Evening star., 1947-01-27
Grace Moore
Continued From First Page.)

formance despite a sprained back
and neck suffered in the collision of
two Atlantic Coast Line streamlin-
ers two days earlier. She and her
husband, Valentin Parera, the Span
ish movie star she married in 1881,
were survivors in the collision that
took 73 lives.
1886 Broadcast Recalled.
While the singer was here in 1886
she met Grace Vitality, then 16 years
old, who told the star she had con-
centrated on singing like Grace
Moore" Although the girls voice
was unframed, Miss Moore invited
her to appear on her first radio
broadcast for the Mile of Dimes
drive.
Now Mrs. Grace Simon and the
mother of a small son, the former
Miss Vitality lives in Swansea, Mass.
Her mother, Mrs. Anna Vitality,
1901 Taylor street NV, said her
daughter sings "a little now and
then"
Six years ago Miss Moore was i'll
danger of losing her voice when
physicians at the bronchoscopic
clinic of Temple University, Phila-
delphia, removed a tumor from her
vocal cords.
Born in SlabtoWn, near Del Rio,
Tenn, on December S, 1901, Miss
Moore moved to Jellico, Tenn, with
the family when she was S. It
probably was that modest start that
later caused the "glamor girl Of
opera to take an interest in seeing
that outlying regions were given a
chance to hear good music.
Sang in Cabaret.
Miss Moore did her share of "cel-
lar cabaret" singing before her first
musical comedy success, "Hitchy-
Koo," in 1920, which she followed
with above the Clouds" in 1922. A
. year later she had the lead in the
Music Box Revue" a
Before making her opera debut In
1928 as Mimi" in La Boheme," she
twice was told to take more singing
lessons. She returned to the Metro
politan season after season for new
triumphs. She was best known for
her roles: Mimi, Tosca, Manon and
Louise.
Few music critics rated her as the
worlds greatest soprano, but Miss
Moore lived and acted the part with
exuberance and eXtravagances and
frankly admitted in autobiography:
You're Only Human Once"
Of herself she wrote: There may
be some who will still say it isn't "a
great voice.. But I do have voice
that made people listen, that seemed
to make people happy and exhil-
arated."
The blond beauty with blue eyes
made her. Hollywood bow in 1880,
and like her other efforts it was not
an immediate success.
Scored in"One Night of Love-"
Her top film success was One
Night of Love-" which in 1885
brought her the gold medal of the
Society Arts and Sciences-the
first screen star and second woman
to receive the recognition. Among
her other movies were Love Me
fOTGVeT, WIltll 1Ou 1c LII boFC,
and "Ill Take Romance"
In her wide travels, she gave COM
mand performances before the
crowned heads of England, Sweden,
Norway, Denmark and Belgium and
was decorated by most of them.
Miss Moore left this country last
July for an European tour and had
expected to return in February.
Because of the illness of her hus-
band in Mougins, France, she de-
cided to remain in Europe until
September. Asserting he was to have
a serious operation, she said she
would cancel this seasons engage
ments at the Metropolitan.
Last summer Miss Moore had an
audience with Pope Plus XII at the
Vatican and announced she in
tended to become Catholic.
In New York Monsignor Fulton
J. Sheen said he had completed
religious instruction to the diva
some time ago and was to have in
Quoted her into the church upon
her return to this country.