# Why was Ethel Merman a star? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762 "2006-03-02T15:50:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/1 "2006-03-02T15:50:34Z")
I’ve been listening to some Ethel Merman tunes [like this](http://home.comcast.net/~cpeek001/top.mp3) ( 3 meg mp3) and, even given the limitations of the old audio it’s seens evident she’s basically “belting” these songs with little tonal grace, limited range and a fairly nasal voice. Was it that ther powerful voice overcame the lack of (or poor quality) amplification for large crowds in the 30’s ? Her personality? What? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/2 "2006-03-02T16:06:24Z")
From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Merman) > [@](#): > > She was known for her powerful, belting alto voice, precise enunciation, and accurate pitch. Because stage singers performed without microphones when she began singing professionally, she had great advantages in show business, despite the fact that she never received any singing lessons. In fact, Broadway lore holds that George Gershwin warned her never to take a singing lesson after seeing her opening reviews for Girl Crazy. Not too shabby a reccomendation. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/3 "2006-03-02T16:26:46Z")
She’s like fingernails on a blackboard to me. I know she’s legend…I know she’s beloved…I DON’T CARE. As far as I’m concerned, her recordings can be used as punishment for high crimes and misdemeanors. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/4 "2006-03-02T16:28:48Z")
I forgot to add that I like her about as much as I like Kate Fucking Smith. Sorry…I’ve been waiting for decades to release the venom. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/5 "2006-03-02T16:32:48Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I’ve been listening to some Ethel Merman tunes [like this](http://home.comcast.net/~cpeek001/top.mp3) ( 3 meg mp3) and, even given the limitations of the old audio it’s seens evident she’s basically “belting” these songs with little tonal grace, limited range and a fairly nasal voice. > > Was it that ther powerful voice overcame the lack of (or poor quality) amplification for large crowds in the 30’s ? Her personality? What? Different times, different standards. Yes, the ability to be heard over an orchestra without a mic (which didn’t exist) or megaphone (which obstructed and was unwieldy at best) was a real plus in those days. Also, the general “brashness” worked well for most of the material. She rode that fame into the 60’s, 70’s and even appeared on “The Love Boat” in 1982 (her last credit at IMDB). She was a powerful performer, no subtle, and that is, in part, what made her great. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/6 "2006-03-02T16:33:52Z")
I never saw her live, but I’m guessing she had stage presence. When a great performer comes on stage, he/she just takes over. It’s an amazing thing. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/7 "2006-03-02T16:56:43Z")
Besides, she was brilliant as Lt. George Zip, now _that’s_ acting! ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/8 "2006-03-02T18:02:40Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Besides, she was brilliant as Lt. George Zip, now _that’s_ acting! [nitpick] Lt. Hurwitz. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/9 "2006-03-02T18:10:08Z")
I saw her live, once, when I was a kid. My dad took me to Chicago with him on a business trip. She was doing _Gypsy_ with a travelling troupe. She had an incredible stage presence, just a sizzling electricity whenever she walked onstage. Despite her vocal quirks, she had a voice that could pin your ears back. She was one of the few singers outside of opera who didn’t really need a microphone. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/10 "2006-03-02T18:16:08Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > [nitpick] > Lt. Hurwitz. > [/nitpick] Dang. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/11 "2006-03-02T18:19:46Z")
> [@kelly5078](#): > > I never saw her live, but I’m guessing she had stage presence. When a great performer comes on stage, he/she just takes over. It’s an amazing thing. Did she ever! I saw her live in 1979, which would have made her 71 years old. I suppose she didn’t have the voice she had in 1939, but I have NEVER seen anyone work a crowd so well! I’ve seen Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen - all masters of working the crowd - and all of them could have taken lessons from Ethel Merman! ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/12 "2006-03-02T20:10:44Z")
