Argentina Mercedes González Morel Valerio Urea[1][2] (December 20, 1920 – October 2, 2013), commonly known as Monica Boyar, was a Dominican-born American nightclub singer,[3] who was popular in the 1940s and 1950s for her calypso, and Afro-Cuban style songs.[4][5] She was also an actress, primarily on stage; and a fashion designer, focused on celebrity outfits and costume design. She introduced merengue dance to the United States in 1939.[1]
Monica Boyar | |
|---|---|
| Born | Argentina Mercedes, Argentina Mercedes González Morel Valerio Urea December 20, 1920 Santa Cruz de Mao, Dominican Republic |
| Died | October 2, 2013 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Argentina Mercedes González Morel |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, fashion designer |
| Spouses |
|
Early life and family
editArgentina Mercedes González Morel Valerio Urea was born on December 20, 1920, to parents Pablo González Valerio and Juanita Morel, in Mao, Dominican Republic.[6] Some sources state she was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.[1] In 1929, her family emigrated to the United States, and settled down in Manhattan, New York City.[6] In childhood in the United States, she used the name "Argentina Morel".[6]
Boyar became a United States citizen in 1947, after residing in the country from the age of six,[1][5] although some records state it was at the age of eight.[6] She was a dedicated student of the folk music of all countries.[5] Boyar attended Manhattanville Junior High School #43, and Textile High School (now the Bayard Rustin Educational Complex) in Manhattan.[1][6]
Musical career
editStarting at the age of twelve, she sang in the choral group at the Metropolitan Opera House.[1] She was initially a soprano singing voice, but found that she disliked that and switched to a tenor, which was followed by a contralto in her later years.[1]
During the 1939 New York World's Fair she made a concerted effort to persuade Americans to adopt the Dominican Republic's native dance, the merengue.[1][5] She taught the dance to Arthur Murray during the 1939 event.[1] An initial reluctance eventually subsided, and by 1955 it was the fastest growing dance in the U.S..[5]
During World War II, she was active in charity shows for fundraising organizations, and participated in shows directed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.[1]
When Boyar introduced calypso songs to America, many felt the music was not commercial.[5] By 1954, calypso songs were among the bestsellers. She introduced a new song, That's Why A Woman Loves A Heel, in October 1945.
By 1948, Boyar had appeared on every overseas radio network. Boyar entertained at Ciro's in Mexico City and the Hotel Nacional in Havana. Among her numerous nightclub engagements was a December 1955 performance at the Viennese Lantern, at 242 East 79th Street in Yorkville, Manhattan. A lawsuit was taken out by an angry tenant who resided above the club. He contended that Boyar's bongo drummer kept him awake.
Walter Winchell, a gossip columnist, said that she was the finest Latin talent in the entertainment field in 1960.[citation needed]
Clothing designer
editBoyar was a fashion designer for stage and motion picture stars.[6] Her designs were very original yet simple. She also created expensive handbags. She had over two hundred gowns to wear to performances in her New York City apartment.
Acting career
editBoyar appeared in the three-minute short film, Princess Papaya (1945).[6] She played a singer in an episode of the American television show Mister Peepers, in 1952. In 1961 she received a Universal Pictures film studio screen test.
Boyar appeared in the Broadway production by Tennessee Williams, Summer and Smoke (1948), as the character "Rosa Gonzalez".[1] She also starred as the Hawaiian wife named Emmaloa in the stage production of 13 Daughters (1961), a short-lived Broadway musical by Eaton Magoon Jr..[1][7]
Personal life and death
editHer first husband was Federico Horacio "Gugu" Vásquez Henríquez.[6] She was widowed when her husband was captured and executed after landing at Luperón, Puerto Plata in 1949 as part of a plot against Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo.[6]
Her second husband was actor Leslie Nielsen,[6] from 1950 to 1956. They separated in August 1955, with Nielsen obtaining a default divorce in June 1956. He agreed to pay US $19,000[8] (roughly $166,500 today, with inflation) in lieu of alimony, by monthly installments of $500. She married comedian Lee Tully in March 1958, and divorced him in Mexico three months later. She never had any children.[6]
Boyar was friends with Marlon Brando, who visited her when she was hospitalized at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital, in January 1955.
She lived in Las Vegas, Nevada in late life, after her retirement.[1] Boyar died on October 2, 2013, in Las Vegas, from complications due to stroke at age 92.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Ruiz, Vicki L.; Korrol, Virginia Sánchez (May 3, 2006). "Monica Boyar". Latinas in the United States, set: A Historical Encyclopedia. Indiana University Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-0-253-11169-2.
- ^ "The big fight on the big screen". The Miami News. March 10, 1971. p. 22. Retrieved September 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Singer Monica Boyar Entertains at Ritz". The Gazette. November 14, 1950. p. 12. Retrieved September 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ear and Eye Pleasing". The Miami Herald. July 4, 1952. p. 12. Retrieved September 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Kleiner, Dick (October 17, 1955). "The Marquee: Monica Boyar's Dominion: Merengue And Goulash". The Park City Daily News. p. 4. Retrieved September 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k González Hernández, Julio Amable (February 14, 2015). "Mónica Boyar, Talento Dominicano de Fama Mundial" (in Spanish). Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ "Unusual Charm in '13 Daughters' As to Songs, Dances, and Scenes". Daily News. March 3, 1961. p. 61. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Greene, Nicholas (May 8, 2012). Leslie Nielsen: A Biography. Hyperink Inc. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-61464-275-6.
- ^ "Monica Boyar Obituary (2013)". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2021.[dead link]
- ^ "Read recent and archived obituaries and memorial notices from Review Journal". Archived from the original on April 22, 2015.
Further reading
edit- "El Cañero #102", El Cañero, no. 102, p. 13, August 31, 2014
- "Brook Club Star Resented Broadway Role in Stage Play That Brought Her Fame". Bradford Era. July 6, 1949. p. 6.
- "Walter Winchell". Charleston Daily Mail. October 29, 1945. p. 10.
- "Dorothy Kilgallen; Broadway". Charleston Gazette. January 14, 1955. p. 6.
- "Default Divorce Obtained by Nielsen". Long Beach Independent. June 9, 1956. p. 5.
- "It Happened Last Night". Lowell Sun. March 26, 1961. p. 32.
- "Monica Boyar Due For Spanking". Lowell Sun. March 30, 1961. p. 15.
- "Dorothy Kilgallen". Mansfield News Journal. June 24, 1958. p. 22.
- "Walter Winchell". Nevada State Journal. August 26, 1960. p. 8.
- "Harold Lang Gets Top Role in Show". New York Times. August 21, 1948. p. 9.
- "Monica Boyar". New York Times. December 13, 1955. p. 56.
- "The Voice of Broadway". Oneonta Star. October 31, 1955. p. 4.
- "Salamanca Women Will Marvel at Gowns Designed By Brook Club Singer". Salamanca Republican-Press. July 8, 1949. p. 5.
- "Ex Canadian Farm Boy Gets Sophisticated Film City Rolse". San Mateo Times. June 2, 1956. p. 17.
External links
edit- Monica Boyar at IMDb
- Monica Boyar in a Honolulu Advertiser photo (1961)