

Personal life

Forbes married automobile salesman, Harry Judson, in 1928 and they divorced in 1930. In 1931 she wed Paul Owen Richmond in Kennedyville, Maryland. They were happy together but Richmond died suddenly in 1932. He left Forbes a fortune estimated at $2,000,000 from his

dentifrice Dentifrices, including toothpowder and toothpaste, are agents used along with a toothbrush to clean and polish natural teeth. They are supplied in paste, powder, gel, or liquid form. Many dentifrices have been produced over the years, some focus ...

and hair shampoo interests. She met entertainer Harry Richman and married him on April 16, 1938, in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

. The Maid of Honor was Glenda Farrell and the Best Man was

Joseph M. Schenck Joseph Michael Schenck (; December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Life and career Schenck was born to a Jewish family in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Empire. He emigrated to New York City ...

. Richman reportedly spent $30,000 on the wedding with $5,000 on flowers alone. The wedding ended in divorce in 1941. The divorce was on the grounds of "cruelty". Playboy night-club singer Harry Richman was well known for his earlier romances with Clara Bow, Dorothy Darrell, showgirl Edith Roark,

Virginia Biddle Virginia Biddle (December 17, 1910 – February 21, 2003) was an American revue performer and showgirl. She was a regular performer in Florenz Ziegfeld's ''Ziegfeld Follies, Follies'' shows until 1931. In July 1931, Biddle sustained burns to her ...

, Lina Basquette, Peggy Hopkins Joyce, and Lenore Ulric. He and Forbes shared a sumptuous home in Beechhurst, Long Island. Shortly after their wedding, Forbes contracted pneumonia and was saved, in part, through the use of the drug sulfanilimide. The couple considered adopting a baby. By 1942, Forbes was divorced from Richman and was being wooed by millionaire Max Bamberger.

Film

Forbes went to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

and made a number of shorts and films. In 1929, she was in '' Harry Rosenthal and His Bath and Tennis Club Orchestra'', 1930 she was in ''The Fight''& '' Seeing-Off Service'', and in 1934 she was in the movies ''

Bachelor Bait ''Bachelor Bait'' is a 1934 American comedy film about a man (William Watts) who is fired from his job issuing marriage licenses at city hall because of the actions of a co-worker. He starts a match making business which becomes very successful b ...

'', ''

If This Isn't Love "If This Isn't Love" is a popular 1946 song composed by Burton Lane with lyrics written by E. Y. Harburg. The song was published in 1946 and introduced by Ella Logan and Donald Richards the following year in the Broadway musical '' Finian's R ...

''Brotherton, Jamie & Ted Okuda, 2013, "Dorothy Lee: The Life and Films of the Wheeler and Woolsey Girl", page 167 and ''

Down to Their Last Yacht ''Down to Their Last Yacht'' is a 1934 comic adventure produced and distributed by RKO Pictures. Plot After the stock market crash of 1929, the Colt-Stratton family is forced to rent their yacht to the nouveau riche at the behest of Nella Fitzg ...

''. She received a series of threatening letters which dissuaded her from continuing in motion pictures. She donated her salary as a movie extra to charity because of the money she was willed by Richmond.

Death

Hazel Forbes died in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. She is buried in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

References

*Albuquerque, New Mexico ''Journal'', "The Slippers, James, and Draw Up an Armchair Before the Fire for Mr. Harry Richman", July 16, 1939, Page 16. *Fresno ''Bee'', "Where Fifty Million Dollars Works For $7.50 A Day", August 12, 1934, Page 36. * Gettysburg, Pennsylvania ''Times'', "Millionaire Weds Beauty in Maryland Town Saturday", May 12, 1931, Page 2. *

Kingsport, Tennessee Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, w ...

''Times'', "Carroll One Up", January 1, 1929, Page 1. *Lincoln ''Star'', "Miss United States of 1926 Wedded for Second Time at 21", May 12, 1931, Page 11. *Lowell, Massachusetts ''Sun'', "

Dorothy Kilgallen Dorothy Mae Kilgallen (July 3, 1913 – November 8, 1965) was an American columnist, journalist, and television game show panelist. After spending two semesters at the College of New Rochelle, she started her career shortly before her 18th birth ...

", March 13, 1942, Page 69.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes Hazel 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American female dancers Dancers from South Dakota 1910 births 1980 deaths 20th-century American dancers