Lillian Russell - Come Down Ma Evenin' Star

[Deb545]

I just finished watching the movie of Lillian Russell with Alice Faye entitled "Lillian Russell". Excellent film and I didn't even know until the film was finished that she really did exist!!

[smenkare27]

I love this song--I have used it many times in recital and it never fails!

[ducdebrabant]

This was recorded after she was no longer in her vocal prime, and had given up singing operetta in favor of doing plays and singing in vaudeville (where the load wasn't so heavy). She sounds pretty good to me, but I'd love to know what she sounded one or two decades earlier.

[cooledge47]

Wow she was beautiful. And this song was so peaceful and I felt like I was there in the 1900's.

[Onlymusical]

How did she preserve her good looks?

[gmmix]

This really is a very special posting. Thanks much for providing it. Russell appeared three times in my hometown of Reading, PA, the last time of which she was no longer a young woman. No matter, the locals flocked to the Academy of Music to get whatever seats were available. Tickets sold out in three hours. 300 were willing to stand.

[Spikesjade]

I found out a couple of years ago that I am related to her and I am proud. She is beatuiful and smart and fought for women's right like her mom did before her.

[opelske]

@Spikesjade

Lucky you! Have you read that early bio from the 1930's? The author (can't remember his name) wrote bios of Lillian and also Diamond Jim Brady. I love the vaudeville era and especially collect items relating to Lillian Russell and Diamond Jim Brady. I have two shelves devoted to them, with dainty hankerchiefs, her only record that she made, the early bio, the new bio, etc. Lovely, graceful lady that she was!

[irismcooper]

Thank you so much for that information. She really looked like a Gibson Girl.

Iris

[gaberadvansky]

She is so beautiful!! How the hell did everyone change to liking anorexic women. Im a good looking stereotype breaking white dude and thick girls with some meat on there bones is what I love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[opelske]

@gaberadvansky

By the turn of the 19th Century, the Gibson Girl was in and the meatier look was out. At least back then it was more about fashion. No one called it a disease. She sure was beautiful!

[saffiyahissoapy]

is it true that she was over 200lbs??? if it is so, its amazing that she was so accepted and admired...nowadys if u aren't a size 4 or under to hell with you...so sad...i love lillian's spirits and talent....

[bearcub410]

LILLIAN RUSSELL WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MEGA STARS AS BIG AS MADONNA IN HER DAY . THIS IS WONDERFUL THANK YOU

[DCFunBud]

My great aunt Mamie Conti designed the gown for Miss Russell's farewell performance in 1919. Conti was a master at making "ample" ladies look thin.

[thefabulousmark]

I always wondered what she sounded like.The images were a marvelous treat!

[chinagrrl]

In our modern eyes, we'd think as we see pictures of her that she has a pretty face, but she's so fat! It's interesting how the ideals of beauty has changed so much since Lillian Russell's time. I do think she is a lovely woman, and a very intelligent one too!

[mayatatyana1]

Beautiful, talented, charming woman. This song was composed for her. The song was found in the pocket of the composer after his suicide (not over Russell). How lovely to hear her voice.

[EyrtheFyre]

Thank you for posting this. I have always wanted to hear her voice.

[poormomma100]

Being from Cinton, I found this fascinating! All the years seeing the name and pictures, I never had heard this

[PlusSizeAngel]

Gorgeous pictures. And it was wonderful to read that she seemed to have something between her ears. too.

[meandrousart]

That's the best part. : D And I love the old fashioned way of speaking "What, after all, is there great in being beautiful?" I wish I knew how to phrase things that way. Sometimes I wonder if I might be able to try culturing my voice a little. Wouldn't it be great to speak so elegantly?

[PlusSizeAngel]

Agreed!

[129diggsdrive]

Yes, it would! Imagine also how closely you would have to really listen to someone speaking in this manner. You would have to listen intently to understand the meaning of the words and to catch all the nuances. Speaking well and truly hearing are becoming lost arts :)

[jennyrager]

just did some family tree searching and found out that Lillian Russell is one of my relatives! It is a joy to hear her voice, thank you for the upload

[bellekd1413]

omg really? how?

