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Transgendered Sheet Music
Karyl Norman:
Singer, Lyricist and Creole Fashion Plate
By Ms Bob and Carol Kleinmaier
Second of Three Parts
Part 1 | Part 3
This month we'll look at the sheet music for four songs made popular by Karyl Norman. You may remember that last month we examined some sheet music of female impersonator Julian Eltinge. Next month we'll complete our mini-series with three gems of song from male impersonators.
Karyl Norman was considered one of the three most successful female impersonators of his day, along with Julian Eltinge and Francis Renault. Norman was the youngest of the three. Renault says that once, when he was playing the Hippodrome, a young pianist visited his dressing room and asked advice on becoming a female impersonator. Renault tried to discourage the lad. The boy left, only to change his name to the androgynous sounding Karyl Norman and become as famous a vaudevillian as Francis.
Karyl Norman was born George Paduzzi about a century ago in 1897. He must have had show business in his blood. At the tender age of 16 he ran away from home to join a minstrel show. His career reached its zenith during the 1920's where he was one of the reigning queens of Vaudeville with a five year contract to Radio-Keith-Orpheum Circuit and performances at the prestigious Palace Theater in 1923 and 1924. During 1925-1926 Karyl traveled the Orpheum Circuit, one of the largest string of vaudeville theaters, for an unheard of 60 weeks, playing at least two weeks in each theater. This was the longest tour by a vaudeville act, ever.
He received raves from The New York Dramatic Mirror for his 1919 New York debut: "Not only does this impersonator wear his feminine toggery in tiptop shape but he has a voice that fools 'em at the start. Then to a lower register he descends - a lusty masculine voice that could be attuned to a straight 'single' and put over." Switching from alto to baritone was a feature of Karyl act. It brought the cheering audience to its feet. He had such a fine voice that he included numbers out of drag in his act. He performed "Immigration Rose" dressed as an Indian and "I Wander Who" in cute Huck Finn style overalls and straw hat. He also wrote the lyrics to some of his own songs like Nobody Loves Me and Sun God.
Though the Dramatic Mirror review went on to call him a "worthy vaudeville substitute to Julian Eltinge," he didn't have Eltinge's success on Broadway. The New York Times, reviewing Karyl's musical comedy Lady Do in 1927, said "Though attired in any quantity of silks and wigs, Mr. Norman just doesn't look like a girl." Ouch!
Taking a tip from his minstrel show beginnings, he made himself up to look like a "high-yellow" black woman and was billed as "The Creole Fashion Plate." Though many authors say that he surrounded his personal life with mystery, this may have just been prudence. His homosexuality was well known to fellow vaudes who called him "The Queen Old Fashion Plate." When he applied for membership in the New York Friars Club admissions committee member Joe Frisco said, "The Creole Fashion Plate, he's a homosexual. Who needs him? We don't need him. We've got one homosexual - Jay Brennan" (performing partner of female impersonator Bert Savoy). Fellow Friar Jay C. Flippen, who knew Jay Brennan, replied, "Yes, but what if he dies?"
In his autobiography Milton Berle credited learning female impersonation from Norman and other great vaudevillians. There's an oft repeated story that Norman used the young Milton as a go between, delivering Norman's billet duex to a male dancer from the act "Ruth Beri and Company." Berle's and Karyl's mothers put an end to Milton's postal duties. At this time "Uncle" Milty was a child star, so it is understandable that his mother traveled with him. But Karyl was not a child.
Karyl Norman's devotion to his mother was legendary. She traveled with him and served as his dresser. He referred to her as "old pal." He sang many songs about mothers among them: Don't Leave Me Mammy, I Want My Mammy, Wonderful Mother and Tie Me to Your Apron Strings Again, which is reproduced here. Some other fortunate female impersonators have had understanding mothers. In the recent HBO special "Drag Time" there's a scene of ballerina Jem Gender, of Drag Ballet de Loony, being laced into a corset by her "supportive" mother. Holly Woodlawn wrote that Candy Darling's mother, a avid Joan Crawford fan, "was so obsessed with the star that she tried to persuade her son to take on the Crawford persona" and "didn't mind having her son in drag." And Miss X of San Francisco's Sluts a-Go-Go, when discussing "realness" in one show delivered the line, "I got my hair from my mother." X's mother gave her jewelry, too, besides the wig.
