Nina Olivette

Nina Olivette (8 Aug 1910[1] - October 15, 1993) was an American actress and dancer who was sometimes described as a "dancing comedienne".[2]

Early years

Born in Manhattan, New York, Olivette was the daughter of Edgar[3] and Kazia Prajinska[4] Lachmann.[3] Her father was a cigar manufacturer in his native Germany; in the United States, he became a vice-president in Charles M. Schwab's steel company. Her mother was a ballet dancer in her native Poland;[4] after coming to the United States, she performed in vaudeville.[3]

As a girl, Olivette joined her mother's troupe in ballet performances, but after a leg injury prevented her from maintaining the balance needed to be a ballerina, she turned to combining dancing with comedy.[5]

Career

Entertainment

Olivette worked with Violet Carlson in a vaudeville act billed as the Lachmann Sisters.[3] When she was 12, producers Jones and Green recruited her for one of their shows, taking her away from vaudeville.[6]

On Broadway, Olivette appeared in Music Box Revue, Queen High, George White's Scandals, The Sweetest Little Devil,[6] Captain Jinks, and Hold Everything![7]

Much of Olivette's career was spent in comedic roles. Her first straight role came in Twin Beds (1954).[4] She explained in 1930 that her routines were adaptations of existing dances rather than new creations. Starting with a dance such as the Black Bottom or Charleston, she said that she relaxed her muscles, "then [I] try to give the appearance of falling apart while performing it. The effect always seems to be funny."[8]

Olivette's film debut came in Queen High (1930).[6]

Designing

Olivette designed women's fashion accessories, including handbags, scarves, and stoles. Her products made her "a particularly favorite designer with stage people and television stars".[9] She also was a designer for Your Show of Shows on television in the early 1950s.[9]

Personal life

Olivette was married to Harry Stockwell and was the stepmother of Dean Stockwell and Guy Stockwell.[3]

Death

On October 15, 1993, Olivette died at Polyclinic Hospital following a heart attack. She was 83.[3]


References
  1. Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Extracted Birth Index, 1878-1909 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
  2. Cohen, Harold W. (August 9, 1930). "Miniature Sparks From the Movies". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 8. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Nina Olivette, 63, Actress, Is Dead". The New York Times. New York, New York City. February 23, 1971. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  4. Adams, Marjory (March 7, 1954). "Nina Olivette Much Amused by Audiences at 'Twin Beds'". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. p. 70. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "'New Moon' Star Ballerina at 2; Remained on Stage as Comic". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. July 10, 1948. p. 18. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Fanchon-Marco Revue Features Youthful Star". Great Falls Tribune. Montana, Great Falls. July 17, 1932. p. 17. Retrieved 16 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Nina Olivette". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  8. "Dancer Explains Her Own Method". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. October 26, 1930. p. Part Four - 2. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Beverly Wolff, Nina Olivette Star In 'Roberta' In Atlanta". The Anniston Star. Alabama, Anniston. March 22, 1953. p. 16. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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