{{short description|American actress (1881–1965)}}
{{Infobox person | name = Mariska Aldrich | image = Mariska Aldrich, 1909.png | caption = Mariska Aldrich, 1909 | birth_name = Mariska Horvath |other_names = Matilda Agan<br> Mathilde Agan<br> Mariska Agan<br> Mariska Aldrich-Davis<br> Mrs. Emmett Davis | birth_date = {{Birth date|1881|03|27}} | birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1965|09|28|1881|03|27}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actress/Singer | years_active = 1900–1946 | spouse = {{marriage|J. Frank Aldrich|1901|1915|reason=divorce}}<br> {{marriage| William E. S. Davis |1917|1926|reason=divorce}} | partner = | website = }}
'''Mariska Horvath''', known by her married name '''Mariska Aldrich''' and prior to her marriage as '''Matilda Agan''', '''Mathilde Agan''' or '''Mariska Agan''', (March 27, 1881 – September 28, 1965) was an American singer, actress, and voice teacher. Born in Boston and raised in Brooklyn, Mariska studied singing in New York and London before appearing in her first operas in Europe in 1900 under conductor Auguste Vianesi. In 1901 she married former United States congressman J. Frank Aldrich, and later that same year made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as the Witch in Engelbert Humperdinck's ''Hansel and Gretel''. She ceased performing to start a family; giving birth to two children early in her marriage to Aldrich. Their daughter, the stage and film actress Meeka Aldrich, was born in 1903. After this she studied singing at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) and privately with teachers in New York and Europe.
Aldrich resumed her career as a contralto with Oscar Hammerstein I's opera company in the 1908-1909 season. Standing six feet tall, her height was often remarked upon in reviews. She performed with the Metropolitan Opera in 1910-1911 during which time her repertoire expanded into mezzo-soprano and dramatic soprano repertoire. In 1912 she went to Europe where she performed both mezzo-soprano and dramatic soprano roles in opera houses in the years leading up to World War I. With the outbreak of the war she returned to the United States and mainly ceased performing in opera with one notable exception being the parts of Fricka and Brünnhilde in Richard Wagner's ''The Ring Cycle'' at Carnegie Hall in 1924. She divorced her first husband in 1915. She continued to perform as a concert mezzo-soprano with orchestras, in recitals, on radio, and in vaudeville. After her second marriage to architect William Emmett Swindell Davis in 1917 she was known as '''Mariska Aldrich-Davis''' or '''Mrs. Emmett Davis'''. That marriage also ended in divorce in 1926 after which she was once again known as Mariska Aldrich.
In 1924 Aldrich had success as a dramatic actress on Broadway as the Abbess in Karl Vollmöller's play ''The Miracle''; a show which she later toured in 1926-1927. She returned to Broadway in the plays ''The Cradle Song'' (1927) and ''Lysistrata'' (1930). In the early 1930s she was involved in hosting television programs on W2XCR in the infancy of that medium. In her later career she worked predominantly as a character actress in theatre and in film in California while concurrently teaching singing out of a private studio in Los Angeles until her death in 1965 at the age of 84. The School of Music at the University of Utah holds the Mariska Aldrich Archive (MAA) which contains a large collection of historical recordings, scores, photographs, and other materials that belonged to Aldrich or were collected by her daughter Meeka. The MAA is one of the largest sound libraries in the United States.<ref name="VLT"/>
==Early life and education== Mariska Aldrich was born with the name Mariska Horvath in Boston, Massachusetts on March 27, 1881.{{sfn|Baker|Remy|1919|page=13}} She was listed as adopted in the ''U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995'' in which her birth name is given as Mariska Horvath and her adopted name as Matilda Rosa Agan.<ref name="adopt">Matilda Rosa Agan in ''U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995''</ref> The adopted daughter of David Agan<ref name="adopt"/> and the biological daughter of Agan's wife<ref name="Mathilde"/> Jennie Agan (née Mehesy),<ref name="MDEATH"/> Matilda Agan<ref>Matilda Agan in the ''1900 United States Federal Census'', New York, New York, Manhattan, District 0786, p. 7</ref>{{efn|group=upper-alpha|Some sources state she was born Mariska Horvath.{{sfn|Wilson|2016|page=13}} Her father's name was given as Dr. David N. Agan at the time of her marriage<ref name="Mathilde"/> and newspaper records refer to her mother as Jennie Agan<ref name="Jennie"/> or Jane Agan.<ref name="Jane"/> Her adopted father was American and was born David Henry Agan in Troy, New York on June 7, 1848 and died in Manhattan on November 6, 1912.<ref name="DADDEATH">David H Agan in the ''New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Death Index, 1862-1948''</ref> Her mother was named as Jennie Howath on her marriage certificate to Dr. David Agan issued in Manhattan on 29 June 1892.<ref name="stepmarriage">Jennie Howath in the ''New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937'', certificate number 7985</ref> However, the Horvath spelling of her mother's name was used earlier in the 1880 census record in which she is listed the wife of Victor Horvath.<ref name="Horvarth">Jennie Horvath in the ''1880 United States Federal Census'', New York, New York, New York City, district 050</ref> Her mother's name is given as Jennie Mehesy on a previous marriage certificate to Giza Horvath on 29 May 1880.<ref name="MarriageOne">Giza Horvath in the ''New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937'', certificate number 3992</ref> Her mother's entry in the ''California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997'' gives her name as Jennie Mehesy Agan. Her mother died in Los Angeles on November 12, 1949.<ref name="MDEATH">Jennie Mehesy Agan in the ''California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997''</ref>}} was the biological daughter of Victor Horvath<ref name="Horvarth"/> who was her mother Jennie's first husband.<ref name="MarriageOne"/> Her mother married her stepfather in 1892 when she was a year old.<ref name="stepmarriage"/>
