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PO Box 7
273 Lakeview Avenue
Valhalla, NY 10595 |
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| BILLIE BURKE & FLORENZ ZIEGFELD |
| Go 2/10 of a mile along Ossipee Ave to the left, until you reach a large circular drive. Bear right and stop about 3/4 of the way through the circle. Behind the Steinberg headstone, under the canopy of a large weeping beech tree, is a tall bronze statue of a woman. This memorial statue is dedicated to Blanche Beatty Burke by her daughter Billie. Billie Burke and her famous showman husband, Florenz Ziegfeld, are buried directly in front of the statue. Known as the king of theatrical productions during the Roaring Twenties, Florenz Ziegfeld filled his stages with lavish sets, glitzy costumes and dozens of dazzling women. His revues, The Ziegfeld Follies, ran from 1907 to 1931 and were billed as "An American Institution." An acute judge of talent, Ziegfeld introduced such stars as Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, Marilyn Miller and his own wife, Billie Burke. After performing on Ziegfeld's stage and establishing herself as one of the great beauties of the day, Billie Burke went on to appear in more than sixty feature films. Perhaps she is best remembered for her role as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in The Wizard of Oz. She also hosted her own television show, At Home with Billie Burke, during the early 1950's. |
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