Naomi Johnson

Naomi Johnson
Sepia-toned portrait of a woman with long dark hair looking to the right
Johnson c. 1922
Bornc. 1909
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • showgirl
Years active1922–1930
Spouse
John Murinelly Cirne
​
​
(m. 1926)​

Naomi Johnson (c. 1909 – ?) was an American showgirl and Ziegfeld Girl who performed in Broadway productions during the 1920s and early 1930s. She was known for her beauty and intelligence, and was described by photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston as "the most beautiful of all Ziegfeld's beauties, past or present."[1]

Early life and career

Johnson was born around 1909 in New York City.[a] While still in high school, she began working as a model for Ben Ali Haggin, who created the elaborate tableaux for Ziegfeld productions. She made her stage debut at the age of 16, appearing in the Ziegfeld Follies.[3][2]

Broadway career

Johnson's professional stage career began in 1922 when she played the role of "Ann" in the musical Just Because.[4] That same year, she joined the ensemble of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1922, beginning her association with Florenz Ziegfeld.[5]

Johnson continued to appear in subsequent editions of the Ziegfeld Follies, performing in the ensemble of the Summer Edition of 1923[6] and both the regular and summer editions of the 1925 Follies.[7][8]

In 1927, Johnson appeared in the musical Rio Rita, where she performed as one of "The Gringitas" (the Cabaret Girls) and was part of the ensemble.[9] Ziegfeld featured her in two shows simultaneously: she would appear in Rio Rita in the first part of the evening and in Show Boat in the second part. She was not sent on tour.[3]

Transition to dramatic roles

In 1928, Johnson took on her first significant dramatic role, playing Zoe, the sweetheart of Planchet, in The Three Musketeers at the Lyric Theatre.[10][3]

In 1928, Johnson left Ziegfeld's organization to join Earl Carroll's productions. Variety reported that she was one of several "Zieggy deserters" who were "wild about Carroll." The publication noted that Johnson was known as the showgirl "with brains" and that Carroll had given her "a more extended speaking part than she had in 'Show Boat.'"[11]

Johnson appeared in The Earl Carroll Vanities in 1928[12] and her final Broadway appearance was in Artists and Models in 1930, where she played a character named Naomi.[13]

Photography and legacy

Nude photograph of a woman in heels with fabric draped over her, standing in front of a fabric scene with exotic birds
Johnson photographed by Alfred Cheney Johnston in the 1920s

Johnson was extensively photographed by Alfred Cheney Johnston, who was under contract to do all of Ziegfeld's photography. Johnston promoted her as "the most beautiful of all Ziegfeld's beauties, past or present" and created numerous promotional and publicity photographs of her.[1] Some of Johnston's nude photographs of Johnson, discovered after the photographer's death, were not published during the 1920s.[1] The Library of Congress holds photographs of Johnson in Johnston's donated collection.[14] Artist J. Knowles Hare created pastel portrait illustrations of Johnson based on Johnston's photographs.[15]

Johnson's images by Johnston have been featured in modern publications about the Ziegfeld era, including Robert Hudovernik's Jazz Age Beauties: The Lost Collection of Ziegfeld Photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston.[16]

Contemporary press coverage described Johnson as not only beautiful but also talented and intelligent. She was noted for her abilities in dancing and singing, as well as her skills in swimming and golf.[2] She was described as having "a well-balanced head" and was not likely to be affected by fame.[2]

Personal life

On July 21, 1926, Johnson married John Murinelly Cirne, a foreign delegate to the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia, in a ceremony held in New York City.[17]

Theatre credits

Year Production Role Theatre Notes
1922 Just Because Ann [4]
1922 Ziegfeld Follies Ensemble [5]
1923 Ziegfeld Follies (Summer Edition) Ensemble [6]
1925 Ziegfeld Follies Ensemble [7]
1925 Ziegfeld Follies (Summer Edition) Ensemble [8]
1927 Rio Rita One of The Gringitas / Ensemble [9]
1928 The Three Musketeers Zoe Lyric Theatre [18]
1928 The Earl Carroll Vanities [12]
1930 Artists and Models Naomi [13]

References

Notes

  1. ^ The Tatler described Johnson as "barely nineteen" in 1929, suggesting a birth year around 1909–1910.[2]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c "Times Square: On the Square: Beautiful and Intelligent". Variety. Vol. 90, no. 2. January 25, 1928. p. 47.
  2. ^ a b c d "Three from the U.S.A." The Tatler. Vol. 111, no. 1444. February 27, 1929. p. 393.
  3. ^ a b c "Behind the Footlights: Naomi Johnson". Midweek Pictorial. Vol. 27, no. 16. June 9, 1928. p. 29.
  4. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 280.
  5. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 287.
  6. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 326.
  7. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 328.
  8. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 401.
  9. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 478.
  10. ^ Mantle, Burns (1928). The Best Plays of 1927–28. Dodd, Mead. p. 526.
  11. ^ "Zieggy Deserters". Variety. Vol. 92, no. 2. July 25, 1928. p. 43.
  12. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 541.
  13. ^ a b Norton 2002, p. 615.
  14. ^ "Studio Portraits and Photographic Illustrations for Advertisements". Library of Congress. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  15. ^ "John Knowles Hare - Naomi Johnson Ziegfeld Follies Portrait". 1stDibs. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  16. ^ Hudovernik, Robert (2006). Jazz Age Beauties: The Lost Collection of Ziegfeld Photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-7893-1381-2.
  17. ^ "Marriages". Variety. Vol. 84, no. 2. July 28, 1926. p. 27.
  18. ^ Mantle, Burns (1928). The Best Plays of 1927–28. Dodd, Mead. p. 526.

Works cited

  • Norton, Richard C. (2002). A Chronology of American Musical Theater. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508888-5.
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