Florence Timponi Jennings (August 9, 1896 – January 21, 1991), born Florence Lucille Timpone, also known as Melva Talma,[1] was an American singer, actress, Ziegfeld girl, and vaudeville performer, billed as "the Sunshine Girl".
Florence Timponi | |
|---|---|
 Florence Timponi, from a 1920 publication | |
| Born | Florence Lucille Timpone August 9, 1896 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 21, 1991 (aged 94) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Melva Talma, Florence Jennings |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, vaudeville performer |
Early life
editTimpone was born in New York City, the daughter of Dominick Timpone and Mary Albro Timpone. Her father was born in Italy.
Career
editTimponi was a singer, especially in vaudeville shows. Variety magazine commented on her "fair personality and nice appearance" in 1914.[2] She was billed as "the Sunshine Girl".[3] During World War I, she sang at the 52nd Street Naval Armory in Brooklyn,[4] and at Bensonhurst.[5] She performed novelty songs about American troops fighting Germans. Her photo was featured on sheet music for some of her popular numbers, including Irving Berlin's "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" (1918)[6][7] "You're a Great Big Blue-Eyed Baby" (1913),[8] and "We'll knock the Heligo--Into Heligo--out of Heligoland!".[7][9] She also collected clothing, canes, gloves, suitcases and leather, donated by her audiences, for reuse in the war effort.[10][11] Her stage credits included roles in School Days [1] and Little Simplicity.[12]
In the 1920s, she performed as "Melva Talma", still singing novelty songs and still billed as "the Sunshine Girl."[13][14] She sang in vaudeville programs in Canada in 1925.[15][16]
Personal life
editFlorence Timpone married George Washington Jennings in 1928. They had a daughter, Georgia Ann. George Jennings died in 1970,[17] and Florence Jennings died in 1991, in Santa Monica, California, aged 94 years.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Obituary for Florence Tlmpone Jennings, 1896-1991". The Los Angeles Times. 1991-01-24. p. 317. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- ^ "Florence Timponi". Variety. 36 (8): 17. October 24, 1914 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Dinner Dance of Advertising Women". Fourth Estate. 1: 8. March 19, 1921.
- ^ "In the Service". Variety. June 7, 1918. p. 8. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ "Service Shows". Variety. 51 (7): 8. July 12, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ ""Oh! How I Hate To Get Up in the Morning"". National Museum of American History. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- ^ a b Shapiro, Nat; Pollock, Bruce; Graff, Gary; Claps, Andrew C. (1964). Popular music : an annotated index of American popular songs. Internet Archive. New York : Adrian Press. pp. 275, 375. ISBN 978-0-8103-2595-1.
- ^ Brown, A. Seymour, "You're a Great Big Blue-Eyed Baby" (sheet music) (Jerome H. Remick 1913).
- ^ "We'll knock the Heligo--Into Heligo--out of Heligoland!" (1917), Joseph M. Bruccoli Great War Collection, Sheet Music, University of South Carolina.
- ^ "'Honey Boys' at Majestic". Harrisburg Telegraph. 1918-09-27. p. 19. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Doing Her Bit in a Novel Way". Harrisburg Telegraph. 1918-09-25. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Beauty and Talent Seen on the Stage" Theatre Magazine 32(Midsummer 1920): 17.
- ^ "The Princess". The Tennessean. 1921-12-01. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Melva Talma Scores Hit at Parkway". Wisconsin State Journal. 1925-10-05. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Another First Class Bill Opens Pantages Vaudeville". Calgary Herald. 1925-04-29. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sid Hall's Famous Jazz Orchestra at Capitol Today". The Leader-Post. 1925-04-16. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "George W. Jennings obituary". Daily News. 1970-11-11. p. 46. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
edit- "Tie Me to Your Apron Strings Again" (1925), sheet music featuring a photo of Melva Talma, from the Sheet Music Collection at Mississippi State University