1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. So I was in 4 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: Hollywood a couple months ago for an event, and as 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: often one does when you're in Hollywood, you look down 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: at Walk of Fame names, and I was thinking one 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: that it would be fun to do a series on 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: some of the lesser known people that show up on 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: Walk of Fame stars, which might happen. We might have 10 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 1: that as a series, or you know, some of the 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: ones that don't have long biographies, maybe we'll do an 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: amalgamated episode. Sure, because some of those are great. But 13 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: one of the people that popped up for me this 14 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: time that I was like, that's not an unknown person, 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: but I also know enough about her that I know 16 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: she's really interesting, and that is Billy Burke. And she 17 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 1: is known today for mostly one role. And if you 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: don't recognize her name, you will recognize it when we 19 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: get to that role. But that's quite at the end, 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: and then you'll go, oh her, which would be great. 21 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: But as I said, her life quite a ride. She's 22 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: very very interesting, and I could talk about her forever 23 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: because I she wrote two books or co wrote them 24 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: with an assistant, or not quite a ghostwriter, because she's 25 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: credited on this stuff. But her way of telling stories 26 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: is great, and she is very frank about her life 27 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: in those books. So I have really enjoyed them, and 28 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: I just thought she would make a fine addition to 29 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: our our our storytelling collection. So today it's Billy Burke. 30 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: I was in camp oh her. So if you are, 31 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: if you're like, I don't know what you're talking about, 32 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: do not be embarrassed. I did not recognize the name either, 33 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: not at all, which is why we you know she's due. Yeah, 34 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: so Ethelbert Appleton Burke was born on August sixth, maybe 35 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty four, maybe eighty five, maybe eighty six. Reported 36 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: differently different places, and she claimed different years for herself. 37 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,559 Speaker 1: That was in Washington, d c. Her mother, Blanche Baby Hodkinson, 38 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: was from New Orleans. Her father, Billy Burke, was a 39 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: singing clown. Billy wrote in her autobiography that her father 40 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: had wanted to be a chemist, but he cut his 41 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: education short to enlist with the Union Army in eighteen 42 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: sixty two, when he was eighteen and became a drummer 43 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: during the US Civil War. She said her father never 44 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: talked about the war, but that she found a disability 45 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: discharge certificate for him that was dated April fourth, eighteen 46 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: sixty three. She clearly really admired her father. She wrote 47 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: about he quote was one of these international clowns you 48 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: could play in any country in any language. When Billy 49 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: was touring with the Barnum and Bailey circus, he met 50 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: Blanche while the show was stopped in Pittsburgh. Blanche was 51 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: a mother of four, She was in her forties, and 52 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: the two of them very quickly fell in love. They 53 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: got married before the Pittsburgh engagement of the circus was over, 54 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: and she and the kids left with him. Blanche stopped 55 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,399 Speaker 1: for a while in Washington, where her mother lived, and 56 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: Billy kept touring. At that point, she was expecting a baby, 57 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: and everybody thought it was unwise for her to keep traveling. 58 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: So when baby Billy was born, her father, who was 59 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: from an Irish family, telegraphed and said, quote, I don't 60 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: care whether it's a boy or a girl, but does 61 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: it have red hair? And as a joke, James Anthony 62 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: Bailey sent a message that read quote, I will make 63 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: you a firm offer of one million dollars cash for 64 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: the baby, which I suppose if you didn't have a 65 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: working relationship with your boss, that might come off as 66 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: really horrible, but apparently they all thought it was very funny. 67 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: I should mention that those four previous kids of Blanche 68 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: kind of drop out of the picture, and we don't 69 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: really know what happened there, whether she left them with 70 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: her mother or what, but they are not really in 71 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: any of the stories that come up afterwards. But when 72 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: Billy was eight, her father moved the family by which 73 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: I mean himself, Blanche and young Billy, to England to 74 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: start a new troupe there called Billy Burke's Barnum and 75 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: Greatland and Circus Songsters, and little Billy had gone by 76 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: that name Billy from the time she was tiny, and 77 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,239 Speaker 1: she later wrote quote, I have always been called Billy Burke, 78 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: except for those eighteen improbable glittering years when I was 79 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: also missus Floren Ziegfeld Junior. I find it a perfectly 80 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: adequate name. It's an especially nice name for the skidter 81 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: witted ladies I play on the screen today, and it 82 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: suits me too, because I might as well confess here 83 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: and now that I I'm not always saner than I seem. 84 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: But she also claimed that her name did not officially 85 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: become Billy until the family was living in England. So 86 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: while they were in London, she met a reverend Kerschbaum, 87 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: who actually gave her the name Mary William at her baptism, 88 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: making her full name Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke. Billy, 89 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: who was just twelve at this time, had told the 90 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: reverend that she wanted to be named Billy in honor 91 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: of her father, and that he had asked if she 92 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: would also take Mary as a favor to him, to 93 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: which she happily acquiesced. In her autobiography, she says she 94 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: kind of had a crush on this reverend and that 95 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: she would have named herself Gorgonzola if he had asked. 