Alice Ludes
Alice Ludes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alice Sizer December 20, 1912 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | February 12, 2017 (aged 104) Ventura, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1933–1945 |
Alice Ludes (née Sizer; December 20, 1912 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer, a member of the Music Maids, a quintet heard on radio and in several films in the 1940s.
Early life
Alice Sizer was born a twin on December 20, 1912, in Tacoma, Washington, one of eight children[1] born to E.R. and Minnie Sizer.[2] Her father was a car mechanic who served in World War I.[3][4]
Career
Sizer entered show business after graduating from high school. Along with a pair of sisters, Ethelyn and Laura Williams, she formed a trio called The Williams Sisters.[5][6] The group relocated to San Francisco after signing a contract with NBC.[3]
With her 1939 marriage and move to Los Angeles, Ludes joined an all-women vocal group promoted by musical comedian Bob Burns,[7] called the Music Maids.[8][9] One of the other members of the Music Maids was Trudy Erwin;[10][11] Kay Thompson arranged music for the ensemble.[12] The Music Maids often posed for publicity photographs together in matching dresses.[8][13] They regularly performed on Bing Crosby's radio program[14] and in several movies, including Broadway Melody of 1940, Hit Parade of 1943 and Meet Me in St. Louis.[1] During her professional career, she performed with notable performers such as Judy Garland[15] Mary Martin, Victor Borge,[3] and Dick Winslow.[16]
Filmography
- East Side of Heaven (1939)[17]
- Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)[17]
- Kiss the Boys Goodbye (1941)
- Ziegfeld Girl (1941)[17]
- Babes on Broadway (1941)[17]
- Panama Hattie (1942)[17]
- Du Barry was a Lady (1943)[17]
- Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)[17]
- Hoosier Holiday (1943)[18]
- Girl Crazy (1943)[18]
- Broadway Rhythm (1944)[17]
- Jamboree (1944)[17]
- Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)[17]
- A WAVE, a WAC and a Marine (1944)[17]
- Yolanda and the Thief (1945)[18]
- Riffraff (1947)
Personal life
In 1939,[5] Sizer married radio announcer and audio technician Ed Ludes.[19] They had three children. Her husband died in 1987.[20] Alice Ludes was living in Ventura, California, and still playing piano, at the time of her 102nd birthday in December 2014.[21] She turned 104 years old on December 20, 2016.[22] Alice Ludes died on February 12, 2017, aged 104.[23]
References
- ^ a b Wardlaw, Maryanne (2002-01-29). "At 89". Ventura County Star. p. 36. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Notes on Tacomans from Near and Far". The News Tribune. 1951-08-24. p. 24. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Kallas, Anna (2012-12-31). "NBC beamed woman's voice; Centenarian sang on radio with Crosby". Ventura County Star. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vets Select 3 Tacomans". The Tacoma Daily Ledger. 1922-04-16. p. 1. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Cupid Nabs Williams 'Sister'". The San Francisco Call Bulletin. 1939-03-28. p. 23. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tacoma Girl Sings Her Way to Fame and Romance". The Tacoma Times. 1939-11-10. pp. 1, 12. Retrieved 2026-05-27.
- ^ "'Music Maids' Will Sing at Local Benefit". The Long Beach Sun. 1939-04-12. p. 9. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Music Maids". The Atlanta Journal. 1940-05-26. p. 28. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "How 'Music Maids' Got Their Name". The Atlanta Journal. 1940-05-19. p. 33. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Giddins, Gary (2018-10-30). Bing Crosby: Swinging on a Star: The War Years, 1940–1946. Hachette+ORM. ISBN 978-0-316-41235-3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Music Maids". Movie and Radio Guide: 32. 1942-06-26 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Irvin, Sam (2010-11-02). Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise. Simon and Schuster. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-4391-7655-9.
- ^ "Hollywood's Five Mercury Music Maids". Daily News. 1940-07-25. p. 15. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Femmes Warble, Bing Dreams At 'Mike'". The Akron Beacon Journal. Ohio, Akron. 1940-05-26. p. 38. Retrieved 2018-02-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ventura woman celebrates 100 years". Ventura County Star. 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Cantor, Mark (2023). The Soundies: A History and Catalog of Jukebox Film Shorts of the 1940s. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-4642-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liebman, Roy (2009). Musical groups in the movies, 1929-1970. Internet Archive. McFarland & Co. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-7864-3484-8.
- ^ a b c Lentz, Harris M. III (2018-05-03). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2017. McFarland. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-4766-3318-3.
- ^ "Notes on the cuff". St. Cloud Times. 1939-03-29. p. 9. Retrieved 2018-02-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Edward Ludes, pioneer in radio hardware, dies". Ventura County Star. 1987-07-22. p. 39. Retrieved 2026-05-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Former Radio Star, Actress Turns 102 In Ventura". CBS Los Angeles. 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2014-12-21.
- ^ "Alice Ludes celebrates 103rd birthday at Lexington". Ventura Breeze. 2016-01-06. Archived from the original on 2016-10-01. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
- ^ "Alice Sizer Ludes obituary". Ventura County Star. 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
External links
- Alice Ludes at IMDb