wPARA oPAR@ ` ▀TEXT ` ╤Moore, Grace1898╨1947singer and actorBorn on December 5, 1898, in Slabtown (now Nough), Tennessee, Mary Willie Grace Moore grew up in Knoxville and Jellico, Tennessee. She was educated in public schools and briefly at Ward╨Belmont College in Nashville. She then went to the Wilson╨Greens School of Music in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She made her public singing debut in a recital program at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C., in 1919. She then left school and went to New York City, where she sang in a nightclub to pay for vocal lessons. Unfortunately she had chosen a teacher who allowed her to injure her voice. After a period of recuperation she began studying with Dr. Mario Marafioti, who also opened his home to her and helped her find work in some minor musical comedies. After appearing in Suite Sixteen, Just a Minute, and Up in the Clouds, she made her Broadway debut at the Amsterdam Theatre in the 1920 edition of the revue Hitchy-Koo, which featured Jerome Kern╒s music. After singing in Town Gossip she went to Paris to continue training for her hoped-for career on the operatic stage. While studying with Roger Thiral she circulated easily in cafÄ society. When she had exhausted her funds she returned to Broadway to star in Irving Berlin╒s Music Box Revue of 1923. While making a great success in that show and in the 1924 edition, in which she sang ╥What╒ll I Do╙ and ╥All Alone,╙ she continued her studies with Dr. Marafioti. In 1925 she went back to France, where Mary Garden, long her idol and now her friend, recommended her to operatic coach Richard Barthelemy. With an audition before Giulio Catti-Casazza in June 1927 she finally won a contract with the Metropolitan Opera. Moore╒s Met and operatic debut occurred in February 1928, when she sang Mimi in La BohÅme to a warm reception. Later she sang in RomÄo et Juliette and then made a European tour. After singing Juliette at Deauville she made a highly successful Paris debut as Mimi at the OpÄra-Comique in September 1928. In the next few seasons at the Met she sang in Carmen, Tosca, Manon, Faust, Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi and others. In 1930 she tried her hand at movie making, going to Hollywood to appear in A Lady╒s Morals, a biography of Jenny Lind, 1930, and in New Moon with Lawrence Tibbett, 1931. In 1932 she returned to Broadway in the operetta The Dubarry. Back in Hollywood she won the starring role in One Night of Love, 1934, a film that featured a pioneering attempt to record operatic works with full orchestra. The film was a great popular success and brought her a medal from the Society of Arts and Sciences for her contribution to ╥raising the standard of cinema entertainment.╙ She subsequently appeared in Love Me Forever, 1935, The King Steps Out, 1936, When You╒re in Love, 1937, and I╒ll Take Romance, 1937. Meanwhile Moore continued in opera. She made her London debut at Covent Garden in La BohÅme, in June 1935 to tremendous ovations. In France in 1938 she starred in a film version of Louise, and after coaching from Mary Garden and Gustave Charpentier she sang it at the Met in January 1939. In February 1941 she sang L╒amore dei Tre Re under the conducting of the composer, Italo Montemezzi. Radio broadcasts and public appearances such as those at the Roxy Theatre, New York, in 1943 and at Lewisohn Stadium in 1944 further increased her popularity. During World War II she made numerous appearances at bond rallies, benefits, and army camp shows, for which she was decorated by several governments, and in 1946 she toured Europe to entertain occupation forces. Her autobiography, You╒re Only Human Once, appeared in 1944. She died on January 26, 1947, in an airplane crash in Copenhagen, Denmark, following a command performance there. ^styl ` D ! ¬ 5¬ 5¬ ) !I 5¬ !I . !I ; !I = !I J !I P !I ` !I ╕ !I ┬ !I · !I !I ⁿ !I !I ß !I ▐ ∞ !I ║ 5¬ ╗ !I !I !I = !I N !I !I " !I $ !I ) !I + !I 0 !I 2 !I 7 !I 9 !I B !I D !I S !I a 5¬ b !I « !I ╜ !I ╛ !I ┐ !I τ !I ∩ !I ? !I J !I | !I ì !I
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