Lillian Roth

Lillian Roth (Lillian Rutstein, 1910-1980) by Eugene Robert Richee, before a background by Claire Van Scoy.

The daughter of a stage mother, Lillian became the face of Educational Pictures when she was three; she made her Broadway début in 1917, and she had her first film part (as an extra) the following year. At seventeen she was back on Broadway as an ingenue in EARL CARROLL’S VANITIES, and she joined the ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC in 1929.

Roth was soon signed by Paramount Pictures; an early role, in Ernst Lubitsch’s THE LOVE PARADE (1929), shows off her endearing pert quality as well as a charming voice. (She is paired with Lupino Lane, another Ziegfeld alumnus.)

Troubles with alcohol, and marrying the wrong men, sabotaged her career; her autobiography formed the basis for Susan Hayward’s later star turn, I’LL CRY TOMORROW (1955). Still, Lillian Roth remained a draw on Broadway: she was elevated to star status (so above the title) during the Broadway run of I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE (1962), while Barbra Streisand (making her Broadway début) was listed below.