Jump to content

Doris Eaton Travis: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→External links: recat using AWB (8964)
No edit summary
 
(144 intermediate revisions by 93 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American actress}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Doris Eaton Travis as Ziegfeld Girl.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| name = Doris Eaton Travis
| caption = Doris Eaton Travis in about 1920, during the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' years
| birth_name = Doris Eaton
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|3|14}}
| birth_place = [[Norfolk, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|5|11|1904|3|14}}
| death_place = [[Commerce, Michigan]], U.S.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Martin
| first = Douglas
| title = Doris E. Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106
| newspaper = [[The New York Times]]
| language =
| date = 11 May 2010
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/arts/dance/12travis.html}}</ref>
| occupation = Actress, dancer, author, Teacher/Instructor.
| years_active = 1910–2010<br />(100 years)
| spouse = Paul Travis (1900-2000); (m.1930–2000)<br />Joe Gorham (1923)
}}


{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
'''Doris Eaton Travis''' (March 14, 1904 – May 11, 2010)<ref name=Playbill>Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/139454-Doris-Eaton-Travis-Among-the-Last-of-the-Ziegfeld-Girls-Dead-at-106 "Doris Eaton Travis, Among the Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dead at 106"] Playbill, May 11, 2010</ref> was an American actress of both [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and film, as well as a dance instructor, and author. As a dancer she was also the last surviving [[Ziegfeld girl]] member.


{{Infobox person
Travis began performing onstage as a young child, and made her Broadway debut at the age of 13. A year later, in 1918, she joined entrepreneur [[Florenz Ziegfeld]] who founded the famed ''[[Ziegfeld Follies]]'' as the youngest Ziegfeld Girl ever cast in the show. She continued to perform in stage productions and silent films throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.
| name = Doris Eaton Travis
| image = DEaton 1922.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Doris Eaton Travis in 1922
| birth_name = Doris Eaton
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|3|14}}
| birth_place = [[Norfolk, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|5|11|1904|3|14}}
| death_place = [[Commerce, Michigan]], U.S.
| resting_place = Guardian Angel Cemetery, Rochester, Michigan
| other_names = Doris Levant<br>Lucille Levant
| alma_mater = [[University of Oklahoma]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|dancer|dancer instructor|dance school owner and manager|writer|rancher}}
| years_active = 1909–2010
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Joe Gorham|1923|1923|end=died}}
* {{marriage|Paul Travis|1949|2000|end=died}}
}}
| relatives = [[Mary Eaton]] (sister)<br>[[Pearl Eaton]] (sister)<br>[[Charles Eaton (American actor)|Charles Eaton]] (brother)
}}


'''Doris Eaton Travis''' (March 14, 1904&nbsp;– May 11, 2010) was an American dancer, stage and film actress, dance instructor, owner and manager, writer, and rancher, who was the last surviving [[Ziegfeld Girl]], a troupe of acclaimed chorus girls who performed as members in the Broadway theatrical revues of the [[Ziegfeld Follies]].
When her career in stage and screen declined, she started a second career as an [[Arthur Murray Dance Studios|Arthur Murray]] dance instructor and local television personality in [[Detroit]]. Her association with Arthur Murray lasted for three decades, during which time she rose through the ranks to own and manage a chain of nearly 20 schools. After retiring from her career with Arthur Murray, she went on to manage a horse ranch with her husband and returned to school, eventually earning several degrees.

She began performing onstage as a young child, and along with her siblings, she was one of [[The Seven Little Eatons]], an extended family of show-business performers. She made her Broadway debut in stage production at age 13, and a year later she was cast as a member of the famed ''Ziegfeld Follies''—the youngest ever cast in the show. She continued to perform in stage productions and silent films throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.
When her career in stage and screen declined, Travis started a second career as a dance instructor for the [[Arthur Murray Studios]] and was a local television personality in [[Detroit]]. Her association with Arthur Murray lasted for three decades, during which time she rose through the ranks to own and manage a chain of nearly twenty schools. After retiring from her career with Arthur Murray, she went on to manage a horse ranch with her husband and returned to school, eventually earning several degrees. she had 2 children.


Travis was featured in several books and documentaries about the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' years, and her other stage endeavours. Travis had also returned to the stage as a featured performer in benefit performances. She died at the [[centenarian|age of 106]] in 2010, a month after her last performance.
==Documentaries and Authorship ==
In her later years, Travis had returned to the public eye. As the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl, she was featured in several books and documentaries about the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' and her other stage endeavors. Eaton Travis had also returned to the stage as a featured performer in benefit performances for ''[[Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS]]''.


