Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Mermanwas an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage."...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionStage Actress
Date of Birth16 January 1908
CityAstoria, NY
CountryUnited States of America
film persons performances
I preferred delivering my performance in person. I liked to be in control. You couldn't be in films.
past years squares
Music, in the past few years... anything singable or understandable is square.
years ambitious has-beens
I have been ambitious to be a somebody from the time I was 5 years old
drama average turns
As far as dramas are concerned, it's considered passe for playwrights to turn out anything the average person can understand
running brother careers
My career at Warner Brothers consisted of one musical short subject. I was running around in a bear skin. Very chic.
stars broadway vaudeville
I wasn't straining at the bit to become a movie star any more than I had plotted to get out of vaudeville and into Broadway musicals
littles way used
The slapdash way producers used to assemble a show seems a little unbelievable when we talk about them now
song ira firsts
I was lucky enough to have the songs in my first show written by George and Ira Gershwin. Then Cole Porter wrote five shows for me
jobs doing-your-best prove
You'll never prove you're too good for a job by not doing your best.
valentines-day valentine rose
Everything's coming up roses - for me.
father play piano
My father taught me to read music and play the piano-but not well, even though people have said that I'm a natural musician
conflict corny sometimes
When you are in deep conflict about something, sometimes the most trivial thing can tip the scales.
country attitude people
Now what kind of an attitude is that, 'These things happen?' They only happen because this whole country is just full of people who, when these things happen, they just say, 'These things happen,' and that's why they happen! We gotta have control of what happens to us.
tables fleas firsts
At a flea market I always head for the junk jewelry table first.