It was widely reported in the press that she was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants to the United States;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-times-the-newest-grand-opera/195885030/|title=The Newest Grand Opera Star is an American|work=The Buffalo Times|date=September 6, 1908| page= 34}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Many New American Singers to Be Heard|work=The New York Times|date= October 10, 1909|page= 53}}</ref> however her biological father was listed as Austrian in census records<ref name="Horvarth"/> and her stepfather was an American who was born in Troy, New York.<ref name="DADDEATH"/> Her mother was from Hungary and was born in Budapest in 1861.<ref>Jane Agan in the ''U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925''</ref> Her mother was referred to as Jennie<ref name="Jennie">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-opera-singer-visi/196020473/|title=Opera Singer Visits Hawaii and Will Give Concerts Here|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date= August 21, 1916| page= 9}}</ref> or Jane Agan in newspaper publications.<ref name="Jane">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-picayune-hollywood-in-review/196020684/|title=Hollywood in Review|first=George|last=Shaffer|work=The Times-Picayune|date= August 24, 1936|page= 14}}</ref> Her stepfather worked as a physician in New York City<ref name="MARRIAGE"/><ref name="Mathilde">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wilkes-barre-times-leader-the-evening-n/196029223/|title=It Was Love at First Sight: Miss Agan Will Become the Wife of Ex-Congressman Aldrich|work=Wilkes-Barre Times Leader|date=April 15, 1901| page= 1}}</ref> and was a graduate of Bellevue Medical College. He died in 1912.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/brooklyn-eagle-dr-david-henry-agan/196037436/|title=Dr. David Henry Agan|work=Brooklyn Eagle|date= November 7, 1912|page= 14}}</ref>
Mariska grew up in Brooklyn,<ref name="Brooklyn"/> and was educated at the Academy of Saint Joseph in Brentwood, New York where she later gave a concert in 1923.<ref>{{cite news|title=Madame Mariska Aldrich Visits Her Alma Mater|work=The Brooklyn Citizen|date=Jul 1, 1923|page= 21}}</ref> She was known in newspaper publications as both Mathilde Agan<ref name="Mathilde"/> and Mariska Agan when she married former United States Congressman J. Frank Aldrich<ref name="MARRIAGE">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-j-frank-aldrich-to-wed/195885213/|title=J. Frank Aldrich to Wed Miss Mariska Agan|work=Chicago Tribune|date= March 16, 1901|page= 5}}</ref> on April 18, 1901.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-inter-ocean-j-frank-aldrich-marries/196039624/|title=J. Frank Aldrich Marries|work=The Inter Ocean|date= Apr 19, 1901| page= 7}}</ref> The couple had not known each other long, having met at the ball celebrating the Second inauguration of William McKinley<ref>{{cite news|title=The World of Society|work=Washington Evening Star|date=April 19, 1901|page=7}}</ref> which was held at the Pension Building in Washington D.C. on March 4, 1901.{{sfn|Preston|1983|page=220}} Early in her marriage she gave birth to two children, Meeka and Fred.<ref name="divorce">{{cite news|title=Ex-Congressman Gives Tea For Divorced Wife|work=Mattoon Commercial-Star|date= December 29, 1915| page= 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/mattoon-commercial-star-ex-congressman-g/195906535/}}</ref> Meeka had a career as a stage and film actress.<ref>{{cite news|title=Shattered Dreams Blamed For Death|work=The Miami Herald|date= May 1, 1928|page= 12}}</ref>
Prior to her marriage, Mariska studied singing in New York with Luisa Cappiani and in London with Alberto Randegger.<ref name="PT"/> After her marriage she studied singing in both New York<ref>{{cite news|title=Opera at the Manhattan|work=New York Herald|date= November 8, 1908|page= 21}}</ref> and Paris, France with Alfred Giraudet{{sfn|Kutsch|Riemens|2003|pages= 51–52}} from 1906–1909.{{sfn|Baker|Remy|1919|page=13}} She also studied in London with George Henschel.{{sfn|Kutsch|Riemens|2003|pages= 51–52}} She attended the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-stars-of-hammersteins/195894552/|title=Stars of Hammerstein's Grand Opera Company|work=The Boston Globe|date= March 14, 1909|page= 42}}</ref> where Giraudet was on the voice faculty.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/10/20/104879645.html?pageNumber=13|title=Obituary Notes: Alfred Giraudet|work=The New York Times|date=October 20, 1911}}</ref>
==Opera career== thumb|Mariska Aldrich in 1910. At the time of her marriage in 1901 Aldrich was described in the American press as a talented amateur singer;<ref name="MARRIAGE"/> having performed in numerous charity concerts at the Waldorf-Astoria.<ref name="PT">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-times-washington-societ/195885746/|title=Washington Society Has Plenty to Talk About|work=The Philadelphia Times|date= April 21, 1901| page= 16}}</ref> She had, however, already appeared in professional operas in Europe conducted by Auguste Vianesi in 1900.<ref name="PT"/> In May 1901, a month after her marriage, she made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as the Witch in Engelbert Humperdinck's ''Hansel and Gretel'' with Frida Felser as Hansel.{{sfn| Wearing|2013|page=56}}