==Early Life and Career - Theatre ==
==Early life==
[[File:Doris Eaton Travis in her youth.jpg|thumb|Doris Eaton Travis in her youth]]
[[File:Doris Eaton Travis in her youth.jpg|thumb|Doris Eaton Travis in her youth]]
'''Doris Eaton''' was born on March 14, 1904 in [[Norfolk, Virginia]] to Mary and Charles Eaton and was raised as a Christian Scientist.<ref>Comer, Ruby.[http://www.aumag.org/features/RubyAugust04.html "Ruby’s Rap"] aumag.org, August 2004. The third question asks if Doris is a healthy girl and Doris answers, "Yes, I am. I don't take any medicine. I'm a '''Christian Scientist''', Ruby".</ref> She was one of seven children in the family.<ref name="McElroy obit">{{cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100512/ap_en_ot/us_obit_ziegfeld_girl|title=Last Broadway Ziegfeld Follies Girl dies at 106|last=McElroy|first=Tom|date=11 May 2010|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=12 May 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Eaton began attending dance lessons in [[Washington, D.C.]], along with her sisters [[Mary Eaton|Mary]] and [[Pearl Eaton]], aged four. In 1911, all three sisters were hired for a production of [[Maurice Maeterlinck]]'s fantasy play ''[[The Blue Bird (play)|The Blue Bird]]'' at the Shubert Belasco Theatre in Washington. While Eaton had a minor role in the show, as a sleeping child in the Palace of Night scene, it marked the beginning of her career in professional theatre.<ref name="DET">{{cite book|title=The Days We Danced|publisher=Marquand Books|year=2003|author=Travis, Doris Eaton|isbn=0-8061-9950-4
She was one of seven children born to Mary (née Saunders) and Charles H. Eaton in [[Norfolk, Virginia]].<ref name="McElroy obit">{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100512/ap_en_ot/us_obit_ziegfeld_girl|title=Last Broadway Ziegfeld Follies Girl dies at 106|last=McElroy|first=Tom|date=May 11, 2010|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=May 12, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100514121833/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100512/ap_en_ot/us_obit_ziegfeld_girl|archivedate=May 14, 2010}}</ref> She was raised as a [[Christian Scientist]] and remained a practitioner for the rest of her life.<ref>Comer, Ruby.[http://www.aumag.org/features/RubyAugust04.html "Ruby's Rap"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015151140/http://www.aumag.org/features/RubyAugust04.html|date=October 15, 2007}} aumag.org, August 2004. The third question asks if Doris is a healthy girl and Doris answers, "Yes, I am. I don't take any medicine. I'm a Christian Scientist, Ruby".</ref> At the age of four, Travis began attending dance lessons in [[Washington, D.C.]], along with her sisters [[Mary Eaton|Mary]] and [[Pearl Eaton]]. In 1911, all three sisters were hired for a production of [[Maurice Maeterlinck]]'s fantasy play ''[[The Blue Bird (play)|The Blue Bird]]'' at the [[Lafayette Square Opera House|Belasco Theatre]] in Washington, D.C. While Travis had a minor role in the show, as a sleeping child in the "Palace of Night" scene, it marked the beginning of her career in professional theatre.<ref name="DET">{{cite book|title=The Days We Danced|publisher=Marquand Books|year=2003|author=Travis, Doris Eaton|isbn=0-8061-9950-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dayswedancedstor00trav}}</ref>
|accessdate=2008-02-06}}</ref>


==Career==
===Theatre===
After ''The Blue Bird'', in 1912, the three Eaton sisters and their younger brother Joe began appearing in various plays and melodramas for the [[Poli Stock Company]]. They quickly gained reputations as professional, reliable, and versatile actors, and were rarely out of work.<ref name=DET />
After ''The Blue Bird'', in 1912, the three Eaton sisters and their younger brother Joe began appearing in various plays and melodramas for the [[Poli Stock Company]]. They quickly gained reputations as professional, reliable, and versatile actors, and were rarely out of work.<ref name=DET />


In 1915, all three sisters appeared in a new production of ''The Blue Bird'' for Poli. Doris and Mary were given the starring roles of Mytyl and Tyltyl. The siblings were subsequently invited to reprise their roles for a New York and road tour of the play, produced by the [[Shubert Brothers]]. When the show closed, Doris and her brother Charlie, who had followed his four siblings into show business, resumed their work with Poli and appeared together in their first Broadway show, ''Mother Carey's Chickens'' at the [[Cort Theatre]]. The entire Eaton family relocated to [[New York City]], where the children pursued their careers in various stage projects.<ref name=DET /><ref name="IBDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=39166|title=Doris Eaton Travis at the Internet Broadway Database|accessdate=2008-02-06}}</ref>
In 1915, all three sisters appeared in a new production of ''The Blue Bird'' for Poli. Doris and Mary were given the starring roles of Mytyl and Tyltyl. The siblings were subsequently invited to reprise their roles for a New York and road tour of the play, produced by the [[Shubert Brothers]]. When the show closed, Doris and her brother [[Charles Eaton (American actor)|Charles]], who had followed his four siblings into show business, resumed their work with Poli and appeared together in their first Broadway show, ''Mother Carey's Chickens'' at the [[Cort Theatre]]. The entire Eaton family relocated to New York City, where the children pursued their careers in various stage projects.<ref name=DET /><ref name="IBDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=39166|title=Doris Eaton Travis at the Internet Broadway Database|accessdate=February 6, 2008}}</ref>


