| re: Al Jolson | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:22 pm EDT 03/18/24 | |
| In reply to: re: Al Jolson - BroadwayTonyJ 03:25 pm EDT 03/18/24 | |
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| My hunch is that it simply didn't happen for Jolson, but it's impossible to be sure. With further searching, I did find one source with a sentence that could be interpreted as meaning that the lights were dimmed, but I don't interpret it that way. This was in the Chicago Defender. "Jolson, whose death dimmed the lights of Broadway, shares in death as he did in life." It goes on to discuss the money he left to charity in his will. It seems to me possible that someone came across that, and interpreted it literally. I interpret it figuratively. Re Lynn Fontanne: I found this from Hobe Morrison in the issue of Variety dated August 3, 1983: "Plans are underway for a memorial service at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Also, it's expected that there will be a one-minute observance, with all Broadway theatres turning off their marquee lights. Similar observances were held when Lunt and a few other stage notables died." So that's in advance and is presumptive rather than certain. It would seem odd to do it for Lunt but not for Fontanne, but possible. I can't find any confirmation about Blake, but I expect it probably did happen. It seems likely that in those pre-internet days, such events perhaps did not always get mentioned in the press. I am a bit doubtful it was done when Drake died, but I haven't yet done any searching. I would think it did happen when Martin died, but I have yet to search for her either. I've spent so much time on Jolson. I just looked at three bios on Internet Archive. If any mentioned the lights dimming, I didn't find it. |
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