-- This is the sixth in an occasional series about stars and filmmakers from the early days of Hollywood who had Utah roots.Hazel Dawn burst into the firmament of stars on Broadway in the title role of "The Pink Lady" in 1911.
Born Hazel Tout in Ogden on March 23, 1891, no one would have thought she would become the toast of both Broadway and London, and a pioneer in the movies before reaching the age of 25.
Dawn's maternal grandparents were among the original pioneers who settled the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young. "I was born a Mormon and raised one," she said during an interview. "That's why I don't drink and I don't smoke. As children, we were told to hold our breath when we walked by a saloon."
The Tout family, with six children in tow, traveled to London when Hazel was 9 so her 11-year-old sister could study music there. "We lived there about 12 years," Dawn explained, "going to school, studying voice and various musical instruments. I studied the violin."
Hazel landed her first stage role in 1909. But during the first performance, she became so engrossed in watching the leading lady that she forgot her cue. The following morning, the play's director reprimanded her and made her go through the complete score. Twice! "When he told me to do it again, the third time, I took the score and hit him over the head with it."
This unexpected reaction caught the attention of Ivan Caryll, a composer who conducted the orchestra, and he sought Dawn out and told her he might have a part for her in his new musical. After singing for him, she was sent to New York in 1910, auditioned and got a part.
"It was the mere accident of my playing the violin which first got me a more prominent role than I had been cast for," she explained in interviews. The musical called for the title character to pick up a violin and play a solo, "Beautiful Lady." And a professional instrumentalist had been engaged to perform the number off stage.
"One day at rehearsal, the fancy took me and I picked up the instru-
ment and played that solo myself, and got away with it in fine style."
Thus, Hazel Dawn was given the title role in "The Pink Lady" and quickly became a star.
Dawn's charm, voice and musical abilities with the violin made "The Pink Lady" the most popular musical of 1911. The operetta ran 312 performances and shattered the existing attendance record for the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York, which was followed by a triumphant run in London.
The highlight of the infectious score was the sentimental waltz, "My Beautiful Lady," sung by Dawn, and the "Kiss Waltz," as the Pink Lady tries to teach a man the art of kissing.
In 1911, the young movie industry was struggling to win respectability, gradually evolving from one- and two-reel films that ran 15-30 minutes, to features of 60 minutes or longer. Producer Adolph Zukor had formed The Famous Players Company, and he became the first to present Broadway stage stars and plays in motion pictures.
Zukor brought from the stage such memorable movie stars as Mary Pickford (who would soon become "America's Sweetheart"), John Barrymore, prima donna Geraldine Farrar, Mae Murray, etc.
After appearing on stage in "The Little Cafe" (1913) and "The Debutante" (1914), Dawn made her film debut in a drama called "One of Our Girls" (1914). A film trade journal wrote about her this way: "When it was suggested Miss Dawn be placed under contract some of the wise ones remarked that 'it wasn't in her' to do anything worthwhile in pictures. They said she was cut out for musical comedy, and that's all there was to it. This 'girl' picture fools them all and demonstrates beyond all doubts that Miss Dawn, once she cares to give up her stage work, can step right before the camera and keep working."
From 1915-16, she appeared in a staggering nine films for Famous Players, filming one after another during an 15-month period.
Of one, "The Masqueraders," a critic wrote, "The Story, while being well-acted, is told rather disconnectedly, but Miss Dawn's splendid performance holds interest throughout the picture."
But of another, "The Feud Girl," it was written, "There is something lacking in the work of Miss Dawn . . . it takes a story of extraordinary strength to have her show to advantage."
Dawn returned to the stage in "The Century Girl" (1916), when New York's two finest producers of Musicals, Charles Dillingham and Florence Ziegfeld, combined talents to mount a star-studded production.
With the exception of a crime film, "The Lone Wolf" (1917) for Selznick Pictures, and a society melodrama, "Devotion" (1921), there would be no more film appearances. Dawn remained a star on stage, appearing in several comedies and musical revues before retiring in 1931.
Happily married to Edward Gruelle, who died in 1943, she raised a daughter, Hazel Jr. (who also became a stage actress) and a son, Charles Gruelle. Dawn attributed much of her success in life to the LDS Church:
"We were a close-knit family. We were brought up knowing right from wrong. Our religion is a kindly, intimate and practical guide for everyday life."
Often invited to come back to the stage in later years, Dawn's reply was always a polite refusal: "I left a pleasant memory in the theater, and I don't want to disturb it."
She also left a pleasant memory with her early motion picture appearances, as writer David Ragan explained: "There was no lovelier star in silents than this actress from the musical stage -- with perfect features and a heavenly smile -- who was known as 'The Pink Lady.' "
Dawn passed away on August 28, 1988, at age 88. And, unfortunately, none of her films are available today.