==''Ziegfeld Follies'' years==
===''Ziegfeld Follies''===
[[File:Doris Eaton Travis as Ziegfeld Girl.jpg|thumb|right|Eaton, as a member of The Ziegfeld Follies revue]]
By 1918, Pearl Eaton had become a dancer and assistant to the director with the [[Ziegfeld Follies]]. The Follies were a series of elaborate musical [[revues]] on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in [[New York City]] from 1907 through 1931. Inspired by the [[Folies Bergères]] of [[Paris]], the Follies were conceived and mounted by [[Florenz Ziegfeld]].<ref>Kenrick, John.[http://www.musicals101.com/ziegbio2.htm "Florenz Ziegfeld:Biography - Part II"] Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010</ref> When Doris accompanied Pearl to a rehearsal, dance supervisor Ned Wayburn spotted her and hired her for a role in the summer touring company of the 1918 ''Follies.''<ref name="Wilson">{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_1_29/ai_53567018|title=Doris Eaton Travis, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer|publisher=''Interview''|accessdate=2008-02-06|date=January 1999|author=Wilson, Victoria |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071006085938/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_1_29/ai_53567018 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-10-06}}</ref><ref name="pb2">{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/85619.html|title=Nearly) Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl Tells All: 100-Year-Old Doris Eaton Visits New Amsterdam Once More|publisher=''Playbill'' Online|accessdate=2008-02-06|date=April 17, 2004|author=Simonson, Robert}}</ref>
By 1918, Pearl Eaton had become a dancer and assistant to the director with the [[Ziegfeld Follies]]. The Follies were a series of elaborate musical [[revue]]s on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in New York City from 1907 through 1931. Inspired by the [[Folies Bergère]] of Paris, the Follies were conceived and produced by [[Florenz Ziegfeld]].<ref>Kenrick, John.[http://www.musicals101.com/ziegbio2.htm "Florenz Ziegfeld:Biography - Part II"] Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010</ref> When Travis accompanied Pearl to a rehearsal, dance supervisor Ned Wayburn spotted her and hired her for a role in the summer touring company of the 1918 ''Follies.''<ref name="Wilson">{{cite magazine|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_1_29/ai_53567018|title=Doris Eaton Travis, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer|magazine=Interview|accessdate=February 6, 2008|date=January 1999|author=Wilson, Victoria |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071006085938/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_1_29/ai_53567018 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = October 6, 2007}}</ref><ref name="pb2">{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/85619.html |title=Nearly) Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl Tells All: 100-Year-Old Doris Eaton Visits New Amsterdam Once More |publisher=Playbill Online |accessdate=February 6, 2008 |date=April 17, 2004 |author=Simonson, Robert|authorlink1=Robert Simonson |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050424031641/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/85619.html |archivedate=April 24, 2005 }}</ref>


The day she finished the eighth grade, Doris began rehearsals to become a [[Ziegfeld girl]] in the ''Follies''.<ref>Kenrick, John.[http://www.musicals101.com/ziegspeaks.htm "Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. article, "What Makes A 'Ziegfeld Girl'"?] Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010</ref> To circumvent child labor laws and the attention of the [[Gerry Society]], she performed under the stage names "Doris Levant" (actually her young niece's name) and "Lucille Levant". As soon as she turned sixteen, she began using her real name again. Wayburn was one of only a few people who were aware of her true age, and arranged for her mother to accompany her on the ''Follies'' tour as a paid member of the company.<ref name=DET /><ref name=pb2 />
The day she finished the eighth grade, Travis began rehearsals to become a [[Ziegfeld Girl]] in the ''Follies''.<ref>Kenrick, John.[http://www.musicals101.com/ziegspeaks.htm "Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. article, "What Makes A 'Ziegfeld Girl'"?] Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010</ref> To circumvent child labour laws and the attention of the [[Gerry Society]], she performed under the stage names "Doris Levant" (her young niece's name) and "Lucille Levant". As soon as she turned sixteen, she began using her real name again. Wayburn was one of only a few people who were aware of her true age, and arranged for her mother to accompany her on the ''Follies'' tour as a paid member of the company.<ref name=DET /><ref name=pb2 />


Eaton Travis would associate with Ziegfeld for several years, appearing in the 1918, 1919, and 1920 editions of the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' and the 1919 ''Midnight Frolics''.<ref name=IBDB /> She was the understudy to star [[Marilyn Miller]]. Doris was not the only member of the Eaton family to prosper in the show: by 1922, siblings Mary, Pearl, Doris, Joe, and ten-year old Charlie had all performed in one edition of the ''Follies'' or another. Doris' last appearance with the ''Follies'' was in the 1920 edition.<ref name=DET /><ref name=Wilson />
Travis would associate with Ziegfeld for several years, appearing in the 1918, 1919, and 1920 editions of the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' and the 1919 ''Midnight Frolics''.<ref name=IBDB /> She was the understudy to star [[Marilyn Miller]]. Travis was not the only member of the Eaton family to prosper in the show: by 1922, siblings Mary, Pearl, Doris, Joe, and ten-year-old Charles had all performed in one edition of the ''Follies'' or another. Her last appearance with the ''Follies'' was in the 1920 edition.<ref name=DET /><ref name=Wilson />


==Film ==
===Film===
Eaton Travis made her motion picture debut at the age of 17 in the 1921 romantic drama ''At the Stage Door,'' opposite [[silent film]] star [[Billie Dove]]. Her career flourished in the 1920s and early 1930s. She appeared in a number of additional silent films, including ''[[Tell Your Children]]'' with director [[Donald Crisp]] in [[England]] and [[Egypt]]; performed in five different Broadway shows and danced in the ''Hollywood Music Box Revue'' and the ''Gorham Follies'' in Los Angeles and the Hollywood Club in New York.<ref name=DET /><ref name=Wilson /><ref name="IMDB">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247811/|title=Doris Eaton Travis at the Internet Movie Database|accessdate=2008-02-06}}</ref>
Travis made her motion picture debut at the age of 17 in the 1921 romantic drama ''At the Stage Door,'' opposite [[silent film]] star [[Billie Dove]]. Her career flourished in the 1920s and early 1930s. She appeared in a number of additional silent films, including ''[[Tell Your Children]]'' with director [[Donald Crisp]] in England and [[Egypt]]; performed in five different Broadway shows and danced in the ''Hollywood Music Box Revue'' and the ''Gorham Follies'' in Los Angeles and the Hollywood Club in New York.<ref name=DET /><ref name=Wilson />