After spending time starting a family and continuing her studies, Aldrich made her American debut with Oscar Hammerstein I's opera company at the Manhattan Opera House (MOH) on November 20, 1908 as the page Urbano in ''Les Huguenots'' with Cleofonte Campanini conducting.<ref name="HUEG">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-world-hammersteins-the-hu/195890777/|title=Hammerstein's ''The Huegenots'' Launches Mariska-Aldrich|first=Sylvester|last= Rawling|work=The Evening World|date=November 21, 1908| page= 4}}</ref> She was billed as a contralto at the time of her debut.<ref>{{cite news|title=Musical Notes and Comments|work=New-York Tribune|date= November 15, 1908|page= 55}}</ref> A tall woman standing at six feet,{{sfn|Forman-Brunell|2022|page=145}} her height was a point of discussion in reviews.<ref name="HUEG"/> That same month she repeated this role with Hammerstein's company at the Philadelphia Opera House with Adelina Agostinelli as Valentine, Giovanni Zenatello as Raoul de Nangis, and Alice Zeppilli as Marguerite de Valois.<ref>{{cite news|title=Saint-Saens and Meyerbeer Sung|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date= November 29, 1908|page=5}}</ref>
Other roles Aldrich performed at both the MOH and POH in the 1908-1909 season soon followed including Lola in ''Cavalleria rusticana'',<ref>{{cite news|title=2 Operas at the Manhattan|work=The New York Times|date= December 5, 1908|page= 9}}</ref> both the Voice of Antonia's mother<ref>{{cite news|title=''Contes d'Hoffmann'' is Heard Again|work=The New York Times|date= December 17, 1908|page= 9}}</ref> and Nicklausse in ''The Tales of Hoffmann'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Music|work=New-York Tribune|date= February 14, 1909|page= 7}}</ref> and Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's ''Un ballo in maschera''.<ref>{{cite news|title=News of the Musical Season|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date= March 7, 1909|page=7}}</ref> In March 1909 she toured with Hammerstein's company for performances at The Boston Theatre.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mr. Hammerstein's Opera|work=Boston Evening Transcript|date= March 27, 1909|page= 34}}</ref>
Aldrich left Hammerstein's company after signing a contract with the Metropolitan Opera ("Met") in August 1909 .<ref>{{cite news|title=Musical Notes|work=New-York Tribune|date=August 21, 1909|page= 7}}</ref> The following November she was a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra singing music by Jules Massenet, Johannes Brahms, and Claude Debussy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Will Repeat ''Manfred''|work=The Pittsburgh Post|date= November 20, 1909|page= 7}}</ref> The following month she sang a concert of music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with the Russian Symphony Orchestra under conductor Modest Altschuler at Carnegie Hall,<ref>{{cite news|title=A Tchaikovsky Concert|work=New York Herald|date=December 3, 1909|page= 10}}</ref> and gave a concert with the New York Mozart Society at the Hotel Astor.<ref>{{cite news|title=In the World of Society|work=The Brooklyn Daily Times|date= December 10, 1909|page= 21}}</ref>
Aldrich made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 26, 1910 as Azucena in ''Il trovatore'' with Rita Fornia as Leonora and Riccardo Martin as Manrico.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-herald-doings-at-the-opera-hous/195899402/|work=New York Herald|date= March 27, 1910|page= 9|title=Doings at the Opera House. Mariska Aldrich Makes Her First Appearance of the Season}}</ref> She was committed to the Met in 1910–1911 during which time her repertoire grew to include both mezzo-soprano and dramatic soprano roles.{{sfn|Kutsch|Riemens|2003|pages= 51–52}} Parts she sang at the Met included Fricka in ''Das Rheingold'', Lola in ''Cavalleria Rusticana'', Naoia in Frederick Converse's ''Iolan, Or, the Pipe of Desire'', and Venus in ''Tannhäuser''.{{sfn|Baker|Remy|1919|page=13}}
In May 1910 Aldrich was the contralto soloist in Handel's ''Judas Maccabaeus'' at the Cincinnati May Festival with conductor Frank Van der Stucken leading the musical forces. One of the performances was attended by American president William Howard Taft.<ref>{{cite news|title=Music Rules Cincinnati |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1910-05-04/ed-1/?sp=7 |via=loc.gov |work=New-York Tribune|date=May 4, 1910 |page=7}}</ref> At the invitation of Felix Mottl, she made her concert debut in Munich in 1911.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mme. Aldrich Leaves|work=New York Herald|date= February 12, 1911|page= 9}}</ref> After this she studied the dramatic soprano repertoire in Berlin with Emmy Raabe-Burg.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mariska Aldrich as Dramatic Soprano|work=Musical America|date=March 29, 1913|volume= 17|number= 21|page=14}}</ref> She sang the role of Amneris at the Prague State Opera in 1913.<ref>{{cite news|work=Musical America|date=November 15, 1913|volume=19|number=2| page=16|title=Mariska Aldrich in Prague ''Aida''}}</ref> In 1914 she performed the roles of Fricka and Brünnhilde in ''The Ring Cycle'' at the Theater des Westens in Berlin.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_musical-america_1914-07-04_20_9/page/5/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Three Americans in ''Ring'' in Berlin|work=Musical America|date= July 4, 1914|volume= 20|number= 9|page=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Berlin Gets Warm and Society Flees|work=The New York Times|date=June 28, 1914|page=2}}</ref> She was invited to repeat the role of Brünnhilde at the 1914 Bayreuth Festival but had to decline the offer due to a scheduling conflict.{{sfn|Kutsch|Riemens|2003|pages= 51–52}}
