Music To My Ears 18

 

Finally, the end.  The last of The Music To My Ears Collection (Click on in labels to see all.) I don't think this one is the oldest, but I wanted to save it for last because, in the background, you can see a head shot seen in an earlier post.  It looks like Ann Parker, or Mary Reagan, or Ruby has had a long show business career.  Not a star, but as a working entertainer.  Something few pwople are able to pull off. 

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I haven't posted much lately, so there's a pretty good gap on this collection, and if anyone wants to catch up, click on Music To My Ears in labels to see what's already been posted.  It looks like our singer has aged a bit and may, perhaps, be retired.  Written on the back, "5-11-68, Monsignor & Loud Mouth."  I'm sure that's a reference to her singing career.   And just for the hell of it, I used the color restoration setting.

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The happy couple.  Ann Parker and her accompanist husband between gigs.  Or perhaps, before the show.  Click on Music to My Ears in labels to see more.

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I guess I should have put this one up before the last one.  Same couple, same domestic scene, but clearly older.  From the fifties I'd guess, but who knows.  I think the quality might be a little off.  I did an update from Windows 10 and the control panel for my Epson scanner disappeared.  Apparently my older, perfectly acceptable scanner is no longer supported.  I'm able to make it work, but it looks like between Windows and Epson I'll have to buy a new one and like most housebound people my income is reduced.  Anyway, enough of my complaints.  Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

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It's time to return to this musical family collection.  Ii still don't know the real name versus the stage name of this lady and her husband and partner.   Anyway, from now to the end, no more stage shots, no more studio portraits no more pictures of our singer belting out a tune.  There is however a daughter.  Written on the back, "Xmas 1964."  And it's a Polaroid.  Click on Music To My Ears in labels at the bottom of the post to see more.

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Dressed up for a night out or for a night on stage?  As a former professional printer I'm insulted that the printer couldn't be bothered to clean the negative.  I'll be taking a break before putting more up from this collection. Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more. 

Music To My Ears 8

 

This is the only photograph I have of Mary Reagan, or Ann Parker or whatever stage name she was using, while actually performing.  The guys at the bar are drinking beers rather than cocktails.  A low rent dive or do the drinkers just prefer beer? 

As usual, click on Music To My Ears to see more. 

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I still haven't quite figured out what name this woman eventually ended up using, at least professionally.  Mary Reagan and Ann Parker are my two best bets, but who really knows.  I did, however, find a lot about photographer Winifred Gail  I know she was born on October 2, 1917 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.  I know she was a photo retoucher and eventually opened up her own photo studio in Hollywood.  In 1940 she married Jay Richard Bailey, an aeronautical engineer, and in 1953 she moved her studio from Hollywood to Palos Verdes, California.  According to the March 5, 1953 issue of the Palos Verdes Peninsula News she had been in Hollywood for 15 years.  If that figure is correct then she opened her Hollywood studio in 1938.  During her life she moved around a bit, and ended up in Alaska,  She died on October 6, 2017 in Sitka, Alaska.  Four days past her 100th birthday.  And, as an extra added bonus, she was a life long Christian Scientist.  So, we now know that this photo was taken before 1953.

Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

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Stamped on the back, "PLEASE CREDIT Kerr 43 west 51st street new york, n. y. eldoarado 5-3178."  And yes, they did use lower case letters as I've typed them.  Well, I did find a bit about The Kerr Studio.  It was opened in 1951 by husband and wife team, Justin and Barbara Kerr.  Originally they specialized in theatrical portraits, but by the late 1950's they began restoring and photographing pre-Colombian artifacts from Mexico and Central America.  I dug up a bit on Barbara, but nothing about Justin.  Barbara went to the Pratt Institute and died in 2014.  As I wrote, a bit.  This collection isn't finished yet, but I'm going to shelve things for awhile and move on to other photos.

Once again click on Music To My Ears to see other posts from this series.

Music To My Ears 3

A studio portrait but from her Mary Reagan or Ann Parker period?  Stamped on the back, "Photo by ATLANTIC STUDIOS 1901 ON THE BOARDWALK ATLANTIC CITY, N.J."  Very likely she was performing at an Atlantic City nightclub.  Atlantic City, the lungs of Philadelphia. Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

Music To My Ears 2

Well, Ann Parker sure looks a lot like Mary Reagan from the last post.  It also looks like Leverne Reagan has made an exit from the act.  Once again, I've dated this clipping from the movie ads on the back.  Mr. Skeffington, starring Betty Davis, was released in 1944.

Again, click on Music To My Ears to see more from this collection.  I'll be taking a break from this and going to other things for awhile before returning with some studio portraits.

Music To My Ears 1

Time to start another collection. But who is it about?  Well, that's a bit of a mystery since I have pictures of the same woman though she seems to have taken a stage name.  Leverne and Mary Reagan and Jerry Hilliard are featured in the photograph from this story from the entertainment pages of the Los Angeles Examiner.  A sister act, most likely, appearing in "Music To My Ears" which looks to have been a successful show at the Troopers Theater on Las Palmas in downtown Hollywood, L.A., California.  There are still lots of venues in that area, but I'll have to actually head over to Las Palmas to double check the address, and to be honest, it's not something I'm planning on in the near future.

Mary is the sister that shows up in other photos which is not surprising since her name is underlined.  Some of the captions on latter photographs mention "Mommy & Daddy"  and I'm moderately certain the Dad is Jerry Hilliard.  Anyway, I scanned the back of this clipping because it's how I dated the article.  Ride 'Em Cowboy, Sleepytime Gal, The Male Animal and Ghost of Frankenstein were all released  in 1942.  The Vogue Theater mentioned in the one article is still there, though no longer in use.  With all the development going on in Hollywood, I suspect it's days are numbered.

Obviously Musics To My Ears will be the tag in the labels section at the bottom of the post that eventually will pull up the whole collection.  For the time being, I'll be starting with a couple of press clippings before taking a break when I'll be posting other things.   And before I forget, I did run Leverne and Mary Reagan through IMBD as well as some of the other names used by Mary.  Nothing for the sisters though there are two credits for Jerry Hilliard.  The Red Skelton Hour form 1953 credited as supporting character and Jimmy Wakely's Jamboree from 1954 credited as himself.  It was a musical short so that makes sense. I have no idea if it's the same Jerry Hilliard.