I'm kind of proud of my knowledge of past performers even a generation or two before I was born, but I have to confess that the subject of this Vitagraph Short was one I had never heard of. Hazel Green was a poor man's version of Kate Smith, not that she lacked in talent, but only in reputation.
She was a large woman in the manner of Kate, but had an upbeat jazzy style of singing. The ballads of Kate Smith didn't seem to be in Hazel's repertoire or at least she chose not to include them in her one filmed record of her singing. She did an up tempo version of Ain't She Sweet and also Just a Bird's Eye View Of My Old Kentucky Home. In the second Hazel danced a bit with tap dancer Joe Lacurta, also someone I made the acquaintance of.
No doubt about it, the woman could move in a way Kate Smith never did. Here's to you Hazel for a grand performance.
She was a large woman in the manner of Kate, but had an upbeat jazzy style of singing. The ballads of Kate Smith didn't seem to be in Hazel's repertoire or at least she chose not to include them in her one filmed record of her singing. She did an up tempo version of Ain't She Sweet and also Just a Bird's Eye View Of My Old Kentucky Home. In the second Hazel danced a bit with tap dancer Joe Lacurta, also someone I made the acquaintance of.
No doubt about it, the woman could move in a way Kate Smith never did. Here's to you Hazel for a grand performance.