96 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: You will also see her birth name as Mary William 97 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: Ethelbert Appleton Burke. But the way she always told the story, 98 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: those first two names were not her name at birth. 99 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: They did not become part of her name until she 100 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,799 Speaker 1: was baptized and entered into the register at Westminster Abbey. 101 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: It was also during her time as a child in 102 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: Love then that Billy's stage career began, although this was 103 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: a reluctant start. Billy's mother, Blanche, wanted her to go 104 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: into the family business, but Billy was really shy and 105 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: her father was against it. She later wrote, quote, it 106 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: occurs to me that someone ought to do a piece 107 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: of scholarly research on the number of girls who have 108 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: become stage and movie stars because their mothers pushed them. 109 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 1: Billy had never even shown a lot of interest in 110 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: her father's show, let alone any others, but her mother 111 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: started taking her to plays enrolled her in acting school, 112 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: but both her acting classes in her regular school were 113 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: interrupted a lot whenever her father was on tour, because 114 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: she and her mother would normally go with him while 115 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: they were traveling. Her mother tried to supplement her education 116 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: by taking her to museums, which Billy found very boring, 117 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: and she later said of all of this, quote, I 118 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: doubt if there is a museum in all Europe that 119 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 1: I did not doze in during my adolescence. Billy's first 120 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: stage performance was a set of songs that she sang 121 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: at Birkenhead while the family was there for a summer holiday. 122 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: She was fourteen at this time and She described the 123 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: experience as awful and scary, but she did it again 124 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: the next day and she did a bit better, and 125 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: after that her mother just kept booking her gigs. She 126 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: was soon working at the London Pavilion as a weekly performer, 127 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: and she described actually starting to have a little fun 128 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: once she got over that initial nervousness. She got paid 129 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: ten pounds a week for singing, and it was there 130 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: at the Pavilion that she was spotted by the composer 131 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: Leslie Stewart, and he offered her a small role in 132 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: his new play, The Schoolgirl. Billy was a teenager at 133 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: this time. She was given the best song in the show, 134 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: but that had to be kept secret from the show's 135 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: two leads until dress rehearsal because there was concern that 136 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 1: those two actors have become jealous and angry. And when 137 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: they heard it a dress rehearsal, both of them were 138 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: jealous and angry and threatened to quit, but they stayed, 139 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: and when the show opened in May nineteen oh three, 140 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: according to the New York Times quote, miss Burke made 141 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: the hit of the evening. Billy later recalls that she 142 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: was so overwhelmed by the audience's boisterous reaction to her 143 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: song that she ran off stage and forgot to bow, 144 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: and she bumped into a stage hand and fell, and 145 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: the stage manager caught her. Billy misunderstood the situation. She 146 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: thought all the noise was because they hated her, but 147 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: her stage manager threatened to slap her if she did 148 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: not go back on stage and sing it again. That 149 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: is terrible, but she later credited that threat with the 150 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: creation of her fame, because she became a celebrity pretty 151 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: quickly thanks to this play, and people recounted the story 152 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: of her debut and her singing it twice frequently. The 153 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: schoolgirl ran for two years at the Prince of Wales 154 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,719 Speaker 1: Theater and eighteen year old Billy was a London celebrity. 155 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: She mentions an interesting theory in her autobiography that she 156 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: believes her nickname during this time was the origin of 157 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: the term flapper, applying to young women. She was nicknamed 158 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: the American flapper in London. Quote. I think this is 159 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: the origin of the term flapper. Certainly, my red hair flapped, 160 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: not by theatrical design, but because I was too lazy 161 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: to fasten it up. I rather liked it that way too. 162 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: Sadly Billy. Jonathan Walford, writing for the Fashion History Museum 163 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, traces the first use of the 164 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: word flapper in print to refer to energetic teenage girls 165 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: in a nineteen oh three story by Desmond Coke. It 166 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 1: was being used colloquially in the UK as early as 167 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,839 Speaker 1: the eighteen nineties. The Oxford English Dictionary actually puts its 168 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: first written use in the context of teenage girls in 169 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty eight, so way earlier. Yes, you're marvelous, Billy, 170 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: but you are not the originator. Billy was also aware 171 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: of the many temptations that London held for a young, pretty, 172 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: relatively famous actress, but her mother, lanch was very much 173 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: on hand to prevent any kind of shenanigans. Billy later 174 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: said that because she worked in the theater, she was 175 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: immune to the kinds of schoolgirl crushes on actors that 176 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 1: most teenagers experienced. Those were her colleagues, and she did 177 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: not find them appealing in any way. She did date 178 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: a number of young men, mostly in the military, but 179 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: although some and it sounds like many, wanted to be 180 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: quite serious and get engaged, she thought she would probably 181 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: get tired of them anyway, so she never accepted any 182 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: of their proposals. As The Schoolgirl was ending its run, 183 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,959 Speaker 1: Billy had a sense of the direction that her career 184 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: might take. She knew her singing wasn't good enough to 185 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: carry a career, and she decided she wanted to go 186 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: after light comedy roles. She met American theater manager Charles 187 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: Frohman during this time. He said he would like to 188 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: produce The Schoolgirl in New York, but that her popular 189 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: song would be sung by the show's star in that production. 