Review of The Outrageous Sophie Tucker (2014) by Kevin A — 26 Jul 2015
Indefatagable is the word that best describes this pioneering singer, actress and natural born marketing genius. The pacing is excellent as Sofie's life is chronicled from her early Vaudville days in Hartford, CT and then on to the west coast.
Her early songwriters included the then unknown Irving Berlin. Her only manager was William Morris, yes that William Morris of the now world famous talent agency. They made a deal with a handshake that lasted for 46 years.
Sofie started first performing in black face just like Al Jolson was hired and fired by Flo Zeigfeld from his Follies and then landed on her feet and never looked back. This is an amazing, thorough study of her life which would not have been possible without Sofie's obsessive scrapbooking that took the couple behind the film four years to sort and chronicle.
Those scrapbooks document not just Sofie's life, but the life of American theater, stage, screen, radio, early television and nightclubs before, during and after Prohibition started in 1919. Unfortunately Sofie's most famous quote in my book is missing.
Sofie said: "I've been rich, and I've been poor and rich is better".
This review of The Outrageous Sophie Tucker (2014) was written by Kevin A on 26 Jul 2015.
The Outrageous Sophie Tucker has generally received positive reviews.
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