While in the ''Hollywood Music Box Revue'', Eaton Travis premiered two important songs, both composed by [[Nacio Herb Brown]]: "[[Singin' in the Rain (song)|Singin' in the Rain]]" and "The Doll Dance." Doris was the lyricist for the latter song, but did not receive due credit.
While in the ''Hollywood Music Box Revue'', Travis debuted two important songs, both composed by [[Nacio Herb Brown]]: "[[Singin' in the Rain (song)|Singin' in the Rain]]" and "The Doll Dance". Travis was the lyricist for the latter song, but did not receive due credit. In 1929 she also appeared in ''The Very Idea'', which has been shown on cable. At the age of 18, she married Joe Gorham, producer of the Gorham Follies. The union lasted for six months, ending when Gorham died of a heart attack.<ref name=DET /><ref name=Wilson />


===Dance instructor and ranching===
Aged 18, Doris Eaton married [[Joe Gorham]], the producer of the [[Gorham Follies]].. The union lasted for six months, ending when Gorham died of a heart attack.<ref name=DET /><ref name=Wilson />
Travis performed in her final Broadway show, ''Merrily We Roll Along'', at the [[Music Box Theatre]], in 1935.<ref name=IBDB /> Her career, along with those of her siblings, declined in the 1930s. She returned to work in stock theatrical productions on [[Long Island]] and had a brief, unsuccessful foray into [[vaudeville]] with her brother Charles.<ref name=DET />


In 1936, she was hired by the [[Arthur Murray Dance Studios]] in New York as a tap dance instructor. She remained with the Arthur Murray company for thirty-two years, advancing from teaching to owning her own school. She eventually established and owned a total of eighteen Arthur Murray studios across [[Michigan]]. She also authored a column of dance advice and commentary for the ''Detroit News'' entitled "On Your Toes" and hosted a local television program for seven years.<ref name=DET /><ref name=pb2 /><ref name="jax">{{cite web|url=http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/011808/D8U8HF8G2.shtml|title=Oldest living Ziegfeld girl kicks off annual Art Deco Weekend|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=February 6, 2008|date=January 18, 2008|author=Orkin Emmanuel, Lisa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221121625/http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/011808/D8U8HF8G2.shtml|archive-date=February 21, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Arthur Murray Dance Instructor and Rancher ==
Travis performed in her final Broadway show, the play ''Merrily We Roll Along'' at the [[Music Box Theatre]], in 1935.<ref name=IBDB /> Her career, along with those of her siblings, declined in the 1930s. She returned to work in stock theatrical productions on [[Long Island]] and had a brief, albeit unsuccessful, foray into [[vaudeville]] with her brother [[Charles Eaton (actor)|Charlie]].<ref name=DET />

In 1936, she was hired by the [[Arthur Murray Dance Studios]] in New York as a tap dance instructor. She remained with the Arthur Murray company for thirty-two years, advancing from teaching to owning her own school. Eventually Eaton Travis established and owned a total of eighteen Arthur Murray studios across [[Michigan]]. She authored a column of dance advice and commentary for the ''Detroit News'' entitled "On Your Toes" and hosted a local television program for seven years.<ref name=DET /><ref name=pb2 /><ref name="jax">{{cite web|url=http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/011808/D8U8HF8G2.shtml|title=Oldest living Ziegfeld girl kicks off annual Art Deco Weekend|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=2008-02-06|date=January 18, 2008|author=Orkin Emmanuel, Lisa}}</ref>
One of her pupils, inventor and engineer Paul Travis, became her husband after an 11-year courtship. Their marriage lasted over fifty years, until Paul's death in 2000; they had no children.<ref name=DET /><ref name= jax />
One of her pupils, inventor and engineer Paul Travis, became her husband after an 11-year courtship. They wed on March 19, 1949<ref>Ancestry Library Edition{{verify source|date=May 2023}}</ref> and their marriage lasted over fifty years, until Paul's death in 2000. They had no children.<ref name=DET /><ref name= jax /> After retiring from the dance studio business in 1968, Travis and her husband moved to [[Norman, Oklahoma]], and established a ranch. The initial {{convert|220|acre|ha|0|adj=on}} plot grew to {{convert|880|acre|ha|0}}, and many of the quarter-horses bred and raised on the ranch had success in racing. The ranch operated largely as a boarding facility, managed by Travis, until 2008.<ref name=Wilson /><ref name=jax />
After retiring from the dance studio business in 1968, Eaton Travis and her husband moved to [[Norman, Oklahoma]], and established a ranch. The initial {{convert|220|acre|ha|0|adj=on}} plot grew to {{convert|880|acre|ha|0}}, and many of the quarter-horses bred and raised on the ranch had success in racing. The ranch operated largely as a boarding facility, managed by Eaton Travis, until 2008.<ref name=Wilson /><ref name=jax />