190 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: So she started going to any and every theater company 191 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: in the West End that was producing comedies and offered 192 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: her talents there. She played in a couple more musical 193 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: theater shows and had what sounds like a marvelous time 194 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: in a run of The Belle of Mayfair at the 195 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: Vaudeville Theater. It was during that engagement that Charles Hawtrey 196 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: saw her. He was a theater manager in London, and 197 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: he went to the show several times before sending her 198 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: a message asking her for a meeting. He saw in 199 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: her exactly what he wanted, which was a comedian. Yeah, 200 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: and that was exactly what she wanted someone to see, 201 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: so this was a good thing. Coming up, we'll talk 202 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: about Billy's entry into straight comedy, but first we'll have 203 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: a little sponsor break. Hawtrey cast Billy in a comedy 204 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: called Mister George, and for it she had to learn 205 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: the difference in how to a musical comedy, which she 206 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: had been doing, versus straight comedy, So she had to 207 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: learn straight comedy. She later wrote, quote, there is a 208 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: sharp and enormous difference between playing musical comedy and playing 209 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: straight comedy, and I think I can explain it best 210 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: by putting it this way. In a musical comedy, you 211 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: direct everything to the audience. In comedy, in a play, 212 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 1: you know the audience is there and you play to it, 213 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: but you direct yourself to your fellow players, and act 214 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: as if you were in a room, not in a theater. 215 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: Although this role and this time of her life were 216 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: quite thrilling, she met royalty during this time, and she 217 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 1: was invited to fancy parties by London elite. This also 218 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,199 Speaker 1: came with some sorrow because her father, Billy Burke, had 219 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: been ill for some time. He for the most part, 220 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: lived apart from Billy and her mother in Bath for 221 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: the benefit of his health, whereas they stayed in London 222 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: for her career and he would visit London to see 223 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: her act, but he died before Mister George opened. In 224 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: nineteen oh seven, Billy was cast in a play My 225 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: Wife Is New York by Charles Browman. That was the 226 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: person who had told her she could not sing her 227 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: canoe song in his US version of The Schoolgirl. After 228 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: she finished one more play with Charles Hawtrey, she took 229 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: the job. She made five hundred dollars a week, which 230 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: was a huge sum to her at the time, and 231 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: she was very well received. She later wrote, quote by degrees, 232 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: it was born in on me that my wife had 233 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: made me a star. But to tell the truth, I 234 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: was rather stupid about it. I honestly didn't realize what 235 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: had happened. It had all been so much fun and 236 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: all so easy. Mister George led to a string of 237 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: other successes on the New York stage from nineteen ten 238 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: to nineteen thirteen, including Missus Dot Suzanne, The Runaway, The Mind, 239 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: The Paint Girl, and the Land of Promise. She described 240 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: this as an incredibly content time in her life, when 241 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 1: she had money and security. She was not ambitious, according 242 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: to her own account, and was happy to be acting 243 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,080 Speaker 1: in comedies as she had hoped when she was working 244 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: on The Schoolgirl. She didn't see herself as a great actress, 245 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: and she had no designs on becoming one. But when 246 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: she was the top build star in a play called 247 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: Love Watches, which ran from nineteen oh eighteen nineteen oh nine, 248 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: she did admit to being a little thrilled at seeing 249 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: her name in lights. Billy really developed an image of 250 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: being a bubbly, light hearted woman, and part of that 251 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: was through her choice of dress. In the john of 252 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: the twentieth century, a lot of women's fashions still trend 253 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: in toward dark colors and structured, heavy looking silhouettes. She 254 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: really favored light, fluttery styles with ruffles. She became known 255 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: for having fantastic style, and women wanted to emulate it. 256 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: Billy Burke was not just famous, she was iconic. She 257 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: was one of the first stage stars who had all 258 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: kinds of merchandise named after her. Her mother is said 259 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: to have loved walking into department stores and seeing the 260 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: Billy Burke dresses, which had wide, flat collars a lot 261 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: of the time trimmed with lace. She also had a 262 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: lo of hair clip ons named for her, which let 263 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: customers get the same long red curls that she had 264 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: been really known for. Burke was objectively speaking of beauty 265 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: