Talk:Belle Barth

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the film "showgirls" features a character who resembles belle barth and tells some of barth's old jokes................ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.233.206.70 (talk) 18:23, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Stuff to investigate
Bella Salzman was born in 1911, the youngest of 8 children. Her father had come over at 16, already a guild-member cabinetmaker. He went to Texas and worked for Neiman Marcus. He returned to New York and founded a family and a heavy, carved furniture factory; it supplied major department stores in New York. Furniture styles changed during the Depression, and Bella came of age as the factory was going under. She had from early years taught herself to play banjo and piano, and to sing, without any lessons. Even as a child, she was a street performer. She never finished high school, took odd jobs, especially after her divorce from Harry Siebel. She then met and married the love of her life, Peter Barth, her second husband. World War II sent Peter to India as a supply sergeant for 4 years. In that time, Bella got a few breaks that landed her in the Borscht Belt. Here other comedians discovered her and she became caught up in night-club acts and the raffish crowd that ran in the owner-management-agent crowd around them. One must have suggested she call herself "Annabelle." It did not last. When Peter returned from the army, he divorced Belle on the advice of his family, who did not like Belle's raw comedy acts and the night-club people promoting her. It broke her heart, just as she was breaking through to better night clubs in LA, NYC, Vegas, Miami Beach. She played under her name of Belle Barth the rest of her life. She married three times afterward, twice to the same man, out of a need for support with all her bookings that carried her to the Palladium in London and the Carnegie Hall in NYC.

Belle had become Salzman was born in 1911, the ninth child of a Manhattan merchant, and at a very talented singer-comedienne, one of three following in the style of Sophie Tucker and Lenny Bruce. It was the dagger point of the feminist movementearly age started performing at Borscht belt hotels and small nightclubs. Her first husband was Peter Barth, whose surname she retained when they divorced. In 1950 she moved to Miami Beach, where she married executive D. Thorne in 1954. Belle worked small clubs throughout the area, occasionally travelling to New York and Chicago to perform. In 1953 Barth was arrested and fined 25 dollars for her act: women who told men's jokes. Belle mastered new audiences the way dog trainers master new dogs. She had a commanding presence, singing love songs between machine-gun delivery of ribald jokes. She could make you laugh until you cried, and bring tears to your eyes with her singing. She became a great draw in the largest night clubs in the country, then run by the Mafia, such as Lucky Luciano's Roundtable in NYC. She played the Sands opposite Frank Sinatra.

Her tough-gal comedy deeply influenced Bette Midler and Joan Rivers. When Bette Midler played the lead in the movie, "The Rose," it was a takeoff on Belle's life. She was often seen inseveral other cases against her were thrown out of court, including one lawsuit for 1.6 million dollars, brought by two schoolteachers who claimed that Barth's act had corrupted them morally and harmed their health. In spite of these charges Barth did not modify her act. While living in Miami Beach she opened Belle Barth's Pub in the Coronet Hotel on 21st Street and Collins Avenue.

During the 1960s she performed often in New York and Las Vegas. Her 1960 album, If I Embarrass You Tell Your Friends, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

In 1961 she played both the Roundtable club in New York (where she recorded her second album), and a midnight show at Carnegie Hall on November 25, 1961. In Las Vegas she played at the Thunderbird, then Caesar's Palace in Nero's Lounge. She returned to Miami Beach to play at venues including Harry's American Showroom at The Eden Roc, the Red Room at the Saxony, the Hotel Plaza in Joe's Lounge for Lovers, and Sans Souci lounge. She was usually accompanied by Margie Sherwin on piano. She died of cancer in a governor's mansion she had bought in Miami.

"Written from family memories by her nephew, Al Sundel, 4/18/12. Written from firsthand family knowledge by her nephew Al Sundel at Sundelal@aol.com"


 * 2012-04-19T13:51:53 108.6.28.250
 * .... 0mtwb9gd5wx (talk) 14:15, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

Rumours?
 THE BEGINNING 

She was born in 1911, the ninth child of a Manhattan Merchant, and at a very early age started working Borscht Belt hotels and small nightclubs. When she married, and divorced, she kept the last name Barth. She moved to Miami Beach in 1950 and had a residence there until her death in 1971. Belle worked in the nightclubs in Miami Beach and in other parts such as The Mist room in Chicago. In 1953, she was arrested and fined 25 dollars for her act, but remained the same. Many other cases were tossed out of court, including one lawsuit for 1.6 million dollars, two schoolteachers claiming that Belle's act had corrupted them morally and harmed their health. The case was tossed out of court. Around that time she bought small place from a retired boxer on 21st and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, and called it Belle Barth's pub. Also the room she worked at the Saxony Hotel in Miami Beach, the Red Room, was renamed the Belle Barth room.

THE COMEDY ALBUMS AND THE NIGHTCLUBS

In 1960 she recorded her first album, "If I embarrass you, tell your friends", and sold over 2 million copies, despite the fact that they were not allowed to be displayed in the store, only under the counter. From then on, she released records on obscure labels and made millions of dollars. She released 11 "adult party album “If I Embarrass You Tell Your Friends”" (recorded live Miami Beach 1960) “Hell’s Belle” (compilation of other album material) “Belle Barth’s Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild World!” (1965) “The Book of Knowledge” (recorded live Basin Street East New York City April 1966) “I Don’t Mean to be Vulgar, but it’s Profitable” (Roundtable 1962, Side Two is original Side 2 of 1st album) “In Person” (recorded at the Roundtable 1962) “My Next Story Is a Little Risque””-The Roundtable 1961 “For Adults Only” (recorded at the El Morocco, Montreal) “The Customer Comes First” “Censored!”If I embarrassed you, forget it" (compilation LP of previous recordings) “Battle of the Mothers!” (with Pearl Williams, compiled of their record material on each of their respective side of the LP) “Party Snatches – the Best of . . .” (featured)

See also Once her first record hit, she hit it big, and was invited to perform in many places, one being at Carnegie Hall. She worked consistently at first at the Thunderbird in Las Vegas, then Caesar's Palace in Nero's lounge in the mid 60's, and went back to Miami Beach to play at Harry's American Showeroom at The Eden Roc, the Red Room at the Saxony, the Hotel Plaza in Joe's Lounge for Lovers, Sans Souci lounge, and other many hotels and nightclubs. She was usually accompanied by Margie Sherwin on piano. Also, in the early sixties she was asked to audition for Sid Caesar for a new musical, but did not end up playing it. She mentions being invited to the Johnny Carson show in the mid sixties, but this has never been able to be confirmed, due to the old Johnny Carson archives being inaccessible. All the albums are made up of new material and specific acts recorded throughout her performances, some being mere compilations of previous records.
 * The Actors Temple

MARRIAGES AND CHILDREN

Belle Barth's theme song was "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You", and followed that song to a T. She was married five times, including agent D. Thorne in 1954, and her last husband George B. Martin, whom she divorced in March 1966, and remarried him a month later. Belle never had any children, which affected her emotionally, but left behind many brothers, a sister, and nieces and nephews.

THE END

She worked at Caesar's Palace for many years, back and forth around the globe and the United States, until she became ill in Las Vegas in May 1970 in Las Vegas. March 1970, and the last time she performed in Miami Beach was in March of 1970 at Joe's lounge at the Hotel Plaza. She remained ill and continued working despite the pain. At 10pm on February 14, 1971, Belle Barth died at her Miami Beach home due to stomach cancer, which she didn't know she had.


 *  2008-10-06T00:24:57 Fonso1030
 * .... 0mtwb9gd5wx (talk) 14:15, 1 November 2023 (UTC)