PROFILBARU.COM

Florence Timponi
Florence Timponi
	Florence Timponi, from a 1920 publication
Born	Florence Lucille Timpone; August 9, 1896; New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 21, 1991 (aged 94); Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other names	Melva Talma, Florence Jennings
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress, vaudeville performer

Florence Timponi Jennings (August 9, 1896 – January 21, 1991), born Florence Lucille Timpone, also known as Melva Talma,^[1] was an American singer, actress, Ziegfeld girl, and vaudeville performer, billed as "the Sunshine Girl".

Early life

Timpone was born in New York City, the daughter of Dominick Timpone and Mary Albro Timpone. Her father was born in Italy.

Career

Timponi was a singer, especially in vaudeville shows. Variety magazine commented on her "fair personality and nice appearance" in 1914.^[2] She was billed as "the Sunshine Girl".^[3] During World War I, she sang at the 52nd Street Naval Armory in Brooklyn,^[4] and at Bensonhurst.^[5] She performed novelty songs about American troops fighting Germans. Her photo was featured on sheet music for some of her popular numbers, including Irving Berlin's "Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" (1918)^[6]^[7] "You're a Great Big Blue-Eyed Baby" (1913),^[8] and "We'll knock the Heligo--Into Heligo--out of Heligoland!".^[7]^[9] She also collected clothing, canes, gloves, suitcases and leather, donated by her audiences, for reuse in the war effort.^[10]^[11] Her stage credits included roles in School Days ^[1] and Little Simplicity.^[12]

In the 1920s, she performed as "Melva Talma", still singing novelty songs and still billed as "the Sunshine Girl."^[13]^[14] She sang in vaudeville programs in Canada in 1925.^[15]^[16]

Personal life

Florence Timpone married George Washington Jennings in 1928. They had a daughter, Georgia Ann. George Jennings died in 1970,^[17] and Florence Jennings died in 1991, in Santa Monica, California, aged 94 years.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Obituary for Florence Tlmpone Jennings, 1896-1991". The Los Angeles Times. 1991-01-24. p. 317. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
^ "Florence Timponi". Variety. 36 (8): 17. October 24, 1914 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Dinner Dance of Advertising Women". Fourth Estate. 1: 8. March 19, 1921.
^ "In the Service". Variety. June 7, 1918. p. 8. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
^ "Service Shows". Variety. 51 (7): 8. July 12, 1918 – via Internet Archive.
^ ""Oh! How I Hate To Get Up in the Morning"". National Museum of American History. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
^ ^a ^b Shapiro, Nat; Pollock, Bruce; Graff, Gary; Claps, Andrew C. (1964). Popular music : an annotated index of American popular songs. Internet Archive. New York : Adrian Press. pp. 275, 375. ISBN 978-0-8103-2595-1.
^ Brown, A. Seymour, "You're a Great Big Blue-Eyed Baby" (sheet music) (Jerome H. Remick 1913).
^ "We'll knock the Heligo--Into Heligo--out of Heligoland!" (1917), Joseph M. Bruccoli Great War Collection, Sheet Music, University of South Carolina.
^ "'Honey Boys' at Majestic". Harrisburg Telegraph. 1918-09-27. p. 19. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Doing Her Bit in a Novel Way". Harrisburg Telegraph. 1918-09-25. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Beauty and Talent Seen on the Stage" Theatre Magazine 32(Midsummer 1920): 17.
^ "The Princess". The Tennessean. 1921-12-01. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Melva Talma Scores Hit at Parkway". Wisconsin State Journal. 1925-10-05. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Another First Class Bill Opens Pantages Vaudeville". Calgary Herald. 1925-04-29. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Sid Hall's Famous Jazz Orchestra at Capitol Today". The Leader-Post. 1925-04-16. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "George W. Jennings obituary". Daily News. 1970-11-11. p. 46. Retrieved 2022-09-03 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

"Tie Me to Your Apron Strings Again" (1925), sheet music featuring a photo of Melva Talma, from the Sheet Music Collection at Mississippi State University