by the standards of the day, by any standards, but 266 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: she never seemed to see herself that way. She once 267 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: commented on the feature that she disliked most about her face, quote, 268 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: I have a deep and penetrating sorrow my freckles. I 269 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: have tried everything under the sun, but they cling to 270 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: me faithfully. But though she may have been keenly aware 271 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: of what she perceived as flaws, it also did not 272 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: keep her from living a life that reflected her iconic 273 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: beauty and style status. When she toured, she had her 274 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: dressing room redecorated to suit her taste in every city, 275 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: even if she was only performing for a short period 276 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: of time somewhere, she wanted everything to be done up 277 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: in Baby Blue. Billy's routine for her health and beauty 278 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: was legendary. She had her hair brushed by her maid 279 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 1: every morning, She used yellow brand meal in her bath 280 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: to make the water soft, She used a chalk powder 281 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: on her nose, and she believed an exercise. She walked 282 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: five miles a day and worked out her upper body 283 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: with Barbel's strength exercises and what was called Indian clubs. 284 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: These are clubs similar to ones you might have seen 285 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: jugglers used that look kind of like elongated bowling pins. 286 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: They would add weight and resistance to fluid movements, and 287 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: they were said to have been invented by soldiers in 288 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: India for exercise and then adopted by the British military 289 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: during colonization. Strength training wasn't exactly common for women at 290 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: the time, so she was kind of ahead of the 291 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: trends on this one. In nineteen ten, while she was 292 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: achieving great success with the touring company of Love Watches, 293 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: Billy Burke bought a huge thirty five acre estate in Hastings, 294 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: New York. It was the Kirkham Estate when she acquired it, 295 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: and she changed the name to Berkeley Crest. Blanche managed 296 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: a full property renovation and update, including the addition of 297 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: a tea house and apple trees, and the laying of 298 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,640 Speaker 1: roads to get around the property by car. And though 299 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: she was able to afford all of this and was 300 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 1: happy with her salary, when she got an offer from 301 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: a Froeman competitor for fifteen hundred dollars a week plus 302 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: ten percent of theater profits. She parleyed that into a 303 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: similar deal with Froeman. It was also while starring in 304 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: Love Watches that one of her high profile romances started. 305 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: That was with Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso. He would 306 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: go see her perforum night after night and throw roses 307 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: onto the stage every time. He wrote her love notes 308 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: and sent them backstage. She said of the famous singer quote, 309 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: he made love and ate spaghetti with equal skill and 310 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: no inhibitions. He would propose marriage several times each evening. Naturally, 311 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: I did not take him seriously. On New Year's Eve 312 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,199 Speaker 1: nineteen thirteen, although she would lay it as happening. At 313 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,120 Speaker 1: least two hours into nineteen fourteen, Billy and her manager 314 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: at the time crashed a party at the hotel Astor 315 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: that changed her life because it was there that she 316 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: met Flora Zigfeld Junior. She wrote of him quote, he 317 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: had a Mephistophelian look, his eyebrows and his eyelids lifting 318 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: curved upward in the middle, Slim and tall and immaculate 319 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: in full evening dress. He was in black and white, 320 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: contrast to the rest of the costumed party and so, 321 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: and for who knows what other reasons I noticed him 322 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: at once, without speaking, Zigfeld pulled her into a dance, 323 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: and she described him using his knee to signal her 324 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: to turn on the dance floor, which she said quote 325 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: was an odd thing to do, but I rather liked it, 326 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: and the two of them were soon a couple. This 327 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: romance got a lot of tongues wagging, but not in 328 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: a good way. Most people believed that Billy was too 329 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:57,719 Speaker 1: good for him and that he would lead to nothing 330 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: but unhappiness for her. He had been a source of 331 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: gossip on Broadway and throughout the vaudeville circuit for a 332 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 1: long time. Flow Zigfield had started the Zigfield Follies seven 333 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: years before he and Birke met. He had been married 334 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: by common law to actress Anna Held from eighteen ninety 335 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,200 Speaker 1: seven or maybe eighteen ninety nine, depending on the source, 336 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: until nineteen thirteen. Held had served him with divorce papers 337 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: for infidelity in nineteen twelve. Everyone who knew them both 338 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: thought that Flow would break Billy's heart and probably tank 339 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: her career as well. Charles Frohman was especially adamant that 340 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: he thought the relationship was a bad idea, and Billy 341 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: knew the rumors about Zigfeld that he was, in her words, 342 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 1: extremely dangerous and cavalier about women. Yeah, Charles Frohman made 343 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: a lot of ultimatums with her regarding this relationship, but 344 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: the heart wants it at once. So Billy and Flow 345 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,159 Speaker 1: continued their romance, although they often tried to keep it 346 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 1: on the down low to avoid criticism. She went on 347 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: record as saying that even if she had known quote 348 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: precisely what tortures and frustrations were in store for me, 349 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,199 Speaker 1: I should have kept right on falling in love. She 350 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: claimed