Grace Moore

Mary Willie Grace Moore (December 5, 1898[1] – January 26, 1947) was an American operatic lyric soprano and actress in musical theatre and film.

After high school in Jellico, she studied briefly at Ward-Belmont College in Nashville[4] before moving to Washington, D.C., and New York City to continue her musical training and begin her career.

After training in France, Moore made her operatic debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on February 7, 1928, singing the role of Mimì in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème.

[7] In 1945 she sang Mimi to Nino Martini's Rodolfo in La bohème for the inaugural performance of the San Antonio Grand Opera Festival.

The program laid particular emphasis on the war in Japan and included the showing of two films - "Fighting Lady" and "Iwo Jima" and the rendition of several songs and the French and American national anthems by Grace Moore.

Attracted to Hollywood in the early years of talking pictures, Moore had her first screen role as Jenny Lind in the 1930 film A Lady's Morals, produced for MGM by Irving Thalberg and directed by Sidney Franklin.

[10] A memorable highlight of When You're in Love (1937) was a comic scene in which Moore donned flannel shirt and trousers and joined a 5-man band for a flamboyant rendition of Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher", complete with gestures and "hi-de-ho's", but with the lyrics slightly altered to conform with Hollywood sensibilities.

[11] Also, she performed the popular Madama Butterfly duet "Vogliatemi bene" with American tenor Frank Forest in the 1937 film I'll Take Romance.

This production also featured two renowned French singers: dramatic tenor Georges Thill and basse cantante André Pernet.

Upon her return to the United States after six months and ten days in Europe ("to save money in income tax"), Moore defended her curtsy, saying: She would have been a royal duchess long ago if she had not been an American.

[14] In 1935 Moore received the gold medal award of the Society of Arts and Sciences for "conspicuous achievement in raising the standard of cinema entertainment."

[16] Grace Moore died at the age of 48, along with 21 other people, including Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, in a plane crash near Copenhagen Airport on January 26, 1947.