Marion Talley
Toronto Daily Star, 21 April 1925
Marion Talley (1906-1983) used Kansas City money to study in New York and Italy, and then was hired for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1925, becoming the youngest prima donna to sing there (this record was broken in 1943). Their general manager hoped that her debut would be low-key, but 200 leading Kansas City citizens, proud of their native daughter, arrived by special train, and a telegraph was set up backstage so that her father could send dispatches to the Associated Press. She also made her radio and film debuts in that year.
Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. Film critics panned her inexperience and claimed she was not photogenic. (You can decide for yourself - a Vitaphone short film of her is here.) She appeared in only seven more Metropolitan Opera productions before being let go in 1929. She eventually retired from show business and was married and divorced twice.
Created April 2, 2025.