that some of their secret rendezvous even took place 351 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: in Grant's tomb in Upper Manhattan. Basically, they were doing 352 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: anything they could to avoid the press, and Billy actually 353 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,959 Speaker 1: did try to break things off with Flow more than once, 354 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: and in response to her most declarative note saying as 355 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: much that she was done, he came to her dressing 356 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: room after the show that night and said, I want 357 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: to get married tomorrow. So, after four months in which 358 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: Ziegfeld wooed Billy by telling her he wanted to be 359 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: her husband and her manager, and winning over her mother 360 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: Blanche as well, in April of nineteen fourteen, they went 361 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: to Hoboken, New Jersey, with Blanche in tow to a lope. 362 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: They found a parson who was willing to perform the service, 363 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: but it seems he was a little before the whole 364 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: thing and especially confused by their names. Billy later wrote 365 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: of the wedding that the minister had addressed her as 366 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: Flow and told her where to stand. She replied, he's Flow, 367 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm Billy. And then the minister turned to Flow and said, oh, 368 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,400 Speaker 1: all right, then you stand here Bill, and Flow replied 369 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: I'm Flow, she's Bill. I mean Billy. It's kind of 370 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: like who's on first. She concluded this story by saying, quote, 371 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: but he married us, and I am sure it was legal. 372 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: They were back in Manhattan that night Billy had a 373 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: show to do. Their marriage news didn't make the press 374 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: for two days, and at that point it was headlines 375 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 1: We're going to get into married life for Billy and Flow, 376 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 1: which had a lot of good and bad. But before that, 377 00:21:49,560 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: we will pause for a word from our sponsors. Charles Frohman, 378 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: for whom Billy had worked for several years at this point, 379 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: died in nineteen fifteen. He was aboard the RMS Lusitania 380 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: when it sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Having never spoken 381 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: to Billy again after she married Flow Zigfeld. After Froman's passing, 382 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: his office put Billy under contract. And that may sound good, 383 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: like a stable situation, but really it was a way 384 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: to prevent her from transitioning to movies. For one thing, 385 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: there was still ongoing animosity with Froman's office that Billy 386 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: had abandoned her public persona of innocent Aungenoux to Mary Zigfeld, 387 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: and the company booked her with seventy two back to 388 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: back one night stand performances, so that for more than 389 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: two months she would be traveling, and most of it 390 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: away from her new husband. And during this time, rumors 391 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,120 Speaker 1: started to get back to Billy that Flow was already 392 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 1: seeing other women, as had been predicted by basically everyone 393 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: she knew. Billy had married a cheater, and she didn't 394 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: like it, But in her later years she spoke really 395 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: kindly of him still, although she was also frank about 396 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: the reality of his behavior. She wrote, quote of another thing, 397 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: I am confidently certain Zigfeld has been portrayed as a 398 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,719 Speaker 1: man who pursued women. I have even come across a 399 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: word which in regard to him is not only vulgar, 400 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: but incredibly inaccurate. The word is chaser by all the 401 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,120 Speaker 1: pink toad prophets. Flow Zigfeld was never that. Flow never 402 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: pursued any woman. He was cool and aloof and difficult. 403 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 1: But there were times, more times than I prefer to recall, 404 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,719 Speaker 1: when he made a woman eager for his approval by 405 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: a mere look or a small expression, or by a 406 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: slight grasp of her elbow a low mumbling request to dance. 407 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: That was all the effort he ever had to make. 408 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: The story of one noted dancing girl about how Flow 409 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 1: Zigfeld used to batter down her door is a confection 410 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: of sheer poppycock. I tell you I know better. She 411 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: also wrote about him, quote, I hope I can make 412 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: myself clear about this. There were several things I knew 413 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: for certain then, and I have never changed my mind. 414 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: One of the things I knew was that Flow loved me, 415 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 1: and that he loved his home and his family. He 416 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 1: was what he was. That long two month plus tour 417 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: ended in Los Angeles and Billy was introduced to Hollywood. 418 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixteen, she was offered the lead role in 419 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: a film called Peggy by Thomas Ince, who offered her 420 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: a staggering three hundred thousand dollars for one single picture. 421 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 1: That's an indicator of how famous she was at this point, 422 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: even though we don't really think of her as a 423 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: household name today. Her froman agents in New York got 424 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: wind of the offers that were being made to her, 425 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: and she received a telegram while she was still in 426 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: California that read, if you sign up with Pictures before 427 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: we see you again, we will not continue with you 428 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: for another season, and she sent the reply, I have 429 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: done nothing up to now waiting to have talk with 430 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: you about pictures, but any more irate telegrams from you 431 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: and I will sign immediately. They did send another irate telegram, 432 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: and when she got to New York, she told the 433 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: froman firm that she was through with them. During production 434 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: on Peggy, Billy was offered a five year contract, but 435 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: she felt she couldn't have a career in Hollywood and 436 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: also hoped to maintain her marriage, so she chose the marriage. 