==Later life==
==Later years==
[[File:Doris Eaton Travis color.jpg|thumb|Doris Eaton Travis in April 2010 aged 106]]
[[File:Doris Eaton Travis color.jpg|thumb|Doris Eaton Travis in April 2010, a month before her death, aged 106]]
In 1992, aged 88, Eaton Travis graduated [[cum laude]] from the [[University of Oklahoma]].<ref name=DET /> She was awarded an honorary doctorate from [[Oakland University]] in 2004 at the age of 100.
In 1992, aged 88, Travis graduated [[cum laude]] and [[Phi Beta Kappa]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/arts/dance/12travis.html|title=Doris Eaton Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106|first=Douglas|last=Martin|date=May 12, 2010|accessdate=March 25, 2019|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> from the [[University of Oklahoma]].<ref name=DET /> She was awarded an honorary doctorate from [[Oakland University]] in 2004 at the age of 100.


In 1997, she and four former Ziegfeld Girls reunited for the reopening of the [[New Amsterdam Theatre]]. She later recalled that she was the only one still able to dance.<ref name="McElroy obit"/> The following year, Travis returned to Broadway and the New Amsterdam Theatre, the same venue where she had first appeared in 1918, 80 years earlier, to participate in the Easter Bonnet Competition, a benefit for ''[[Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS]]''. She became the show's "lucky charm" and an audience favourite, and continued to appear in the production almost every year, often presenting renditions of her old dances to standing ovations from the audience.<ref name=DET /><ref name=pb2 /><ref name="pb1">{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92461.html |title=Easter Bonnet Competition Raises $2.5 Million |publisher=Playbill Online |accessdate=February 6, 2008 |date=April 20, 2005 |author=Viagas, Robert |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304192314/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92461.html |archivedate=March 4, 2008 }}</ref>
In 1997, she and four former Ziegfeld Girls reunited for the reopening of the [[New Amsterdam Theatre]]. She later recalled that she was the only one still able to dance.<ref name="McElroy obit"/>


In 1999, she made her first film appearance in 70 years with a small role in ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'' with [[Jim Carrey]]. In 2001, she became the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl, following the death of Nona Otero Friedman (April 2, 1908 – August 3, 2001). She appeared in several documentaries and interviews about the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' and her siblings and colleagues; she also published an autobiography and family history, entitled ''The Days We Danced'', in 2003, turning 100 in 2004.<ref name="McElroy obit"/> In 2006, she was the subject of a photo-collage biography by Pulitzer Prize nominee Lauren Redniss entitled ''Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies''.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}
In 1998, Eaton Travis returned to Broadway and the New Amsterdam Theatre, the same venue where she had first appeared in 1918, 80 years earlier, to participate in the '''Easter Bonnet Competition''', a benefit for ''Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS''. She became the show's "lucky charm" and an audience favorite, and continued to appear in the production almost every year, often presenting renditions of her old dances to standing ovations from the audience.<ref name=DET /><ref name=pb2 /><ref name="pb1">{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92461.html|title=Easter Bonnet Competition Raises $2.5 Million|publisher=''Playbill'' Online|accessdate=2008-02-06|date=April 20, 2005|author=Viagas, Robert}}</ref> In 1999 she made her first film appearance in over sixty-five years with a small role in ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'' with [[Jim Carrey]].<ref name=IMDB />


In January 2008, Travis served as The Grand Marshal of the opening parade for the [[Art Deco]] Weekend festival in [[Miami Beach]].<ref name=jax /> Her last public appearance dancing was the opening of the 2010 Easter Bonnet show on April 27, 2010, with her last public appearance being an interview with author Stuart Lutz at a [[Barnes & Noble]] bookstore in Manhattan two days later.<ref name=Playbill/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBlpIasJZo4&app=desktop |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/UBlpIasJZo4 |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=Last Ziegfeld Folly performer Doris Eaton Travis interview 4-29-10 part 1|date=May 5, 2010|accessdate=March 25, 2019|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
She appeared in several documentaries and interviews about the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' and her siblings and colleagues; she also published an autobiography and family history, entitled ''The Days We Danced'', in 2003.<ref name="McElroy obit"/> In 2006, Eaton Travis was the subject of a photo-collage biography by Pulitzer Prize nominee Lauren Redniss entitled ''Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies''.


==Death==
In January 2008 Eaton Travis served as the Grand Marshal of the opening parade for the [[Art Deco]] Weekend festival in [[Miami Beach]].<ref name=jax /> Her last public appearance was the opening of the 2010 Easter Bonnet show on April 27, 2010.<ref name=Playbill/> After a long life and career, Eaton Travis died of an [[aneurysm]] on May 11, 2010.<ref>Martin, Douglas.[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/arts/dance/12travis.html?ref=obituaries "Obituaries. Doris Eaton Travis"]''The New York Times'', May 12, 2010</ref> On May 12, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honor.<ref name="McElroy obit"/> She is interred in the Guardian Angel Cemetery in Rochester, Michigan.<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=52284039 "Doris Eaton Travis"] findagrave.com, accessed August 29, 2011</ref>
On May 11, 2010, Travis died of an [[aneurysm]] in [[Commerce, Michigan]], at the age of 106.<ref name=Playbill>Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/139454-Doris-Eaton-Travis-Among-the-Last-of-the-Ziegfeld-Girls-Dead-at-106 "Doris Eaton Travis, Among the Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dead at 106"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515043007/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/139454-Doris-Eaton-Travis-Among-the-Last-of-the-Ziegfeld-Girls-Dead-at-106 |date=May 15, 2010 }} Playbill, May 11, 2010</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last = Martin| first = Douglas| title = Doris E. Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106| newspaper = [[The New York Times]]| date = May 11, 2010| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/arts/dance/12travis.html}}</ref> On May 12, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honour.<ref name="McElroy obit"/> She is interred in the Guardian Angel Cemetery in [[Rochester, Michigan]].{{Citation needed |date=October 2021}}


