December 09, 2003
Una Merkel Day at TCM
Man, I love
Turner Classic Movies. Sure, one can fault them for sometimes including more recent films on their schedule ('Top Gun' a classic? Hmph.), but why carp when they still devote entire blocks of films to some semiforgotten movie actor. For example, early tomorrow morning they are having an
Una Merkel film festival. Ms. Merkel had a long career (Elvis Presley's
Spinout was her final film), but she's best remembered as the snappy gal pal or wisecracking sidekick in numerous pre-Code comedies. For prime Merkel, check out
42nd Street. The part with her and Ginger Rogers eating bananas on a train while singing "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" probably would've given Sigmund Freud a heart attack.
Posted by mhinrichs at December 9, 2003 10:45 AM
I am looking for personal info about Una Merkel because I am told she was a distant relative. I am very curious since I never thot we had anyone famous in our family tree. What were the names of her parents? Where was she born? Did she have any children? Their names? Where do they live? Etc. I want to add this branch to our family tree. Thanks
Hi! First off, I think it's wonderful that you might be related to Una Merkel -- good luck with your search! Aside from the Internet Movie Database, I can't think of any online resources that would help.
I can also give you Miss Merkel's mini biography from the book THEY HAD FACES THEN (1974) by John Springer. Here's what it says: "One of the least egotistical of all actresses, she made every role count in a rich and varied career. She was born in Covington, KY, December 10, 1903, only child of Arno and Bessie Phares Merkel. After schools in Covington and Philadelphia, she started her career as a cigarette girl in "Montmartre" on Broadway in 1922. During the 1930s, she made 59 movies. In one year, 1933, she worked on three movies at the same time, and made 13 in all. Besides movies, she has appeared in television, and on Broadway in "Take Me Along" with Jackie Gleason in 1959. She was married to Ronald L. Burla, an aviation designer, in 1932; they were divorced in 1946. She now lives with her father in Los Angeles."