437 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: Not long after, reports of these infidelities escalated and she 438 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,640 Speaker 1: asked him to come to California, which he did. They 439 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: fought about this situation for two days Eventually, they put 440 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: their issues aside, and Billy started work on a new 441 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 1: film with another huge payout, called Gloria's Romance. But Billy 442 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: also realized her entire marriage was gonna be one where 443 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:50,239 Speaker 1: she was instinctively suspicious and jealous of other women that 444 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: he was connected to. Billy's films were hits, and she 445 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: made several more that year. Yeah, he was also her 446 00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: manager at this point, so there was like a financial 447 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: interest in them being like, Okay, yeah, this horrible stuff 448 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: is going on, but we're also still business partners and 449 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 1: we have to work on these movies, which seems like 450 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,639 Speaker 1: kind of a dangerous position to be in. But on 451 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: October twenty third, nineteen sixteen, the same year that Billy 452 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,160 Speaker 1: made a lot of movies, the Zigfelds welcome to daughter, 453 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:24,439 Speaker 1: Patricia Burke Zigfeld. Three weeks after she was born. In Manhattan, 454 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 1: the family moved together into the lavish Berkeley Crest mansion. 455 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: Zigfeld had turned the grounds into a landscaped wonderland, and 456 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 1: then he started to bring in animals. According to Billy, 457 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: they had a herd of deer. They had two bears 458 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: until that became unsafe. They had two lion cubs, At 459 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: one point there were partridges, pheasants, cockatoos, parrots, an elephant, 460 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: a pony, at least seven geese. There were lambs, ducks, 461 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: hundreds of chickens, at least fifteen dogs, two buffalo, and 462 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: then seven dwarf ponies, which they received as a gift. 463 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:04,439 Speaker 1: As many of these animals became unwieldy or unrealistic to 464 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: take care of, they had to be rehomed. The elephant, 465 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 1: for example, ended up with a circus. Flow also started 466 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: screening movies for his friends at the house because producers 467 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 1: were happy to send him the latest features, and he 468 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,439 Speaker 1: would invite all of his friends from New York and 469 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: the lavish parties that he hosted there, so they sort 470 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: of hosted together, but he was really the one driving 471 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 1: that bus. Became the stuff of legend as Flow was 472 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: setting up the ultimate entertainment venue at Berkeley Crest. In 473 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 1: nineteen seventeen, Billy went back to her roots and was 474 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 1: back on stage in New York. She also started making 475 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 1: pictures with the movie studios that had set up shop 476 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: on the East Coast to take advantage of the available 477 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: Broadway talent. It wasn't always bliss, but they loved their daughter, 478 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: and they kind of made the marriage work in its 479 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: way for several years, although there were plenty of ups 480 00:27:55,920 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: and downs. Flows follies were getting more acclaim and money 481 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: was coming in, although the plays he was producing for 482 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,960 Speaker 1: Billy to star in weren't doing all that well. Additionally, 483 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: Billy's mother, Blanch, who was diabetic, was having a hard 484 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: time with her health. The immense house was really too 485 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,400 Speaker 1: much for her. It had these huge staircases and vast rooms, 486 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: so they set her up in a smaller cottage on 487 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: the property that was less taxing, and then gave her 488 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: a house staff so she was always attended to. She 489 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: died at one point while Billy was on tour, and 490 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: that production only stopped for three days. In nineteen twenty two, 491 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: Billy won the Motion Picture Popularity Contest, but at that 492 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: point she was retired from film. She had starred in 493 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 1: a movie called The Education of Elizabeth Banks in nineteen 494 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: twenty one, and then she decided to be a mother 495 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: on a more full time basis so she didn't have 496 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: to be running out to California or also just spending 497 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: long days on set. And then she also took stage 498 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,239 Speaker 1: roles in New York when they seemed right. She and 499 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,240 Speaker 1: Flow had plenty money, and she just wanted to spend 500 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: more time with her daughter. The stock market crash of 501 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty nine hit the Ziegfeld House hard. Flow had 502 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: made a lot of speculative investments, and all of a sudden, 503 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: the Ziegfelds had lost most of their money. There was 504 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: no new money coming in. They had to mortgage their 505 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: beloved Berkeley Crest. Billy decided that she would have to 506 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: be the full time breadwinner again. After two more years 507 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: in New York, during which Billy kept them afloat taking 508 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 1: stage roles, she moved with Patricia to Los Angeles to 509 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: pursue a film career. Flow initially stayed in New York 510 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: and tried to get his own business interests back on track. 511 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: This didn't work out, though, and in the winter of 512 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty one, he got the flu and then pneumonia. 