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Gaines (Laurell) papers
LSC.1761  
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Description
Laurell Gaines was a dancer who performed in vaudeville, musical revues and Hollywood films from the 1920s-1940s. This collection contains newspaper clippings, letters, programs, portraits and publicity photographs. It covers both her U.S. engagements and her tour of Asia and Australia during WWII.
Background
Laurell Gaines was a ballet and ballroom dancer who performed in vaudeville, musical revues and Hollywood films from the 1920s-1940s throughout the U.S., as well as coastal Asia and Australia. She was born in Missouri in 1909 and trained in ballet on the West Coast with Theodore Kosloff (1882-1956), a Russian choreographer and silent film actor. At the age of 15 she began dancing professionally to support her family after the death of her father. She danced in vaudeville shows for Fanchon and Marco, performed in Hollywood films, and went on to partner with Ted Mendenhall (stage name Ted Vaun). Together, Gaines and Vaun performed throughout the United States at hotels, nightclubs and resorts in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Shreveport and Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, Laurell and Ted performed at a number of popular spots like the Biltmore Hotel Supper Room, Beverly Hills Hotel, Café de Paree, the Palomar Ballroom and the Catalina Casino. In 1939 she began a tour of coastal Asia with Lynn Cowan and Bill Bailey's "Cocoanut Grove" Entertainers. She performed in Singapore, Colombo, Cathay, Manila, Federal Malaya States and Hong Kong. Stranded in Colombo when WWII broke out and the troupe's French steamer was recalled, Gaines made her way back to America via Singapore, Manila and eventually Australia, where she performed with Florence Chappel. Once she secured a steamer for the West Coast, she stopped over in Honolulu where she witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor from her hotel. Gaines retired after returning to Los Angeles on a refugee convoy. During WWII she worked an office job by day and took a defense job by night. Post-WWII she continued working office jobs until her retirement. She passed away in 2004.
Extent
2 Linear Feet (1 oversize flat box)
Restrictions
Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.