Aldrich's opera engagements were rare after 1914. In November 1924 she performed the parts of Fricka and Brünnhilde in an English language production of ''Ring Cycle'' given at Carnegie Hall by George Blumenthal's English Grand Opera Company under conductor Ignatz Waghalter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Music of the Day|work=Brooklyn Eagle|date= November 11, 1924|page= 6}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Casts for English Opera Selected|work=The Duluth News Tribune|date= September 28, 1924|page= 40}}</ref> In 1932 she performed the role of New Peace in the world premiere of Alberto Randegger's ''Via Pacis'' which was given in concert form at the The Town Hall with Beniamino Gigli as the Warrior, Pedro de Cordoba as the Seer, and Meeka Aldrich as The Seeker among other cast members.<ref>{{cite news|title=Randegger's ''Via Pacis'' Presented|work=Musical America|date=May 25, 1932|volume= 52|number= 10|page=24}}</ref> In 1939 she performed as Czipra in a production of the ''The Gypsy Baron'' at Philharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles<ref>{{cite news|title=Comedy Roles Stand Out in ''Gypsy Baron''|work=Los Angeles Daily News|date=June 14, 1939|page= 28}}</ref> and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco with John Charles Thomas as Rudi.<ref>{{cite news|title=''The Gypsy Baron'' at the Curan|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date= June 13, 1939|page= 6}}</ref>
==World War I and post-war concert career== thumb|Mariska Aldrich with her dog Fels von Gesundbrunnen, in {{circa|1918}}. With the outbreak of World War I, Aldrich left Europe and returned to the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=Says Belgians Used Red Cross to Slay Germans|work=The Jersey Journal|date= September 1, 1914|page= 1}}</ref> She brought home with her a german shepherd she had acquired in Germany named Fels von Gesundbrunnen. In 1919 Fels won a dog show sponsored by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America and became a world champion in "police dog" events involving tracking, scaling a 30 foot fence, and rescuing people from burning structures.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-call-bulletin-star-of/196667004/|title=Star of Opera Owns Champ Police Dog|work=The San Francisco Call Bulletin|date=June 17, 1919|page= 11}}</ref>
By the Fall of 1914 Aldrich had returned to New York and was teaching at Elsa Gregori's Gregorian Conservatory of Music and Art on Madison Avenue where she performed in a faculty recital in October of that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gregorian Conservatory Concert|work=Musical Courier|date=October 28, 1914|volume= 69|number=17|page=33}}</ref> In December 1914 she gave a concert of music by Paul Tietjens with the composer as her accompanist.<ref>{{cite news|title=Music News and Notes|work=The New York Times|date=December 12, 1927|page=6}}</ref> In 1915 she was a headliner in vaudeville at the Majestic Theatre in Chicago (with Eddie Foy),<ref>{{cite news|title=Majestic|work=Chicago Tribune|date= January 23, 1915|page= 7}}</ref> the Majestic Theatre in Milwaukee,<ref>{{cite news|title=Majestic|work=Milwaukee Daily News|date= February 6, 1915|page= 7}}</ref> the Columbia Theater in St. Louis,<ref>{{cite news|title=The Red Hate|work=St. Louis Globe-Democrat|date= February 11, 1915|page= 9}}</ref> the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/sfnewsletter89unse/page/n485/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Orpheum|work=San Francisco News Letter|page=10|date=May 15, 1915}}</ref> the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_los-angeles-times_the-los-angeles-times_1915-06-06/page/n23/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Orpheum|work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 6, 1915|page=24}}</ref> and the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis among other venues.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Commercial Appeal|date= March 1, 1915|page= 6}}</ref> She obtained a divorce from her first husband on October 21, 1915.<ref name="Brooklyn">{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_musical-america_1915-10-30_22_26/page/6/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Mme. Mariska Aldrich is Granted Divorce|work=Musical America|page=6|date=October 30, 1915}}</ref>
In March 1916 Aldrich gave a recital at the Princess Theatre in Manhattan in which she was billed as a mezzo-soprano.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mariska Aldrich's Recital|work=Brooklyn Eagle|date=March 5, 1916|page= 34}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Mariska Aldrich Sings|work=New York Herald|date= March 6, 1916|page= 9}}</ref> In May 1916 she performed at a Bastille Day event held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Celebrate in L.A. Fall of Bastille|work=Los Angeles Evening Express|date= July 14, 1916|page= 1}}</ref> Later that year she sang a concert of opera arias with the People's Philharmonic Orchestra led by Nikolai Sokoloff at the Cort Theatre in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-call-bulletin-philharm/195910897/|title=Philharmonic Concert Pleases Large Audience|work=The San Francisco Call Bulletin|date= August 7, 1916| page= 14}}</ref> In September 1916 she performed for Queen Liliʻuokalani in Hawaii in a concert which included a new song, "Kuu Pua I Paoakalani", composed for the monarch.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-new-song-given-to/195911384/|title=New Song Given to Honolulu By Hawaii's Queen|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date= September 14, 1916| page= 5}}</ref>