[jennyrager]

Her maiden last name is Leonard, and that is my mother's grandmother's last name. We did some research and found that she is our great great cousin

[ekocentric]

I've often wondered if she had children? Or a husband? I'd like to know more about her.

[Clinton52732]

Lillian Russell (Helen Louise Leonard) was married 4 times. She had one daughter, Dorothy, who was known as Lillian, Jr. with her second husband, Edward Solomon. Her fourth husband was Alexander P. Moore, and is buried in a private mausoleum in the Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA. For a brief biography, read the article in Wikipedia.

[meandrousart]

Wow! How exciting for you to find out. If I could find records of my family where I could hear them, I'd be over the moon about that!

When I was doing research into my family, I found out I had a great, great, great (yada yada) grandfather named Shade Osbourne. How COOL is the name Shade?? So he's no Lillian Russell in the family tree, but still, that's a sweet name. XD

[franimalistic]

True, women didn't have to be waifs... but they did have to wear corsets. I mean, 210 pounds and just look at how tiny her waist is in some of these photos. Ouch! I personally don't think too much has changed. But corset or no, she was very beautiful and it's a treat to hear her! Thanks so much for the great upload!

[TamChronic]

Her waist wasn't all that tiny, really, it was just small compared to the rest of her lovely self :)

Women wore corsets as we today wear bras, it's not really anything unusual. Most didn't expressively try to make their waist smaller (though they did end up quite small because of the corset)- only a very, very small few actually tightlaced.

She was indeed very, very beautiful- her kind of beauty is seldom seen today. <3

[irismcooper]

Alice Faye played Lillian Russell in a movie for which I cannot remember title.

Lillian Russell was so pretty, pretty.

Meandrousart, thank you for sharing these vintage clipings with all of us.

Iris

[Clinton52732]

The title of the movie was "Lillian Russell," and it premiered in Lillian's (and my) hometown of Clinton, Iowa. The co-star was Don Ameche.

[meandrousart]

<3 I was lucky to have found it somewhere online, but now I don't remember where! x...x

[Clinton52732]

The movie is available both on eBay and Amazon.

[Clinton52732]

@irismcooper The name of the movie was the same has hers: "Lillian Russell." It made it's world premiere in Lillian's home town, Clinton, Iowa.

[DowagerLady]

@irismcooper The film was called 'Lillian Russell'

[Diaredd59]

@irismcooper I think the film was "Lillian Russell" Fox 1940-

[Clinton52732]

Lillian Russell is the most famous native daughter from my hometown (Clinton, Iowa). I purchased this 78rpm on eBay, and have since transferred it onto CD and it is available for sale from the Clinton County Historical Society. It's great to see it (hear it) on YouTube! Thanks for posting!!!

[meandrousart]

Sure! You're quite educated about the topic, aren't you? I don't know as much about the history as you do, but when I found it I thought it was one of those things that should be uploaded because the more people that have a copy of it, the less likely it is to be lost!

[Clinton52732]

Like I said, she's from my hometown! (It helps that I'm a history buff, too)!

[1strwbryblondnc]

Thank you for posting this! Fantastic!

[marxfan8]

Thanks for posting this! Lillian Russell had a lovely voice! Thanks also for the quote in the summary. She sounded like a dignified, graceful woman with a good head on her shoulders.

Isn't it nice that women didn't have to be puny little waifs in order to attractive at one time? I read somewhere that Ms. Russell weighed 210 lbs at the peak of her popularity!

[meandrousart]

Agreed about the good head on her shoulders. I know nobody is perfect, but it's really great that she seems to have been speaking out about important social and human causes, rather than constantly dwelling in her beauty and fame.

And yeah, starving isn't pretty. :)

[grlykool]

Uhm she had a "typical" hollywood life, married a lot, lots of lovers. But yeah it was great people didn't have to be waifs. People back then were no more moral than we are now. They just had more tact about it.