But, in Karyl's case the devotion went, perhaps, too deep. After his mother died of cancer his career took a nose dive. He became despondent, lonely and began drinking. His fortune gone, he performed at Finnochio's in San Francisco. His last appearances were at the Ha-Ha Club in Hollywood, Florida, where he died of cancer in 1947.
Beside a Babbling Brook
Lyrics by Gus Kahn, Music by Walter Donaldson, Published by Jerome H. Remick & Co.
The cover shows Karyl in what we've called his "Huck Finn" outfit. The message of this song is that, rather than "climb up the ladder of life," the singer would rather, "let the world go by. I'd be more than satisfied if I could hide away beside a babbling brook." This was a common theme in movies of this period, too. In Shirley Temple's films, for instance, rich people were always miserable until the dimpled, curly haired tot would show them the true meaning of life, beyond mere material pleasure. A typical Hollywood and show business theme during the indulgent 20's, and a wonderful ploy for the wealthy, to convince wage-earners that money wasn't worth the pain and shallowness it brings.
This song probably appeared in Karyl's 1923 Palace Theater vaudeville piece "Something Different." The writing team of Gus Kahn and Walter Donaldson is perhaps the most prestigious Karyl ever worked with and confirms his place as a top vaudevillian. Kahn wrote the lyrics for Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Good-bye) for the vaudeville show Bombo the year before, the same year he and Donaldson wrote (Nothing Could Be Finer Than to be in) Carolina in the Morning.
Donaldson was a prolific and talented writer. His songs appear on both the stage and in films. A short list of his better known compositions includes the World War I comedy number How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on The Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?, My Blue Heaven, You're Driving Me Crazy, Mister Meadowlark (with lyrics by Johnny Mercer) and some songs that have become jazz standards like Changes and Love Me or Leave Me.
Tie Me to Your Apron Strings Again
Lyrics by Joe Goodwin, Music by Larry Shay, Published by Milton Weil Music Co.
One of Karyl Norman's sentimental "mother" songs from 1925. The second verse could almost be Karyl himself talking of returning home after his minstrel show adventure as a teenager. "I searched all around for happiness. 'Twas never found until I was homeward bound." The chorus is full of regret for leaving and the fond hope that mom will, "Tie me to your apron strings again. I know there's room for me upon your knee."
Paris Rose
Lyrics by Billy DuVal, Music by Robert Simonds, Published by Jerome H. Remick & Co.
The opening images in this 1924 song could easily apply to any who have brazenly walked the streets for profit, male or female: "Gazed at with scorn, since the day I was born, everybody has blamed me. Sinful and bold, out for men and their gold, still nobody has shamed me. I look out for me. I don't want sympathy. I just playing my own game." Yet, in the end, "But, soon she fades away. Some pity her and say, 'Remember when all Paris knew her name?'" The chorus boldly proclaims, "My fragrance all can share. I worry not or care. Until my petals start to close, I'll be Paris Rose!" A tuneful reminder that in the 1920's it was God's plan that every fallen woman or man, no matter how hard, would reap a grim reward. (My word, we've read so many of these old lyrics, we're writing like them.)
Nobody Lied (When They Said That I Cried Over You)
Lyric by Karyl Norman & Hyatt Berry, Music by Edwin J. Weber, Published by Jerome H. Remick & Co.
Interestingly the dramatic voice of this 1922 love song seems to be a man's. There would be more drama if the singer were a man. After all, it would be a greater admission for a man to say he cried, than a woman. There are some rather masculine identified images, especially traveling ones like "wander'd my whole life through" or "I left you." The emotion does go a bit over the top in the chorus, "I think I'll choose the river and I'll never come back."
Ms. Bob is the proud owner of an extensive collection of gender related books, magazines, phonograph records and ephemera. She is always interested in comparing collections, trading, buying and selling. Several times a year she distributes a list of available items. If you'd like to receive this list or if there is any subject or person you'd be interested having covered in TG Forum, please drop her a note and she will try to oblige. Ms. Bob can be reached at msbob@tgforum.com
Carol Kleinmaier is a activist and one of the founders of Transgendered Nation.
is an avid collector of TG material
He welcomes the chance to compare collections buy, sell or trade.
He can be reached by Email
msbob@tgforum.com
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