==See also==
==Filmography==
<ref>Rereleased by Alpha Home Entertainment (ALP5085D)2006</ref>
{{Portal|Biography}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
*[[Charles Eaton (actor)|Charles Eaton]]
|-
*[[Mary Eaton]]
! Year
*[[Pearl Eaton]]
! Title
*[[The Seven Little Eatons]]
! Role
*[[Ziegfeld Follies]]
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1921
| ''At the Stage Door''
| Betty
|
|-
| 1922
| ''[[The Broadway Peacock]]''
| Rose Ingraham
|
|-
| 1922
| ''[[Tell Your Children]]''
| Rosny Edwards
|
|-
| 1922
|''[[The Call of the East (1922 film)|The Call of the East]]''
| Mrs. Burleigh
|
|-
| 1923
| ''High Kickers''
|
|
|-
| 1923
| ''Fashion Follies''
| Doris - the Leading Dancer
|
|-
| 1928
| ''Taking the Count''
| Second daughter
|
|-
| 1929
| ''[[Street Girl]]''
| Singer at Club Joyzelle
|
|-
| 1929
| ''[[The Very Idea]]''
| Edith Goodhue
|
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]''
| Eleanor Gould
|
|}


==References==
==References==
Line 85: Line 141:


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*Redniss, Lauren. ''Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Surviving Star of the Ziegfeld Follies'', New York, Harper Collins, 2006, ISBN 978-0-06-085333-4.
*Redniss, Lauren. ''Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Surviving Star of the Ziegfeld Follies'', New York, Harper Collins, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-06-085333-4}}.


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Commons category}}
*[http://vimeo.com/21617416 Interview with Midnight Palace in 2010]
*[http://www.laurenredniss.com Interview with Lauren Redniss]
*[http://www.laurenredniss.com Interview with Lauren Redniss]
*[http://www.mdpl.org/ADW/2008/doriseaton.html Profile of Travis from Art Deco Weekend 2008]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080507074959/http://www.mdpl.org/adw/2008/doriseaton.html Profile of Travis from Art Deco Weekend 2008]
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4617064 NPR: The Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl]
*[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4617064 NPR: The Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl]
*{{IMDb name|0247811}}
*{{IMDb name|0247811}}
*{{Find a Grave|52284039}}


{{Authority control|VIAF=5998152}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Travis, Doris Eaton
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Dancer.
| DATE OF BIRTH = March 14, 1904
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Norfolk, Virginia]], U.S.
| DATE OF DEATH = May 11, 2010
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Commerce, Michigan]], U.S.
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Travis, Doris Eaton}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Travis, Doris Eaton}}
[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:1904 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Actresses from Virginia]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:American Christian Scientists]]
[[Category:American Christian Scientists]]
[[Category:American centenarians]]
[[Category:American child actresses]]
[[Category:American female dancers]]
[[Category:American female dancers]]
[[Category:Dancers from Virginia]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American memoirists]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American silent film actresses]]
[[Category:American silent film actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:Deaths from aneurysm]]
[[Category:Deaths from aneurysm]]
[[Category:Actresses from New York City]]
[[Category:Actresses from Norfolk, Virginia]]
[[Category:People from Norfolk, Virginia]]
[[Category:University of Oklahoma alumni]]
[[Category:People from Norman, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Actresses from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Ziegfeld girls]]
[[Category:Ziegfeld girls]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:American women memoirists]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:American women centenarians]]
[[Category:Eaton family]]

Latest revision as of 23:00, 20 November 2024

Doris Eaton Travis
Doris Eaton Travis in 1922
Born
Doris Eaton

(1904-03-14)March 14, 1904
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedMay 11, 2010(2010-05-11) (aged 106)
Commerce, Michigan, U.S.
Resting placeGuardian Angel Cemetery, Rochester, Michigan
Other namesDoris Levant
Lucille Levant
Alma materUniversity of Oklahoma
Occupations
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • dancer instructor
  • dance school owner and manager
  • writer
  • rancher
Years active1909–2010
Spouses
Joe Gorham
​
​
(m. 1923; died 1923)​
Paul Travis
​
​
(m. 1949; died 2000)​
RelativesMary Eaton (sister)
Pearl Eaton (sister)
Charles Eaton (brother)

Doris Eaton Travis (March 14, 1904 – May 11, 2010) was an American dancer, stage and film actress, dance instructor, owner and manager, writer, and rancher, who was the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl, a troupe of acclaimed chorus girls who performed as members in the Broadway theatrical revues of the Ziegfeld Follies.