[ekocentric]

I agree but I think that they did not have the media planting devices in their goldfish bowls and cameras in their toilets. Or having to endure the press linking them with every being including satan and mickey the mouse. It must have been nice to just perform...do what the fans were paying for without the bs that follows our present day performers.

[morikoIkuko]

where did you download this song?

[meandrousart]

Bah, I just replied, but it's too tricky to get YT to post a web link. Basically, I just searched on google for the name of the song after reading about it in a bio from a website called "Archive".

Just give a search and I'm sure you'll find it easily.

[oldcremona]

I wish we had a recording of her singing in "Patience."

[meandrousart]

I wish there were many more recordings. At least there's the one! Better than nothing, yeah?

[deepseadirt]

thanks for posting, I've always wanted to hear what she sounded like. If she'd lived another 5-10 years she could've made 'sound' movies or shorts. Other great ladies of the stage I'd like to hear are Minnie Maddern Fiske & Fay Templeton if there's a recording of them. Im fixing to read a biography of Marie Dressler who was a friend of Lillian Russell's. Templeton was a friend also. Great find this recording.

[meandrousart]

After posting it a few places, people often tell me they always wanted to know what she sounded like. They have been admirers for a long time and never heard it. I feel a little ungrateful because when I first heard of her, I looked up everything and heard the song right away. Spoiled, I am. XD I hope you can find a recording of the others!

[deepseadirt]

Mrs Fiske did a couple of silents. Fay Templeton was strictly theater and did no movies other than newsreel footage of her appearing in one of Bob Hope's first movie roles. I did find recordings of Christie MacDonald, another star from that era, WOW!

[meandrousart]

You know quite a bit more about that sort of thing than I do. I can tell you're quite passionate about it.

[deepseadirt]

thanks. if you're interested in listening to some of the other ladies from turn of the century(20th century that is): Nora Bayes gets a lot of exposure on Youtube. Try googling "Collected Works of _______" and the other singers are Blanche Ring, Marie Cahill, May Irwin, Christie MacDonald, Marie Dressler. Fritzi Scheff only left us one recording and it's her on Youtube. Some of the stuff from Irwin, Cahill & Dressler may offend modern audiences as some of the songs are "Coon Songs".

[meandrousart]

Thanks for the tip- I'll check them out. <3

[mariagalvany]

Wow! What an astonishing recording,so emotional and such beaty from her voice.And also she was so beautiful.

And to that ignorant comment below "Prettiest fat woman". You know beauty can be fat or thin it dont matter. And you know was strange, Modern day people want to be thin to look good. And being big or fat is bad or is a turnoff. But what is wierd is that Lillian Russell(who was big) is considered to be the first sex symbol.

[mariagalvany]

Society makes "fat" people look bad and make them look like nothing. They are insulted and discriminated.And none realize that the first sex symbol was big. People should learn that beauty is not size. Is mannerism and grooming.

Thank you meandrousart For this great part of history

[meandrousart]

I agree that it's in mannerism and grooming. I've seen quite a few skinny people that don't do a thing with their faces, clothing, or hair, and they look just as plain or unflattering as chubby girls. Still, I think it's a bit of a hopeful fantasy that Lillian Russel was large and completely happy that way. At one point, it was said that she got a very fancy bicycle to ride to help her trim down. I think when she got particularly heavier in later years.

[deepseadirt]

hey mean, dont sweat it man. Women the size of Lillian was considered ideal at that time. Most sailors coming ashore would've been glad to get a chubby girl(bbw to be politically correct) and not complain. I was reading a book on the Titanic and it had pictures of some of the surviving crewmembers back home in England. Almost all of the wives were of the rotund variety with nice faces.