In January 1917 Aldrich was a soloist in concerts with the Los Angeles Symphony led by Adolf Tandler.<ref>{{cite news|title=Symphony Offers Unusually Fine Program|work=Morning Tribune|date= January 6, 1917|page= 13}}</ref> In July 1917 Aldrich performed at the Chautauqua Festival in Los Angeles with Charles Wakefield Cadman as her accompanist.<ref>{{cite news|title=Los Angeles Chautauqua and Music Festival|work=Evening Vanguard|date= July 3, 1917|page= 3}}</ref> In March 1917 she gave a recital at the Hotel Maryland in Pasadena.<ref>{{cite news|title=Soprano Thrills Audience at Maryland|work=Pasadena Star-News|date=March 6, 1917|page= 7}}</ref> She married Los Angeles businessman and architect William Emmett Swindell Davis in Oakland, California on April 26, 1917.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mariska Aldrich, Bride in Oakland|work=Oakland Enquirer|date= April 27, 1917|page= 11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Mariska Aldrich Becomes Bride of Los Angeles Businessman|work=Musical America|date=May 12, 1917|volume= 26|number= 2|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_musical-america_1917-05-12_26_2/page/27/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22}}</ref> This marriage also ended in divorce in 1926 after a suit was filed in 1925.<ref>{{cite news|title=Diva Defendant in Divorce Action|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=April 12, 1925|page= 51}}</ref><ref> {{cite news|title=Star Quits Husband For $500 A Month|work=The Oakland Post Enquirer|date= November 19, 1926|page= 15}}</ref>
On Easter Day 1918 Aldrich sang at a special service held at the cross located at the summit of Mount Rubidoux.<ref>{{cite news|title=On Mount Rubidoux|work=Los Angeles Times|date= March 24, 1918|page= 11}}</ref> On Mother's Day 1918 she performed a concert with composer and pianist Carrie Jacobs-Bond for the soldiers stationed at Camp Kearny.<ref>{{cite news|title=Celebrate Mother's Day with Music at California Camps|work=Musical America|date=June 1, 1918|volume=28|number= 5|page=9}}</ref> She was a soloist in a choral concert conducted by Arthur Farwell at the University of California, Los Angeles in August 1918.<ref>{{cite news|title=Farwll Leads "Sing"|work=Musical America|date=August 17, 1918|volume=28|number= 16|page=30}}</ref>
In June 1919 she gave a joint recital with the dancer Ted Shawn at the Columbia Theatre in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mariska Aldrich and Ted Shawn|work=The San Francisco Examiner|date=June 15, 1919|page= 10S}}</ref> By 1920 she was operating a private voice studio in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Program for Soldier Boys|work=The Los Angeles Times|date=September 19, 1920|page=24}}</ref> In February 1920 she performed in a vaudeville program with Will Rogers and Bebe Daniels at the Santa Fe Club in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mors Stars of the Club Programme|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 14, 1920|page= 19}}</ref> In February 1921 she sang at a concert in New York organized by Emma Cecilia Thursby.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gotham Gossip|work=The Musical Courier|date=February 24, 1921|page=58}}</ref> In 1922 she was a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Alfred Hertz at the Hollywood Bowl singing a program of music by Richard Wagner and Ludwig van Beethoven; including the "Liebestod" from ''Tristan und Isolde''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Boost Bowl Concerts|work=Los Angeles Times|date= August 12, 1922|page= 29}}</ref>
On August 21, 1923 Aldrich sang a concert of Hungarian songs on American radio.<ref>{{cite news|title=Radio Broadcast News|work=Coatesville Record|date= August 21, 1923|page= 5}}</ref> She toured in vaudeville again in 1927;<ref>{{cite news|title=Blonde Singer Has Her Lines|work=The Spokesman-Review|date= July 12, 1927|page= 5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Big Revue Will Head Vaudeville|work=San Francisco Bulletin|date= August 18, 1927|page= 7}}</ref> sharing top billing with Renée Adorée and Eva Tanguay.<ref name="VDO">{{cite news|title=Vaudeville|work=Press-Telegram|date= September 17, 1927|page=7}}</ref> In 1928 she gave a recital at the Hotel Regis,<ref>{{cite news|title=Artist's Everywhere|work=Musical Courier|date=February 16, 1928|volume=96|number=7}}</ref> and performed solos on WNYC radio in a concert that was connected to supporting women's organizations in New York.<ref>{{cite news|title=1,000s at Federations's Tea|work=Brooklyn Eagle|date= October 5, 1928|page= 6}}</ref> In 1931 she performed at the Radio World's Fair in New York which included a live television broadcast.<ref>{{cite news|date=October 1931|url=https://archive.org/details/radiodigest2627unse/page/n1102/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|work=Radio Digest|title=Television|page=16}}</ref>
==Later career in theatre, television, and film== [[File:Mariska Aldrich cooking, 1935.jpg|thumb|Mariska Aldrich cooking in 1935. She portrayed cooks in the films ''Love Begins at 20'' and ''If You Could Only Cook''. ]] In 1924 Aldrich portrayed the Abbess in the Broadway production of Karl Vollmöller's play ''The Miracle'' at the Century Theatre in which she achieved critical success.<ref>{{cite news|title=''The Miracle'' Arrives|work=The Indianapolis Star|date= January 13, 1924|page= 66}}</ref> She later toured in this show in 1926-1927.<ref>{{cite news|title=Original Cast to Tour|work=Springfield Evening Union|date= August 28, 1926|page= 4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Role of Abbess|work=Los Angeles Times|date= January 14, 1927|page= 2}}</ref> In 1927 she was a replacement cast member as the mother superior in Eva Le Gallienne's staging of ''The Cradle Song'' at the Civic Repertory Theatre.<ref>{{cite news|first=Mollie|last=Merrick|work=The Atlanta Constitution|title=Hollywood in Person|date=August 9, 1933|page=6}}</ref> In November 1930 she replaced Hope Emerson as Lampito in the Broadway revival of Aristophanes's ''Lysistrata'' at the 44th Street Theatre.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Stage|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 27, 1930|page= 35}}</ref>