She began performing onstage as a young child, and along with her siblings, she was one of The Seven Little Eatons, an extended family of show-business performers. She made her Broadway debut in stage production at age 13, and a year later she was cast as a member of the famed Ziegfeld Follies—the youngest ever cast in the show. She continued to perform in stage productions and silent films throughout the 1920s and early 1930s.

When her career in stage and screen declined, Travis started a second career as a dance instructor for the Arthur Murray Studios and was a local television personality in Detroit. Her association with Arthur Murray lasted for three decades, during which time she rose through the ranks to own and manage a chain of nearly twenty schools. After retiring from her career with Arthur Murray, she went on to manage a horse ranch with her husband and returned to school, eventually earning several degrees. she had 2 children.

Travis was featured in several books and documentaries about the Ziegfeld Follies years, and her other stage endeavours. Travis had also returned to the stage as a featured performer in benefit performances. She died at the age of 106 in 2010, a month after her last performance.

Early life

[edit]
Doris Eaton Travis in her youth

She was one of seven children born to Mary (née Saunders) and Charles H. Eaton in Norfolk, Virginia.[1] She was raised as a Christian Scientist and remained a practitioner for the rest of her life.[2] At the age of four, Travis began attending dance lessons in Washington, D.C., along with her sisters Mary and Pearl Eaton. In 1911, all three sisters were hired for a production of Maurice Maeterlinck's fantasy play The Blue Bird at the Belasco Theatre in Washington, D.C. While Travis had a minor role in the show, as a sleeping child in the "Palace of Night" scene, it marked the beginning of her career in professional theatre.[3]

Career

[edit]

Theatre

[edit]

After The Blue Bird, in 1912, the three Eaton sisters and their younger brother Joe began appearing in various plays and melodramas for the Poli Stock Company. They quickly gained reputations as professional, reliable, and versatile actors, and were rarely out of work.[3]

In 1915, all three sisters appeared in a new production of The Blue Bird for Poli. Doris and Mary were given the starring roles of Mytyl and Tyltyl. The siblings were subsequently invited to reprise their roles for a New York and road tour of the play, produced by the Shubert Brothers. When the show closed, Doris and her brother Charles, who had followed his four siblings into show business, resumed their work with Poli and appeared together in their first Broadway show, Mother Carey's Chickens at the Cort Theatre. The entire Eaton family relocated to New York City, where the children pursued their careers in various stage projects.[3][4]

Ziegfeld Follies

[edit]
Eaton, as a member of The Ziegfeld Follies revue

By 1918, Pearl Eaton had become a dancer and assistant to the director with the Ziegfeld Follies. The Follies were a series of elaborate musical revues on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. Inspired by the Folies Bergère of Paris, the Follies were conceived and produced by Florenz Ziegfeld.[5] When Travis accompanied Pearl to a rehearsal, dance supervisor Ned Wayburn spotted her and hired her for a role in the summer touring company of the 1918 Follies.[6][7]

The day she finished the eighth grade, Travis began rehearsals to become a Ziegfeld Girl in the Follies.[8] To circumvent child labour laws and the attention of the Gerry Society, she performed under the stage names "Doris Levant" (her young niece's name) and "Lucille Levant". As soon as she turned sixteen, she began using her real name again. Wayburn was one of only a few people who were aware of her true age, and arranged for her mother to accompany her on the Follies tour as a paid member of the company.[3][7]

Travis would associate with Ziegfeld for several years, appearing in the 1918, 1919, and 1920 editions of the Ziegfeld Follies and the 1919 Midnight Frolics.[4] She was the understudy to star Marilyn Miller. Travis was not the only member of the Eaton family to prosper in the show: by 1922, siblings Mary, Pearl, Doris, Joe, and ten-year-old Charles had all performed in one edition of the Follies or another. Her last appearance with the Follies was in the 1920 edition.[3][6]

Film

[edit]

Travis made her motion picture debut at the age of 17 in the 1921 romantic drama At the Stage Door, opposite silent film star Billie Dove. Her career flourished in the 1920s and early 1930s. She appeared in a number of additional silent films, including Tell Your Children with director Donald Crisp in England and Egypt; performed in five different Broadway shows and danced in the Hollywood Music Box Revue and the Gorham Follies in Los Angeles and the Hollywood Club in New York.[3][6]

While in the Hollywood Music Box Revue, Travis debuted two important songs, both composed by Nacio Herb Brown: "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Doll Dance". Travis was the lyricist for the latter song, but did not receive due credit. In 1929 she also appeared in The Very Idea, which has been shown on cable. At the age of 18, she married Joe Gorham, producer of the Gorham Follies. The union lasted for six months, ending when Gorham died of a heart attack.[3][6]

Dance instructor and ranching

[edit]

Travis performed in her final Broadway show, Merrily We Roll Along, at the Music Box Theatre, in 1935.[4] Her career, along with those of her siblings, declined in the 1930s. She returned to work in stock theatrical productions on Long Island and had a brief, unsuccessful foray into vaudeville with her brother Charles.[3]

In 1936, she was hired by the Arthur Murray Dance Studios in New York as a tap dance instructor. She remained with the Arthur Murray company for thirty-two years, advancing from teaching to owning her own school. She eventually established and owned a total of eighteen Arthur Murray studios across Michigan. She also authored a column of dance advice and commentary for the Detroit News entitled "On Your Toes" and hosted a local television program for seven years.[3][7][9]

