Virginia Ruth Egnor
Virginia Ruth Egnor , known as Dagmar , (born November 29, 1921 in Yawkey, West Virginia , † October 9, 2001 in Ceredo, West Virginia) was an American presenter and entertainer .
Career
Virginia Ruth Egnor made her living as a model, but aspired to a career as an actress. In 1944 she was discovered by Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson for their Broadway revue Laffing Room Only and she took the stage name Jennie Lewis . From 1946 to 1948 she stood next to Bert Lahr in the Burlesque production .
Comedian Jerry Lester spotted her as a sidekick and stupid blonde on his late night show Broadway Open House . Lester gave her the name Dagmar under which she appeared from then on. The curvy Dagmar, who had a loose mouth and puns, became so popular with the audience that Lester left the show in 1951 and Dagmar took over the moderation. Life granted her a cover photo that same year. Though Broadway Open House was soon canceled, Dagmar became the first major female star on American entertainment television. The New York Times wrote of Dagmar in 1950:
"[She combines] the luscious curves of a Venus, the provocative grace of a young Mae West and the virtue of a Girl Scout"
In 1951 she appeared in a sketch with Frank Sinatra and also showed her musical talent. The audience reacted enthusiastically to the duo and Columbia Records used this to bring a single release of the two with Mama Will Bark on the market, which reached number 21 on the Billboard charts . In 1952 she hosted the entertainment show Dagmar's Canteen and also performed in Las Vegas . Dagmar remained a popular guest on various television shows until the late 1960s. Her popularity began to decline in the 1970s and Dagmar was now mostly performing in nightclubs.
Dagmar was married three times, including to actor Danny Dayton. Dagmar, who received up to 8,000 fan letters a week at the height of her popularity , died in seclusion at the age of 79 in her mansion in Ceredo, West Virginia.
Trivia
Dagmar was the namesake of the Dagmar Bumpers . The conical bumper horns got their nickname because of Dagmar's luscious bust. Dagmar himself seemed amused by this.
Filmography
watch TV
- 1951: Broadway Open House
- 1951: What's My Line?
- 1951: The Ken Murray Show
- 1951: The Saturday Night Revue with Jack Carter
- 1951: The Colgate Comedy Hour
- 1951: The Frank Sinatra Show (several guest appearances)
- 1951-1952: Dagmar's Canteen
- 1953: Who Said That?
- 1953–1955: Texaco Star Theater Starring Milton Berle (several guest appearances)
- 1955: Dollar a Second
- 1955: Masquerade Party (two guest appearances)
- 1957: The Phil Silvers Show
- 1957: The Mike Wallace Interview
- 1957–1958: The Arthur Murray Party (two guest appearances)
- 1958: Keep Talking
- 1959: person to person
- 1958–1962: Tonight Starring Jack Paar (several guest appearances)
- 1962: The Tonight Show
- 1965-1966: The Merv Griffin Show
- 1966: Girl Talk
- 1962–1969: The Mike Douglas Show (several guest appearances)
Theatrography
- 1944-1945: Laffing Room Only
- 1946–1948: Burlesque
- 1950: Ladies Night in a Turkish Bath
Discography
- 1951: Mama Will Bark / I'm A Fool To Want You (Frank Sinatra & Dagmar, shellac record, US # 21)
Web links
- Virginia Ruth Egnor in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Virginia Ruth Egnor in the Internet Broadway Database (English)
- The Los Angeles Times on Dagmar's Death , accessed August 5, 2018.
- The New York Times Deaths of Dagmar , accessed August 5, 2018.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Der Spiegel 30/1952 , accessed on August 6, 2018
- ^ The New York Times, October 11, 2001
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Egnor, Virginia Ruth |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dagmar (stage name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American television presenter and comedian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 29, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Yawkey, West Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 9, 2001 |
| Place of death | Ceredo, West Virginia |