Ethel Shutta (pronounced "shoo-TAY"; December 1, 1896 – February 5, 1976) was an American actress and singer, who came to prominence through her performances on

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

's radio show, her role in the early Eddie Cantor musical ''

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 ...

'', and her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

comeback in ''

Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...

'' at the age of 74. In a 1934 vote held by ''Radio Stars'', she came in second place, behind

Annette Hanshaw Catherine Annette Hanshaw (October 18, 1901 – March 13, 1985) was an American Jazz Age singer. She was one of the most popular radio stars of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Over four million of her records had been sold by 1934. In her ten-y ...

, as the best "female popular singer."

Career

By age seven, she was known as "the little girl with the big voice". She and her family toured as the Pee Wee Minstrels. Their family name was originally Schutte. The father, Charles, was the manager. They also played in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

as The Three Shuttas. She debuted on Broadway in ''The Passing Show of 1922'', and then in a series of Florenz Ziegfeld productions including '' Louie the 14th'' (1925) and ''

'' (1928). Shutta married band leader

George Olsen George Edward Olsen Sr. (March 18, 1893 - March 18, 1971) was an American bandleader. Born in Portland, Oregon, Olsen played the drums and attended the University of Michigan, where he was drum major. There he formed his band, George Olsen an ...

in 1926,''George Olsen Is Married; Orchestra Leader Weds Ethel Shutta, Dancer, in New Haven'', ''The New York Times'' April 8, 1926, p. 22 and the couple appeared in clubs across the country. They appeared on the

Canada Dry Radio Show, which debuted in 1932 on NBC radio. Her rendition of the song ''Rock-a-Bye Moon'' became Benny's theme song. In 1933, Shutta was featured on the '' Nestle Chocolateers'' program. A review in the October 1933 issue of ''Radio Fan-Fare'' magazine described Shutta as "a foolproof radio attraction. She knows how to sing songs, and she knows how to sell 'em." She and Olsen were heard on the '' Oldsmobile Program'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio in 1933. Shutta continued to work on her own as a singer after her 1939 divorce from Olsen. Shutta married George Kirksey in 1940; they divorced in 1957. Kirksey was a sports writer and helped bring major league baseball to Houston, Texas. She returned to Broadway in October 1963 in the short-lived musical '' Jennie'', which starred

Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in '' South Pacific'' (194 ...

. The show ran 84 performances and was not a success with critics or at the box office. Her final comeback was at the age of 73 in the original

production of the musical ''

'' (1971–72) with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. She played the role of veteran actress Hattie Walker, and sang "Broadway Baby" in which her character reminisces about her younger days as a chorus girl in the Follies.''Follies''
''Playbill''. Retrieved April 24, 2016. Steven Suskin wrote: "The actresses in the three critical supporting roles were unforgettable ... Many people have sung "Broadway Baby" over the years, but I don't think anyone has ever been out there "walking off her tired feet" like the 74-year-old Shutta." ''Follies'' was staged at the

Winter Garden Theater The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

where Shutta made her first Broadway appearance in September 1922, in ''The Passing Show Of 1922''.''The Passing Show Of 1922''
''Playbill''. Retrieved April 24, 2016.

Personal life

In 1926 she married George Olsen, with whom she had two children, Charles (who became a theater director) and George (her son George attended school with

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

, who was later to cast her in ''Follies''). Shutta sued for divorce in 1938, stating that Olsen had deserted her as of June 10, 1937."Ethel Shutta Sues Olsen for Divorce"
''Reading Eagle'', November 11, 1938, pg. 34. Retrieved April 24, 2016. According to ''The New York Times'', the divorce was granted in March 1939. Olsen opened a restaurant in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

that used his own recordings as background music. According to John S. Wilson in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', Olsen had a restaurant in Paramus, NJ called "George Olsen's". Wilson noted that "Olsen is there every day greeting guests at lunch and dinner... In the background, the original George Olsen records of the Twenties play softly.Wilson, John S. "Remember Olsen?: Remember the Era of George Olsen?", ''The New York Times'', March 17, 1968, pp. D30-31

Death

Shutta died in February 1976 in New York City in St. Clare's Hospital at the age of 79. She resided in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

."Ethel Shutta, Singer, Dies at 79; Had a 70-Year Stage Career", ''The New York Times'', February 7, 1976, p. 24

Work

;Broadway * ''The Passing Show of 1922'' (1922) * ''Marjorie'' (1924) * ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

'' (1924–1925) * ''Louie the 14th'' (1925) * ''

'' (1928) * ''Jennie'' (1963) * ''

'' (1971) * ''Sondheim: A Musical Tribute'' (1973) ;Film * ''

'' (1930) - Mary Custer * '' The Playground'' (1965) - Mrs. Cartwright ;Radio * ''The Canada Dry Ginger Ale Program'', a forerunner of ''

The Jack Benny Show ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

'' (1932) ;Television * ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' (1958-1960) - Mrs. Parker / Mrs. Foster's Friend / Mildred Anderson / Woman

References

Sources

* Ted Chapin, ''Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies'', Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2003 ()

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shutta, Ethel 1896 births 1976 deaths American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American radio actresses American stage actresses People from Greenwich Village Place of birth missing Vaudeville performers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers