Lota Cheek
Lota Cheek | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lota Baker Cheek 31 August 1898 Pavo, Georgia, United States |
| Died | 22 April 1978 (aged 79) Tucson, Arizona, United States |
| Other names | America's Prettiest Girl Lota B. Cheek |
| Education | Cox College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1921 – 1930 |
| Spouse | Tyrell Davis (ex-husband) |
| Children | 2 |
Lota Cheek (August 31, 1898 – April 22, 1978), also known as Lota Baker Cheek-Sanders and professionally as Lota Sanders, was an American beauty queen and actress in the 1920s.[1] She rose to fleeting national fame in the early 1920s during the Jazz Age. She was widely publicized as "America's Prettiest Girl" after winning a series of beauty contests, which launched her an acting career in New York City's entertainment industry.[1] She was known for winning a New York City beauty contest and being declared "America's Prettiest Girl" in 1921.[2]
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]Lota Cheek was born in Pavo, Georgia, the daughter of a farmer named Leon Cheek.[3] Growing up in a rural environment, she later moved to New York City to pursue a career in the public eye.[4] She went to Atlanta and attended Cox College.[1]
Lota's mother Nannie was involved in a notorious legal case when Lota was a toddler. In 1900, Nannie was arrested for her alleged involvement in the killing of her first husband, William Danzey.[5] The incident, which also resulted in the death of a brother-in-law, stemmed from a custody dispute over the two children Nannie shared with Danzey. Nannie was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison, which she entered with her three-month-old baby, James. She was paroled in late 1901 due to concerns for the baby's health.[6] Nannie died in 1917, four years before Lota achieved her beauty queen fame.
Career
[edit | edit source]Cheek gained initial public attention when she won a Boston beauty contest in 1921, earning a $1000 prize.[7] Her fame increased substantially when she won a major New York City beauty contest in 1922, defeating 6,000 contestants and earning the official title of "America's prettiest girl".[8]
Her striking looks and long, unconventional tresses, which challenged the popular bobbed-hair fashion of the Flapper era, garnered significant media attention. This notoriety launched her acting career in New York.[9] She appeared in several Broadway productions, most notably in Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1923, and other plays under the name Lota Sanders.[10] She also worked as a model and music teacher.
Her sudden fame led to a career in New York's theatrical scene.[1] She appeared in the popular Broadway revues. She was also a model, notably appearing in advertisements for Colgate toothpaste in 1927.[11] She appeared in many Broadway productions in total, sometimes under the name Lota Sanders after her marriage.[10]
Personal life and scandal
[edit | edit source]Cheek had a complex personal life marked by several marriages. She first married Robert Platt Stout in Alabama in 1916 and divorced him in 1920.[12]
In 1922, she was involved in a public scandal when a woman, Mrs. E. C. Simmons (sometimes spelled Seimmons), named her as a co-respondent in her divorce case. It was revealed that Cheek's husband at the time, an F.L. Simmons (or Seimmons), had married Lota without first obtaining a proper divorce from his previous wife, making his marriage to Cheek legally invalid.[13]
In 1924, Lota married the British actor Tyrell Davis in Manhattan while both were performing on Broadway. However, their marriage lasted only a few months as they divorced when Davis returned to England and Lota remained in the United States.[14]
By 1925, she had remarried yet again and took the surname of her new husband, Sanders, and generally used this name thereafter. She and her husband, Mr. Sanders, had two children together.
Later life and death
[edit | edit source]After her period of fame, Lota Cheek-Sanders lived a private life. She died on April 22, 1978, in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 79.[15]
Filmography
[edit | edit source]Stage
[edit | edit source]| Year | Title | Role(s) | Venue(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | All Soul's Eve | Girl | Palace Theatre | [16] |
| 1922 | Make It Snappy | Chorus | Winter Garden | [9] |
| 1923 | The Dancing Girl | Dancer | New York Theatre | [1] |
| 1923 | Simon's Called Peter | Louise | Klaw Theatre | [17] |
| 1923 | The Vanities | Dancer | Earl Carroll Theatre | [10] |
| 1924 | That Awful Mrs. Eaton | Mrs. Branch | Morosco Theatre | [18] |
| 1926 | The Man From Toronto | Ada | Selwyn Theatre | [19] |
| 1927 | Black Velvet | Chorus | Liberty Theatre | [20] |
| 1930 | Cafe | Ruth | Ritz Theatre | [21] |
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Lota Cheek at the Internet Broadway DatabaseLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).