Who's That? #1 : Ethel Shutta, radio singer, movie dancer, Broadway comeback star -- Garbo

Ethel Shutta was a star on Broadway, in the movies, and on the radio. In the 1920s and 1930s, people would have known how to pronounce her name. "Shutta" looks like shut-tah or shoot-tah, but it was said somewhere between shut-tay and shoot-tay.

Ethel, at the height of her career, was best-known for her work on the radio. As the singer for husband George Olen's orchestra, she appeared on an Jack Benny  radio s sponsored by Canada Dry. 

Look how big George Olden's billing is in the radio ad compared to Ethel Shutta's!

But at least Shutta;'s name was given every week at the start and the end of the Benny program. As it ought to be since she sang Benny's theme song!

Olsen and Shutta, who had two children together,  were divorced in 1939, and Shutta then married sportswriter George Kirksey. 

Before being featured on the Jack Benny program, Shutta was the female lead in both the Broadway and film versions of Eddie Cantor's musical "Whoopee." In this next clip, Cantor sings to Shutta in the movie's last scene. 

Shutta's fringe-shakin' cowgirl dance in "Whoopee" is wonderful, with a line of Busby Berkley cowgirls following right behind. 

In the 1970s, when she was in her 70s, Ethel Shutta returned to Broadway in Stephen Sondheim's hit "Follies."

Here she is, in 1971, singing "Broadway Baby."

Shutta also sings on the cast album of a Sondheim tribute for charity. Here's a short pomo made for that project. 

Here is a nice tribute to Shutta's Broadway career. 

See you next week!

Garbo