I rented a documentary from Netflix called _Hidden Hollywood_. It included quite a few song-and-dance numbers from old movies that had been trimmed away for any number of reasons. One of these featured Ethel Merman, and I was stunned by how good she sounded. I’ve never been fond of the belting style that she is permanently associated with, but in this clip she didn’t sound anything like that. Maybe _that’s_ why they cut it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/13 "2006-03-02T23:02:20Z")
> [@ddgryphon](#): > > Yes, the ability to be heard over an orchestra without a mic (which didn’t exist) or megaphone (which obstructed and was unwieldy at best) was a real plus in those days. The microphone certainly did exist when Merman began her stage career in the early 1930s, but they just didn’t use them in Broadway shows until the 1960s. [More here](http://www.upne.com/1-55553-623-9.html). ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/14 "2006-03-02T23:36:05Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > The microphone certainly did exist when Merman began her stage career in the early 1930s, but they just didn’t use them in Broadway shows until the 1960s. [More here](http://www.upne.com/1-55553-623-9.html). Walloon is correct, the microphone having been invented in the 1880’s or thereabouts. I should have said not in use. Merman began her career in the 1920’s, her big break was singing “I Got Rhythm” in 1930 production of “Girl Crazy”. Before that she had done work in Vaudville. I apologize for spreading false information about microphones. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/15 "2006-03-02T23:52:59Z")
Doesn’t _everybody_ love Old Leatherlungs? She was _fun_. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/16 "2006-03-03T03:44:50Z")
I couldn’t stand her voice either and couldn’t understand her superstardom, until I saw her spot depicted at the end of the 2004 film **De-lovely.** The woman filled a stage with energy and charisma in ways you just don’t see today. ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/17 "2006-03-03T04:30:31Z")
Anyone else think she was kinda hot in [It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World](http://imdb.com/title/tt0057193/)? Maybe I’m getting old. ---
**Author:** ![from\_a\_to\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5fc32e/32.png) [@from\_a\_to\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/from_a_to_z)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/18 "2006-03-03T06:14:53Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > all of them could have taken lessons from Ethel Merman! I really like Alice Faye, and Ethel Merman blows her off the screen in [Alexander’s Ragtime Band](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0029852/). [\*\*Kizarvexius](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7157731&postcount=12)\*\* mentioned “Hidden Hollywood”. The Alexander’s DVD has Ethel’s cut performance (cut because she shows too vividly how music affects her?) of “Marching Along With Time”, without Joan Collins’s voiceover. Also check out “My Walking Stick” and “Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil”. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/19 "2006-03-03T07:13:42Z")
There’s an amazing segment of her, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand on _The Judy Garland Show_. The three of them, Broadway’s old guard (Ethel), former Hollywood Royalty (Judy) and Broadway’s New Star (Barbra) are singing together on “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Ethel takes the number, puts it right in her handbag and walks off with it. She brooks no challenge from Judy (who recognizes that despite her own divahood she is, on this number, no match for La Merman) or from Barbra (who makes a truly pathetic attempt to hold her own and never quite understands that **This Number Belongs To Ethel** ). I can’t say that I am some huge fan of Ethel Merman but that number by itself is sufficient to cement her place in the pantheon. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762/20 "2006-03-03T11:44:27Z")
Not love Ethel Merman? Unpossible! How can you not adore the belting? How can you not just glow from the range? How can you not smile at her brassiness? How how how? I have been imitating Ethel ( and Kate) since high school, at least. It was love at first sound. My suckiness is my own homage to their greatness. at least those that hear me do the impression without me clueing them in know I am doing Ethel or Kate, so that says something. It’s poor woman’s opera. I listen to a best of Ethel Merman cd in the truck on a near daily basis since I got it. With kids in the car. I don’t view it as cruel and unusual at all. Mickey Mouse and Barney are far more evil and coma-inducing. My kids and the rental ones, Love Ethel. My work is done. There will never be another Ethel Merman. Which is too bad. I’d love to see her in her prime against the Britney’s of day. Get off my lawn, while you are at it, you meddlesome kids! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ethel-merman-a-star/346762.md?page=2)