Geneva Duker Explained

Geneva Duker
Other Names:Geneva Schissel, Genevieve Schissel
Birth Date:5 March 1905
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Death Place:Falmouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
Children:2

Geneva M. Duker Schissel (March 5, 1905 – July 14, 1976) was an American dancer, actress, and diver. She appeared on the vaudeville stage, and in several Broadway productions, in the 1920s.

Early life and education

Duker was born in Boston, the daughter of William John Duker and Ellen McMenamin Duker. She became a proficient swimmer and diver at the Boston Municipal Baths,[1] and graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Boston.[2]

Her older sisters Susan, Alice and Jessie had a vaudeville diving act known as the Duker Sisters,[3] which she sometimes joined for performances.[4] [5] In 1921 she was a featured dancer in a children's pageant, Secrets of the Sun Dial, produced in Boston to raise money for the Near East Relief Fund.[6] She was also popular as an entertainer for recent World War I veterans.[7]

Career

Duke was a dancer who appeared on the vaudeville stage, and in several Broadway productions. She also worked as an artist's model, and performed in a high-diving stunt act with her sisters at the New York Hippodrome. Her stage credits included roles in Better Times (1922),[8] Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1924,[9] Greenwich Village Follies (1924, with her sister Alice),[10] [11] [12] The Great Temptations (1926),[13] The Desert Song (1926–1928), Cross My Heart (1928), and Sammy's Sally (1928).[14] Her name and image appeared in advertisements for hosiery in 1924.[15]

Personal life

In 1928, Duker married salesman Edmund Schissel; they had two children, Edmund and Geneva.[16] She died in 1976, in Falmouth, Massachusetts, aged 71 years.[17]

Notes and References

  1. News: 1925-01-17 . Reception to Roxbury Girls in Musical Comedy . 2 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: 1924-01-27 . Notes About the Players . 52 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  3. News: 1975-04-09 . Mrs. Susan Duker Haun of '20s high-diving team . 37 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: 1921-01-28 . Joint Recital at Studio Dances on Huntington Av . 5 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-23 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: 1924-02-08 . Roxbury Post Host of 'Follies' Girls . 12 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-23 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: 1921-03-20 . Give Children's Play for Near East Relief . 4 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-23 . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: December 12, 1921 . Primrose Four Dance on Wednesday Evening . 9 . Boston Evening Globe . August 24, 2022 . NewspaperArchive.
  8. News: 1922-10-15 . Geneva Duker and Louise Allison . 74 . New-York Tribune . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: 1925-01-23 . Vanities Girls Enjoy Dip in Swimming Pool . 10 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  10. https://archive.org/details/sim_midweek-pictorial_1924-01-10_18_20/page/n19/mode/2up?q=Elvira "Actresses of the Stage and Screen: English Beauties"
  11. News: Anderson . John Murray . 1923-11-25 . Where Do the Chorus Girls Come From? . 3 . The Buffalo Times . 2022-08-23 . Newspapers.com.
  12. News: 1925-01-21 . Duker Sisters Guests at Farewell Party . 11 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  13. May 29, 1926 . New Plays on Broadway . Billboard . 25.
  14. News: Davidson . Max D. . 1928-08-21 . The Play . 3 . Asbury Park Press . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  15. News: 1924-01-27 . Touraine (advertisement) . 50 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  16. News: 1996-08-08 . Obituary for Edmund SCHISSEL (Aged 93) . 36 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-24 . Newspapers.com.
  17. News: 1976-07-16 . Obituary for Geneva M. SCHISSEL . 35 . The Boston Globe . 2022-08-23 . Newspapers.com.

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