Dorothy Dell was born 1915 ,january 30 met car accident.the age of 19 , 1934 june 8
Dorothy Dell was born to Elbert and Lillan Goff in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on January 30, 1915. She won the most beautiful baby in Hattiesburg beauty contest when she was thirteen months old. She lived in New Orleans from the age of ten. She attended the Sophie Wright High School for girls. Winning the Miss New Orleans title, when she was fifteen, she went on a Fanchon and Marco vaudeville tour for six months. She got a job with the Ziegfield Follies of 1931 when she arrived in New York City. She sang a solo, "Was I Drunk?", in the production. All of her films at Paramount were released in 1934. She died that year in an automobile accident on June 8, 1934, She had left an all-night party at an inn in Altadena and was going to Pasadena in the wee hours when the car left the highway, hit a telephone pole, bounced off a palm tree and hit a boulder. Miss Dell was killed instantly. Her date, Dr. Carl Wagner, who was driving, died several hours later.
Dorothy Dell was born Dorothy Dell Goff in Hattiesburg Mississippi, on January 30, 1915. She was named the most beautiful baby in Hattiesburg. Her mother claimed to be a descendant of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President. The family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1925. She became best friends with Dorothy Lamour and the two girls dreamed of being actresses together. Dorothy started entering beauty pageants when she was a teenager. After winning the Miss New Orleans pageant she was crowned Miss Universe in 1930. Then she began performing in vaudeville. Florenz Ziegfeld saw her on stage and asked her to join the Ziegfeld Follies. She was known for her lovely singing voice and perfect legs. In 1931 she was critically injured in a car accident and had to be hospitalized for two months. Dorothy fell in love with singer Russ Columbo but he broke up with her. She made her film debut in the 1932 short Passing The Buck. The beautiful blonde was signed by Paramount Studios in October of 1933. She was given a supporting role in the drama Wharf Angel.
Her performance earned rave reviews and critics predicted she would become a big star. Dorothy costarred with Shirley Temple in Little Miss Marker and with Lew Cody in Shoot The Works. She had a brief romance with boxer Jack Demspey. In the Spring of 1934 it was announced she would play the lead in Now and Forever. Dorothy's career was taking off and she had finally found true love. She was engaged to caricaturist named Nat Carson and had started planning their wedding. On June 8, 1934 she attended a party in Altadena with her friend Dr. Carl Wagner. While driving home at 1:00 AM the car hit a telephone pole and flipped over several times. Dorothy was killed instantly. She was just nineteen years old. Dr. Wagner, who was driving the car, died several hours later. She is buried at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her role in Now And Forever was given to Carole Lombard.
Dorothy Dell was a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl who seemed destined for stardom before dying young in a car accident.
She was born Dorothy Dell Goff in Hattiesburg Mississippi, on January 20, 1915. Dorothy was named the most beautiful baby in Hattiesburg. Her mother claimed to be a descendant of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President. The family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1925. She became best friends with Dorothy Lamour and the two girls dreamed of being actresses together. Dorothy started entering beauty pageants when she was a teenager. After winning the Miss New Orleans pageant she was crowned Miss Universe in 1930. Then she began performing in vaudeville. Florenz Ziegfeld saw her on stage and asked her to join the Ziegfeld Follies. She was known for her lovely singing voice and perfect legs. In 1931 she was critically injured in a car accident and had to be hospitalized for two months. Dorothy fell in love with singer Russ Columbo but he broke up with her. She made her film debut in the 1932 short Passing The Buck. The shapely blonde was signed by Paramount Studios in October of 1933. She was given a supporting role in the drama Wharf Angel.
Dorothy DellDorothy Dell
Dorothy Dell
Her performance earned rave reviews and critics predicted she would become a big star. Dorothy costarred with Shirley Temple in Little Miss Marker and with Jack Oakie in Shoot The Works. She had a brief romance with boxer Jack Demspey. In the Spring of 1934 it was announced she would play the lead in Now and Forever. Dorothy's career was taking off and she had finally found true love. She was engaged to caricaturist named Nat Carson and had started planning their wedding. On June 8, 1934 she attended a party in Altadena with her friend Dr. Carl Wagner. While driving home at 1:00 AM the car hit a telephone pole and flipped over several times. Dorothy was killed instantly. She was just nineteen years old. Dr. Wagner, who was driving the car, died several hours later. She is buried at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her role in Now And Forever was given to Carole Lombard.
Trivia (16)
Stage actress.
Was Miss New Orleans, 1930. She beat out 74 other contestants, including a pre-fame Dorothy Lamour, who would win the title the following year. The two would become long-term friends.
Attended the wake for Lew Cody in Los Angeles, shortly before her own untimely death.
Two years after her death, it was reported that Dressing Room Number 101 on the Paramount lot was still vacant. The dressing room, originally built for Pola Negri, had acquired a "bad-luck" reputation. Irene Dunne and Gladys Swarthout both declined to use it.
Nearly two years after her death, Dell was still receiving fan mail at the Hollywood Post Office.
News of Dell's unexpected death devastated Shirley Temple, causing production of Now and Forever (1934) to be temporarily suspended.
Signed a long-term contract with Paramount pictures October 17, 1933.
Worked with famous choreographic duo Fanchon & Marco in 1930, appearing in pre-film dance prologues at Fox-Wilson Theater in Fresno, California.
Was related to the late U.S. Senator Guy Shepard Goff of West Virginia and Judge John W. Goff of the Supreme Court of New York. Her great grandfather was reportedly a cousin of Jefferson Davis.
Services were held for her in Hollywood on June 10, where her old friend Ruth Etting sang "The Rosary.".
At the time of her death she had been next scheduled to star opposite Gary Cooper in another Shirley Temple vehicle, Now and Forever (1934). The part went to Carole Lombard instead.
She announced her engagement to caricaturist Nat Carr just days before her death.
She was crowned Miss Biloxi when she was briefly a resident of nearby Gulfport, Mississippi.
According to newspaper reports of her death, Dell's mother had recently undergone surgery at the hands of Dr. Wagner, the driver of the automobile involved in the fatal crash.
Her father, lumberman Elbert E. Goff, claimed to be a direct descendant of one of the men who owned the Pilgrim ship, the Mayflower.
Her signature song in the Ziegfeld Follies was titled, "Was I Drunk, Was He Handsome, and Did My Ma Give Me Hell?".
Personal Quotes (1)
[in 1930] I am going to be a real actress. Not just one more actress, but a real, honest-to-goodness actress like Marie Dressler.
