Orville Knapp (January 1, 1904 - July 16, 1936) was an American dance bandleader born in Kansas City, Missouri.
Orville Knapp was an autodidact on saxophone, and moved to New York City in the early 1920s, where he played in the bands of Vincent Lopez and Leo Reisman.
[1] alternate archive Knapp's sister, Pauline (who used her middle name informally but her first name Evalyn professionally), had by this time moved to Hollywood to pursue work in film and become a star, appearing as leading lady with Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in Smart Money (1931) and John Wayne in His Private Secretary (1933) among many others; Knapp joined her there in 1933, where he founded a new band.
Edith Caldwell, Ray Hendricks, Dave Marshall, Don Raymond, Norman Ruvell, and Virginia Verrill all served as vocalists for the group.
He married Gloria Grafton, a Broadway star, that same year, and began taking flying lessons.