513 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: He spent some time in a sanitarium in New Mexico 514 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: the following spring, hoping to regain his health before moving 515 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: to Hollywood to be with Billy and Patricia, But he 516 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: only lived in California a few days before he died 517 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: on July twenty second of nineteen thirty two. That cause 518 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: of death was listed as an attack of pleurisy. Yeah, 519 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: he never really got over his pneumonia. Billy was not 520 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: with him when he died, though, although she was on 521 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: the way home, she had gotten a call and she 522 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,239 Speaker 1: arrived two minutes after he had died. And while their 523 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: marriage had not been ideal, Billy grieved deeply, and though 524 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 1: she went almost immediately back to work, she described not 525 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: really knowing how she got through the movie she was 526 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: working on, which was called A Bill of Divorcement. That 527 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: was her first appearance in a non silent film, very 528 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 1: late in her life. She shared in her writing that 529 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: she knew that returning to work so soon while she 530 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: was still grieving may have looked callous to people, but 531 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 1: that anyone who knew her understood it was the best 532 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: way for her to get through that loss. Billy knew 533 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: she could easily go back to New York and get 534 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: steady stage work, but she really couldn't bear to go 535 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: back to a place that held so many memories of 536 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: both Flow and her mother. She decided to stay in Hollywood. 537 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty three, she appeared in the film Dinner 538 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 1: at Eight, which was a huge hit. Got a lot 539 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: of acclaim for Billy. She had successfully launched a second 540 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: phase film career in the era of sound dialogue. She 541 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: was in a lot of movies in the years that followed, 542 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: really dozens of them. The one film she didn't get 543 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: to be in was one made in nineteen thirty six 544 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: about her husband, Flow Zigfield Junior. She wanted to play herself, 545 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: but the story goes that the studio thought she was 546 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: too old to play herself in the couple's early marriage. 547 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: She started working in radio in the nineteen thirties on 548 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: a variety of programs, including the radio version of the 549 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: Zigfield Follies. For a while in the nineteen thirties, Billy 550 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: lived with director Dorothy Arsner, the only woman director in 551 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: Hollywood at the time and a possible future episode because 552 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: she is fascinating. There were rumors that the two women 553 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: were romantically involved, although Burke never mentioned Dorothy in her 554 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 1: two autobiographies aside from the films they collaborated on, not 555 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: even as a friend. So there is a one book 556 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 1: that mentions it as though it is an established fact. 557 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: And I wasn't able to get a copy of that 558 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: book and hunt down where they were sourcing from so 559 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty eight, she was in the film Merrily 560 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 1: We Live, for which she got her only Academy Award 561 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: nomination because her voice had a unique, slightly warb equality. 562 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,000 Speaker 1: She also continued to play comedy characters in films, often 563 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:36,240 Speaker 1: characters with a ditzy personality. She herself would say that 564 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: she could be ditzy, but it really seems like she 565 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: was anything. But it was Billy's nineteen thirty nine role 566 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 1: that most people will know her by, appearing opposite Judy 567 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: Garland in The Wizard of Oz as Glinda the Goodwitch. 568 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: Billy was fifty four when she made that film, although 569 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:55,959 Speaker 1: she looks a whole lot younger, no doubt, thanks to 570 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 1: her lifelong adherence to her beauty rituals as well as 571 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: lucky jas. Although the nineteen forties began with the final 572 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 1: sale of the Berkeley Crest property, her career continued to grow. 573 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: She went on to appear in two dozen more films 574 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: over the next decade, and she also had a wartime 575 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: Saturday morning radio show called The Billy Burke Show that 576 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,920 Speaker 1: ran for more than three years from nineteen forty three 577 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 1: to nineteen forty six, initially under the name Fashions in Rations, 578 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: and this is an interesting setup. It was a situation comedy, 579 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 1: and she played a fictional version of herself who was 580 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,160 Speaker 1: always helping her neighbors. It was kind of like a 581 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 1: feel good thing to go on during the war. In 582 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties, her movie roles slowed down, but she 583 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: moved into television. She became one of the first women 584 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: to host a television talk show that was at Home 585 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: with Billy Burke, and it ran from nineteen fifty one 586 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: to nineteen fifty two. She appeared on a brief runt 587 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: sitcom called Doc Corkl. Although she did briefly work again 588 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: in the theater, she couldn't find any real footing for 589 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 1: a late in life come back to the stage. In 590 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: her later life, Burke was still somewhat self effacing when 591 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,280 Speaker 1: it came to what had been a very successful multi 592 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,759 Speaker 1: decade career. She once said quote, I was never the 593 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: great actress type. I generally did light, gay things. I 594 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 1: often had cute plays, but never a fine one. In 595 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: nineteen forty nine, Billy published her autobiography With A Feather 596 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: on My Nose, which details her early life and career, 597 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,320 Speaker 1: but ultimately it is a wartz and all love letter 598 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: to her husband Flow. She wrote a follow up to 599 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: that book ten years later, titled with Powder on My Nose, 600 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 1: and that covers some additional aspects of her life, tips 601 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: on life as a performer, and she talks about why 602 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 1: she never married again. She is really very open in 603 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: that second book about her regrets as she looks back 604 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: on her life, but she's never self pitying about it. 605 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 1: She's pretty matter of fact and straightforward. Both books were 606 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:57,839 Speaker 1: written with Cameron's ship and both of them are very, 607 