While working on the New York stage Aldrich was simultaneously employed as the manager of the women's department in the New York brokerage firm W. E. Hutton & Co. in the early 1930s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/miami-news-record-the-fair-sex-takes-up/195948428/|title=The Fair Sex Takes Up Finance|work=Miami News-Record|date= February 21, 1930|page= 13}}</ref> By 1931 she was working as a television host in New York at WGBS's W2XCR under Dailey Paskman.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/radiodigest2627unse/page/n1071/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Station Parade|page=66|date=September 1931|work=Radio Digest}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=She's Televised|work=The Washington Herald|date= August 11, 1931|page= 6}}</ref> She also had her own radio program with WGBS.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Radio Newscast|work=Star Weekly|date=August 29, 1931|page= 47}}</ref> In 1933 she was back in Los Angeles performing at society events.<ref>{{cite news|title=Society and Clubs|first=Jane|last=Jackson|work=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News|date= October 5, 1933|page= 6}}</ref> She continued to perform periodically in regional theatre in California. In 1937 she portrayed Mrs. Blanche in Lloyd Chase's original musical ''Cocktail Bar'' at the Geary Theater in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1937-01-20_125_6/page/54/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Cocktail Bar|work=Variety|page=54|date=January 20, 1937}}</ref>
Aldrich sang for the 1933 animated short film ''Old King Cole'' which was part of Walt Disney's ''Silly Symphony'' series.<ref name="OKC"/> She appeared in many Hollywood films over the next thirteen years;<ref name="AFI"/> often in bit parts with in-jokes that featured her background as a well known opera singer. One such instance was in the musical comedy film ''Bottoms Up'' (1934) in which she appeared as a fan-magazine writer who unsuccessfully sings at a Hollywood event.{{sfn|Bradley|2016|page=102}} In the musical ''Maytime'' she appears as a soloist in the mini-opera ''Czartiza'' which was created specifically for that film by composer Herbert Stothart.{{sfn|Wlaschin|2024|page=89}} George Cukor cast her as a memorable voice teacher in his classic film ''The Women'' (1939).{{sfn|Michael|Parish|1969|page=338}}
Other films in which Aldrich was cast as an opera singer included ''Vagabond Lady'' (1935),<ref name="VL">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/vagabond-lady/cast/2030126900/|title=Vagabond Lady - Full Cast & Crew|work=TV Guide|access-date=April 21, 2026}}</ref> ''Fatal Lady'' (1936), and ''Two Sisters from Boston'' (1946).<ref name="AFI"/> Her height was also a factor in many of her small parts. She was cast as tall or large women in the films ''Under Your Spell'' (1936),{{sfn|Parish|1974|page=571}} ''The Cherokee Strip'' (1937),{{sfn|Lentz|1996|page=1077}} ''Madame Curie'' (1943),{{sfn|Nash| Ross|1986|page=1794}} and ''The Hidden Eye'' (1945).{{sfn|American Film Institute|1999|page=1035}} In the 1941 murder mystery comedy ''Whistling in the Dark'' she portrayed the oversize grim housekeeper Hilda to whom Red Skelton (as Wally Benton) makes the crack "Aren't you wrestling somewhere tonight?"{{sfn| McClelland|1978|page=2011}}
Occasionally Aldrich got to appear in larger character actress roles in films, including Lucretia in ''Lady by Choice'' (1934),<ref name="MPH"/> Mme. Ziffnidyiff in ''You're the One'' (1941),{{sfn|Nash|Ross|1988|page=3991}} and Mabu in ''Song of the Sarong'' (1945).<ref name="Mabu"/> Her daughter Meeka was occasionally cast in parts alongside her mother.{{sfn|Starr|2003|page=327}}
==Later life, death, and Mariska Aldrich Archive== Aldrich continued to teach voice in Los Angeles in her later life. Some artists who studied with her included actress Ruth Gillette, tenor Richard Dennis, and baritone Robert Long.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mme Aldrich in New Studio|work=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News|date= April 20, 1940|page= 17}}</ref> She died in Los Angeles on September 28, 1965 at the age of 84.{{sfn|Doyle|1999|page=7}} She was cremated at Los Angeles County Crematory on 6 October 1965. Her ashes are interred at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills.{{sfn|Wilson|2016|page=13}}
Mariska's daughter Meeka founded the Mariska Aldrich Foundation (MAF), a music library which used as its seed the many recordings, scores and other materials collected by her mother during her career. Meeka and her husband expanded the collection which was donated to the School of Music at the University of Utah after their deaths in 1998.<ref name="Archive">{{cite news|url=https://music.utah.edu/mckay-music-library/mariska-aldrich.php|title=Mariska Aldrich Archive|access-date=April 21, 2026}}</ref> Containing one of the largest collections of historical recordings in the United States, the Utah Festival Opera (UFO) sued for possession of the archive in 2000 at which time the collection was valued at over three million dollars.<ref name="VLT"/> At the time the lawsuit was filed the UFO claimed that the archive had been promised to the UFO by the MAF's executive officers.<ref name="VLT">{{cite news|url=https://www.hjnews.com/music-artifacts-hijacked/article_e7b30def-b496-5a98-9fe7-ed7c88d911fb.html|title=Music artifacts hijacked?|first=Jeremiah|last=Stettler|date=April 20, 2000|work=The Herald Journal}}</ref> The archive remains at the University of Utah as of 2026.<ref name="Archive"/>