[meandrousart]

So, while I do think too skinny is not attractive, I do believe that one should be healthy. Healthiness is attractiveness! n.n

Oh, and don't thank me. I just uploaded it to YouTube. I wasn't the owner of the recording. <33 But you're welcome for my small part, I suppose! :)

[unclealand]

Prettiest fat woman I ever saw. In the blurb, note how she starts off thanking the guy for not mentioning her looks, and then she goes on and on about that very topic.

[meandrousart]

Well, I think the reason for her discussing the topic was important in that case. She obviously wasn't fishing for compliments.

I don't personally see beauty as being tied to "fat" or "skinny". I think people, when they look well groomed and put together look beautiful, no matter their size.

[unclealand]

Okay, then. She was the prettiest, best groomed, put together fat lady I ever saw who liked to talk about it.

[meandrousart]

>......>; Um. Kay?

[PlusRican]

OMG This is exquisite. I love that these women paraded their beautiful curvatious bodies. What an era where big was in.... how sweet... They were the perfect women; if you were too skinny you were not in!!! LOL

[meandrousart]

Yeah, I have to say, I'm not a fan of seeing ribs on people. I enjoy a more healthy, natural look. Then again, my darling is about as skinny as a rail and can't help having ribs poke out. XD I'll love him anyway, I suppose. XD Kidding. <33

[SirCyrano]

I've known of this recording for years, and I still love it. She's not a flawless singer, but that's part of what I love. She has a warm, rich, valiant voice, both stately and tender. And she infuses the song with grace and honest emotion. The story is that this song was found in the pocket of its composer, who had just committed suicide. When Lillian first sang it onstage, she broke down in tears. It later became her signature number.

[meandrousart]

I had heard that story. It's very interesting! You know, when I hear this recording though, I notice how her singing is stronger in the end than in the beginning and it always made me wonder: what if it was just a bad recording? Wouldn't that suck if the ONE recording you had of you was the one you were kinda having an off day? XDD Sorry, just made me laugh wondering about it.

[GypsyFairy69]

This is so wonderful. Such a lovely lady she was.

[meandrousart]

Mm, yes. Agreed. n.n

[celiathaxter]

Thank you for posting this! I have always wondered what Russell sounded like. What a voice!

[meandrousart]

Isn't it SO cool how there can be this famed historical figure that you think is lost in every way but some portraits and then you find there's something like -this-?

I got that kind of 'wow!' moment also when I heard that someone had recreated the perfume that Marie Antoinette wore- or at least what they think it might have been. It's so great being able to find some piece of history in a more palpable way like that. Really exciting!

[arttxcentrix]

sad how the idea of "physical beauty" has changed and stayed the same neither a better approach than the other. What a wonderful view she had if only there were more people thinking like htat, thank you for posting this. LOL "celebutards" ROFL!!!!

[meandrousart]

Cool <3 I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

[hoofer1]

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. I'm looking at pic galleries of her, and it's just great!

My mommy always said if it was the 1900's, I'd be an actress. She's right. Drat.

[meandrousart]

You're so cute :D I bet you totally would. n...n

[EmjayJackman]

I like to learn one new thing everyday. Thanks so much for posting the vid and the article. Such a classy lady.

[meandrousart]

Great stuff. <3 Learning every day is fantastic!

Thanks for watching!

[PrincessSushii]

What a fantastic woman! Gorgeous, talented and most importantly smart :)

[meandrousart]

Aye. I love how humble she was, despite being so wealthy and popular. Some of our modern Celebutards ... oh, I meant "Celebutantes", so sorry for that slip of the tongue... could learn a thing or two from her.

[instantk4rma]

Very nice :) I never knew about her before. She's absolutely beautiful! She looks a lot like the pictures my mother had of her family. That classic kind of beauty. I love it :) great job!

[meandrousart]

Isn't she just? I keep some of those old fashioned photos of my family around the house, too. Of course, I don't know who they are but... details, details!

What I like most about Lillian Russell is that she was so far from caught up on looks, despite being considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. I put a really great quite in the video description demonstrating that. If you didn't catch it, you should really go read it! : D What an great head on those shoulders- face aside!