One of her pupils, inventor and engineer Paul Travis, became her husband after an 11-year courtship. They wed on March 19, 1949[10] and their marriage lasted over fifty years, until Paul's death in 2000. They had no children.[3][9] After retiring from the dance studio business in 1968, Travis and her husband moved to Norman, Oklahoma, and established a ranch. The initial 220-acre (89 ha) plot grew to 880 acres (356 ha), and many of the quarter-horses bred and raised on the ranch had success in racing. The ranch operated largely as a boarding facility, managed by Travis, until 2008.[6][9]

Later years

[edit]
Doris Eaton Travis in April 2010, a month before her death, aged 106

In 1992, aged 88, Travis graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa[11] from the University of Oklahoma.[3] She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oakland University in 2004 at the age of 100.

In 1997, she and four former Ziegfeld Girls reunited for the reopening of the New Amsterdam Theatre. She later recalled that she was the only one still able to dance.[1] The following year, Travis returned to Broadway and the New Amsterdam Theatre, the same venue where she had first appeared in 1918, 80 years earlier, to participate in the Easter Bonnet Competition, a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She became the show's "lucky charm" and an audience favourite, and continued to appear in the production almost every year, often presenting renditions of her old dances to standing ovations from the audience.[3][7][12]

In 1999, she made her first film appearance in 70 years with a small role in Man on the Moon with Jim Carrey. In 2001, she became the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl, following the death of Nona Otero Friedman (April 2, 1908 – August 3, 2001). She appeared in several documentaries and interviews about the Ziegfeld Follies and her siblings and colleagues; she also published an autobiography and family history, entitled The Days We Danced, in 2003, turning 100 in 2004.[1] In 2006, she was the subject of a photo-collage biography by Pulitzer Prize nominee Lauren Redniss entitled Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies.[citation needed]

In January 2008, Travis served as The Grand Marshal of the opening parade for the Art Deco Weekend festival in Miami Beach.[9] Her last public appearance dancing was the opening of the 2010 Easter Bonnet show on April 27, 2010, with her last public appearance being an interview with author Stuart Lutz at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Manhattan two days later.[13][14]

Death

[edit]

On May 11, 2010, Travis died of an aneurysm in Commerce, Michigan, at the age of 106.[13][15] On May 12, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honour.[1] She is interred in the Guardian Angel Cemetery in Rochester, Michigan.[citation needed]

Filmography

[edit]

[16]

Year Title Role Notes
1921 At the Stage Door Betty
1922 The Broadway Peacock Rose Ingraham
1922 Tell Your Children Rosny Edwards
1922 The Call of the East Mrs. Burleigh
1923 High Kickers
1923 Fashion Follies Doris - the Leading Dancer
1928 Taking the Count Second daughter
1929 Street Girl Singer at Club Joyzelle
1929 The Very Idea Edith Goodhue
1999 Man on the Moon Eleanor Gould

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d McElroy, Tom (May 11, 2010). "Last Broadway Ziegfeld Follies Girl dies at 106". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 14, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  2. ^ Comer, Ruby."Ruby's Rap" Archived October 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine aumag.org, August 2004. The third question asks if Doris is a healthy girl and Doris answers, "Yes, I am. I don't take any medicine. I'm a Christian Scientist, Ruby".
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Travis, Doris Eaton (2003). The Days We Danced. Marquand Books. ISBN 0-8061-9950-4.
  4. ^ a b c "Doris Eaton Travis at the Internet Broadway Database". Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  5. ^ Kenrick, John."Florenz Ziegfeld:Biography - Part II" Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010
  6. ^ a b c d e Wilson, Victoria (January 1999). "Doris Eaton Travis, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer". Interview. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d Simonson, Robert (April 17, 2004). "Nearly) Oldest Living Ziegfeld Girl Tells All: 100-Year-Old Doris Eaton Visits New Amsterdam Once More". Playbill Online. Archived from the original on April 24, 2005. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  8. ^ Kenrick, John."Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. article, "What Makes A 'Ziegfeld Girl'"? Musicals101.com, accessed May 12, 2010
  9. ^ a b c d Orkin Emmanuel, Lisa (January 18, 2008). "Oldest living Ziegfeld girl kicks off annual Art Deco Weekend". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  10. ^ Ancestry Library Edition[verification needed]
  11. ^ Martin, Douglas (May 12, 2010). "Doris Eaton Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  12. ^ Viagas, Robert (April 20, 2005). "Easter Bonnet Competition Raises $2.5 Million". Playbill Online. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  13. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth and Simonson, Robert."Doris Eaton Travis, Among the Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dead at 106" Archived May 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Playbill, May 11, 2010
  14. ^ "Last Ziegfeld Folly performer Doris Eaton Travis interview 4-29-10 part 1". YouTube. May 5, 2010. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  15. ^ Martin, Douglas (May 11, 2010). "Doris E. Travis, Last of the Ziegfeld Girls, Dies at 106". The New York Times.
  16. ^ Rereleased by Alpha Home Entertainment (ALP5085D)2006

Further reading

[edit]
  • Redniss, Lauren. Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Surviving Star of the Ziegfeld Follies, New York, Harper Collins, 2006; ISBN 978-0-06-085333-4.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Doris Eaton Travis.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Doris_Eaton_Travis&oldid=1258669507"