Mariska was the subject of a portrait titled ''Caprice'', created by artist Henry Salem Hubbell in 1908.<ref>{{cite news|author=Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph|work=The New York Times|date=March 15, 1908|title= Americans To Make Paris Season Lively: An Unexpected Number Of Arrivals Now Filling Up the Hotels. Easter Tourists To Rome Many Plan Trips to the Eternal City -- Artist Hubbell Completes Notable Painting of Wife of J.F. Aldrich|url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/96817341 |id={{ProQuest|96817341}} }}</ref> This painting was in the collection of the National Arts Club in New York and was the most publicized submission to the 1908 Paris Salon. ''Caprice'' is currently in the permanent collection of the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka, Kansas as part of the Endangered Art series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indd.adobe.com/view/1aa738b0-9f4a-4bb3-b2e3-99769d42e93b|title=Endangered Art: Reclaiming a Mulvane Art Museum Legacy|year=2025|publisher=Mulvane Art Museum|pages=60–63}}</ref> Her portrait was also painted by Vera Stanley Alder.<ref>{{cite news|title=Paints Noted Persons|work=The Psychic Observer|page=4|date=May 10, 1946|url=https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-psychic-observer_1946-05-10_184/page/n4/mode/1up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22}}</ref>
==Filmography== thumb|Mariska Aldrich, 1935 {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |1923 |''Souls for Sale'' |Uncredited role |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mariska-aldrich/credits/3000114711/|title=Mariska Aldrich|work=TV Guide|access-date=April 21, 2026}}</ref> |- |1933 |''Old King Cole'' |Singer |<ref name="OKC">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/old-king-cole/cast/2030268036/|title=Old King Cole - Full Cast & Crew|work=TV Guide|access-date=April 21, 2026}}</ref> |- |1934 |''The Painted Veil'' |German Teacher |<ref name="AFI"/> |- | 1934 | ''Lady by Choice'' | Lucretia |<ref name="MPH">{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/details/motionpictureher1161unse/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=Showmen's Reviews: ''Lady By Choice''|date=October 6, 1934|journal=Motion Picture Herald|page=59}}</ref> |- |1934 |''Bottoms Up'' |Opera Singer |{{sfn|Parish|1974|page=434}} |- |1934 |''Evelyn Prentice'' |Matron |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1935 |''Vagabond Lady'' |Wagnerian vocalist |<ref name="AFI"/><ref name="VL"/> |- |1935 |''Bad Boy'' |German Woman |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1935 |''If You Could Only Cook'' |Swedish Cook |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1936 |''One Rainy Afternoon'' |Uncredited role |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1936 |''Fatal Lady'' |Member of Brazilian Opera Troupe |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1936 |''Love Begins at 20'' |Cook | |- | 1936 | ''Camille'' | Friend of Camille |{{sfn|Michael|Parish|1969|page=81}} |- |1936 |''Under Your Spell'' |Tall Woman |{{sfn|Parish|1974|page=571}} |- |1937 |''That Man's Here Again'' |Mrs. Sampson |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1937 |''Rhythm in the Clouds'' |Madame Enitiba |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1937 |''Exclusive'' |Policewoman |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1937 |''The Cherokee Strip'' |Big Wife |{{sfn|Lentz|1996|page=1077}} |- |1937 |''Maytime'' |Opera singer |{{sfn|Michael|Parish|1969|pages=214-215}} |- |1937 |''I'll Take Romance'' |Woman |{{sfn|Parish| Stanke|1975|page=122}} |- |1937 |''Live, Love and Learn'' |Dowagers |{{sfn|Parish| Stanke|1975|page=351}} |- |1937 |''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' |Ugly Woman |{{sfn|Parish| Stanke|1975|page=468}} |- |1938 |''Paradise for Three'' |Beauty Operator |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1938 |''Bluebeard's Eighth Wife'' |Nurse |{{sfn|Carringer|Sabath|1978|page=140}} |- | 1939 | ''The Women'' | Singing Teacher |{{sfn|Michael|Parish|1969|page=338}} |- |1939 |''Tell No Tales'' |Reporter |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1939 |''Four Girls in White'' |Crazy Woman |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1939 |''Stronger Than Desire'' |Police Matron |<ref name="AFI"/> |- |1940 |''Bar Buckaroos'' |Woman |{{sfn|Webb|2020|page=55}} |- |1940 |''Boobs in the Woods'' |Singing Customer | |- | 1941 | ''Whistling in the Dark'' | Hilda |<ref>{{cite news|title=Mystery Film Just the Dish For Hallowe'en|work=Calgary Herald|date= October 30, 1941|page= 8}}</ref> |- |1941 |''You're the One'' | Mme. Ziffnidyiff |{{sfn|Nash|Ross|1988|page=3991}} |- |1942 |''Ship Ahoy'' |Waldo's Mother |{{sfn|Ringgold|McCarty|1971|pages=28-29}} |- |1943 |''Madame Curie'' |Tall Woman |{{sfn|Nash| Ross|1986|page=1794}} |- |1945 |''The Hidden Eye'' |Big Woman in Elevator |{{sfn|American Film Institute|1999|page=1035}} |- |1945 |''Song of the Sarong'' |Mabu |<ref name="Mabu">{{cite news|work=Lansing State Journal|date= July 19, 1945|page= 16|title=The New Films: ''Song of the Sarong''}}</ref> |- |1946 |''Two Sisters from Boston'' |Opera Singer |<ref name="AFI">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/PersonDetails/107097|title=Mariska Aldrich|author=American Film Institute|work=AFI Catalogue|access-date=April 20, 2026}}</ref> |- |}