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 1: very charming reads. As I said, she's very funny, and 608 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,319 Speaker 1: there are even some recipes in that second one if 609 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: you want to get historically creative in the kitchen. In 610 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:11,879 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty Billy got a star on the Hollywood Walk 611 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: of Fame. It is at sixty six seventeen Hollywood Boulevard. Yep, 612 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,760 Speaker 1: you can still see it. Billy Burke died on May fourteenth, 613 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy, in Los Angeles of natural causes. She was 614 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 1: eighty four at the time. Her remains were transferred to Westchester, 615 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,320 Speaker 1: New York, where she was buried alongside her husband Flow. 616 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: I love her. She's super fu she's super fun I'm 617 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: doing a Cornucopia email today. Oh great, because we have 618 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:46,360 Speaker 1: several that are short, and I just wanted to you know, 619 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:49,320 Speaker 1: sometimes the short ones don't make it to air because 620 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 1: they're not, you know, substantial enough that we have a 621 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: whole lot to talk about. But sometimes they're worthwhile. I'm 622 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 1: very cute. Sometimes I pick those ones on purpose, and 623 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,480 Speaker 1: my episode is running really long. Yes. Absolutely. This first 624 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,360 Speaker 1: one is from Page who says, Hey, Holly and Tracy, 625 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 1: I feel like your jinks on living podcast subjects might 626 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: have worked too well. Although as of writing Bisexual Icon, 627 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 1: Jonathan the tortoise is still with us. For a hot minute, 628 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 1: he was eclipsed. This is the oldest living thing by 629 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: a forty six thousand year old worm, resurrected by scientists 630 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,839 Speaker 1: who have apparently never watched a horror movie. I had 631 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:28,279 Speaker 1: seen that, as Page rights, I suspect resuscitated ringworms don't 632 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: live very long, and their entries in the record books 633 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: definitely have an asterisk attached for all the years they 634 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 1: were frozen. So Jonathan should have his title back soon. 635 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: But it was fun slash horrifying while it lasted. Thanks 636 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,480 Speaker 1: for the show, and please take these pictures of our cats, 637 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 1: and one video of our tripod Hiccup, who we caught 638 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: trying to scratch himself with a phantom paw as payment 639 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: for making you think about ringworms page Thank you one, 640 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:54,240 Speaker 1: your cat's are adorable. Two. One of our older gents 641 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:56,920 Speaker 1: has just transitioned to life as a tripod, so it 642 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: was actually very very wonderful to get a cute video 643 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: of a tripod kitty living his best life, So thank 644 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 1: you for that. And yeah that worm trying to get 645 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: in on our Jonathan's title, No, we won't have it. 646 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: Katrina also sent us pictures of her elderly kitty, Tuft, 647 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: who is nineteen. She's had him since she was twenty 648 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: one and he was a stray kitten and how he 649 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:30,279 Speaker 1: has been her rider die since day one. He does 650 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:32,479 Speaker 1: not like dogs, but he'll sleep next to the dog 651 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 1: because the bed is cozy and it's adorable, So Katrina, 652 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: thank you. Tracy has black kitties and I have a 653 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:43,239 Speaker 1: soft spot for black kitties, so Tuft is precious, and 654 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 1: please kiss him for us if he's amenable to such things. 655 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 1: Hold on, I think I have one more yes, and 656 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,839 Speaker 1: then we have eponymous foods, which always nice, Always keep 657 00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 1: being the gift that keeps on giving. This is what 658 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:00,680 Speaker 1: I loved the title to it because it just says 659 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 1: I tried the stroganoffs. This yeah, our listener. I don't 660 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:09,800 Speaker 1: know she pronounces it Kara or Kara, but Kara writes, Hello, ladies. 661 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: I just want to share how your most recent eponymous 662 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,440 Speaker 1: foods episode has impacted my life. After learning about the 663 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,840 Speaker 1: different varieties of beef stroganoff, I decided to try the 664 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,320 Speaker 1: Russian and Chinese variations along with the more traditional version 665 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,120 Speaker 1: I usually make, and have my husband and kids vote 666 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:28,120 Speaker 1: in a stroganof off. We like them all, but the 667 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: clear winner was the Chinese. She sent the recipes she 668 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 1: was working from. As you recall the Chinese one, it's 669 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 1: usually made with like fish, sauce, et cetera. This is 670 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 1: fascinating to me. I'm embarrassed it didn't even occur to 671 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: me to do a similar trick. Now I want to 672 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 1: do that. We'll see if it happens. My husband is 673 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: not a big beef feeder, so I might have to 674 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:51,839 Speaker 1: invite a friend over to be the voter. Those are 675 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: my three short emails for this week. Thank you so 676 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: much to everybody that has written in Again, I always 677 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:04,240 Speaker 1: love the pet picture and food pictures also very welcome, 678 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,640 Speaker 1: so keep all of that coming. If you would like 679 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: to email us. Some of your food pictures are kiddie 680 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:11,600 Speaker 1: pictures or puppy pictures, or if you have two pet 681 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 1: bears until they become unwieldy, sure pictures of those two. 682 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,720 Speaker 1: You can do that at History Podcasts at iHeartRadio dot com. 683 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,360 Speaker 1: You can also find us on social media as Missed 684 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:23,480 Speaker 1: in History, and if you have not subscribed to the 685 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:26,160 Speaker 1: podcast yet, you can do that on the iHeartRadio app 686 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 1: or anywhere else you listen to your favorite shows. Stuff 687 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:37,400 Speaker 1: you Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 688 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:42,359 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 689 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.