Lillian Russell (film)

Lillian Russell is a 1940 biographical film of the life of the singer and actress. The screenplay was by William Anthony McGuire. The film was directed by Irving Cummings and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It stars Alice Faye in the title role, Don Ameche, Henry Fonda and Edward Arnold as Diamond Jim Brady.

Helen Leonard Faye has a beautiful voice. As she grows up, she trains to become an opera singer. Her instructor, however, informs her that her voice is pleasing, but not suitable for grand opera. Returning home one day, she and her grandmother Westley are saved by a handsome young man, newspaperman Alexander Moore Fonda. Meanwhile, Helens mother, Cynthia Peterson, has political aspirations, but only receives a handful of votes for mayor.While singing one evening, Helen is overheard by vaudeville impresario Tony Pastor Carrillo, who hires her to sing at his theater. She is given a new name, Lillian Russell, and quickly rises to fame as the toast of New York. As the years pass, Lillian becomes one of the most revered stars in America. She has many suitors, including financier Diamond Jim Brady Arnold, Jesse Lewisohn William, and composer Edward Solomon Ameche. She eventually marries Edward and they move to London, where Gilbert and Sullivan are writing an operetta especially for her. ........

Source: Wikipedia