==References== ===Notes=== {{notelist-ua}} ===Citations=== {{reflist}} ===Bibliography=== {{sfn whitelist|CITEREFBakerRemy1919}} *{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fRY0QiacQccC&dq=%22+Mariska+Aldrich%22+%22The+Hidden+Eye%22&pg=PA1035|title=AFI Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States: Feature Films 1941-1950|author= American Film Institute|year=1999|editor-first1=Amy|editor-last1= Dunkleberger|editor-first2= Patricia King|editor-last2= Hanson|isbn=978-0520215214|publisher=University of California Press}} *{{bdm}} <!-- Baker & Remy 1919 --> *{{cite book|title=Unsung Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Era: 50 Overlooked Films and Their Stars, 1929-1939|first= Edwin M.|last= Bradley|year=2016|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn= 9780786498338}} *{{cite book|title=Ernst Lubitsch: A Guide to References and Resources|first1= Robert L.|last1= Carringer|first2= Barry|last2= Sabath|year=1978|publisher=: G. K. Hall|isbn= 9780816178957}} *{{cite book|title=The Ultimate Directory of Silent and Sound Era Performers: A Necrology of Actors and Actresses|first=Billy H.|last= Doyle|year= 1999|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn= 9780810835474}} *{{cite book|title=The Story of Rose O'Neill: An Autobiography|volume= 1|year=2022|editor-first=Miriam|editor-last= Forman-Brunell|publisher=University of Missouri Press|isbn=9780826260543}} *{{cite encyclopedia|first1= K. J.|last1= Kutsch|first2= Leo|last2= Riemens|encyclopedia=Grosses Sängerlexikon|publisher=K. G. Saur Verlag|editor-first=Hansjörg|editor-last= Rost|title=Aldrich, Mariska|year=2003}} *{{cite book|title=Western and Frontier Film and Television Credits 1903-1995|year=1996|last= Lentz|first= Harris M.|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0786401581}} *{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_051349221/page/210/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=The Golden Age of B Movies|first= Doug|last=McClelland|publisher=Bonanza Books|year=1978|isbn=978-0820201993}} *{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americanmovieshi00michrich/page/80/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|year=1969|publisher=Garland Books|title=The American Movies; The History, Films, Awards: A Pictorial Encyclopedia|editor-first1=Paul|editor-last1=Michael|editor-first2= James Robert |editor-last2=Parish}} *{{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Jay Robert |last2=Ross |first2=Stanley Ralph |title=Motion Picture Guide L–M|year=1986|publisher=Cinebooks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_aMqAQAAIAAJ&q=%22%20Mariska%20Aldrich%22%20%22Madame%20Curie%22|isbn=978-0933997059}} *{{cite book |last1=Nash |first1=Jay Robert |last2=Ross |first2=Stanley Ralph |title=Motion Picture Guide W–Z |year=1988|publisher=Cinebooks |isbn=978-0-933997-09-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/motionpicturegui0009jayr/page/3820/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22}} *{{cite book|title=The RKO Gals|first= James Robert|last= Parish|year=1974|publisher=Arlington House|url=https://archive.org/details/rkogals00pari/page/434/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|isbn=9780870002465}} *{{cite book|title=The Debonairs|first1=James Robert|last1= Parish|first2= Don E.|last2= Stanke|editor-first=T. Allan|editor-last= Taylor|year=1975|publisher=Arlington House|isbn=978-0870002939|url=https://archive.org/details/debonairs00pari/page/468/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22}} *{{cite book|title=Music for Hire: A Study of Professional Musician in Washington (1877–1900)|publisher=Pendragon Press|first=Katherine K.|last= Preston|year= 1983|isbn=978-0-918728-66-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5kkkQ8vsXT4C&dq=%22inauguration+ball%22+%C2%A0March+4,+1901+%22Pension+Building%22&pg=PA220}} *{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/filmsoffranksina00ring/page/29/mode/2up?q=%22Mariska+Aldrich%22|title=The Films of Frank Sinatra|first1=Gene|last1=Ringgold|first2= Clifford|last2= McCarty |year=1971|publisher=Citadel Press|isbn=978-0806502625}} *{{cite book|last=Starr|first=Martin P. |title=The Unknown God: W.T. Smith and the Thelemites|year=2003|publisher=The Teitan Press, Inc.|isbn=0-933429-07-X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZM2DpIct1jsC&q=Mariska+Aldrich&pg=PA327}} *{{cite book|title=The London Stage, 1900-1909: A Calendar of Plays and Players|last=Wearing|first=J. P|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2GAEQAAQBAJ&dq=%22The+London+Stage,+1900-1909%22%C2%A0%22Mariska+Aldrich%22&pg=PA56|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9798216215769|year=2013}} *{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of American Short Films, 1926-1959|first= Graham|last= Webb|year=2020|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9781476681184}} *{{cite book|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d Ed.|first= Scott|last= Wilson|year=2016|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9780786479924}} *{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of American Opera|first= Ken|last= Wlaschin|year= 2024|isbn= 9781476612386|publisher=McFarland & Company}}
==External links== {{Commonscat}} * {{IMDb name|0017689}} * [http://www.papermemoriesplus.com/product/1909-april-the-burr-mcintosh-monthly-magazine--mariska-aldrich-cover--ii-2873 Mariska Aldrich on the cover of The Burr Mcintonsh Monthly – magazine, April 1909] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054951/http://www.papermemoriesplus.com/product/1909-april-the-burr-mcintosh-monthly-magazine--mariska-aldrich-cover--ii-2873 |date=2016-03-04 }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Mariska}} Category:1881 births Category:1965 deaths Category:American stage actresses Category:Spouses of Illinois politicians Category:20th-century American actresses Category:20th-century American women opera singers Category:Actresses from Boston Category:American operatic contraltos Category:American operatic mezzo-sopranos Category:American operatic sopranos Category:Classical musicians from Massachusetts Category:Singers from Boston Category:Singers from Brooklyn