Belle Barth

Belle Barth (1911 - February 14,1971), née Annabelle Salzman (Epstein 2001:180), was a Jewish-American comedian who worked primarily during the 1950s and 1960s. She was known for her bawdy, unrepentantly irreverent humor.

THE BEGINNING

She was born in 1911, the ninth child of a Manhattan Merchant, and at a very early age started working Borscht Belt hotels and small nightclubs. When she married, and divorced, she kept the last name Barth. She moved to Miami Beach in 1950 and had a residence there until her death in 1971. Belle worked in the nightclubs in Miami Beach and in other parts such as The Mist room in Chicago. In 1953, she was arrested and fined 25 dollars for her act, but remained the same. Many other cases were tossed out of court, including one lawsuit for 1.6 million dollars, two schoolteachers claiming that Belle's act had corrupted them morally and harmed their health. The case was tossed out of court. Around that time she bought small place from a retired boxer on 21st and Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, and called it Belle Barth's pub. Also the room she worked at the Saxony Hotel in Miami Beach, the Red Room, was renamed the Belle Barth room.

THE COMEDY ALBUMS AND THE NIGHTCLUBS

In 1960 she recorded her first album, "If I embarrass you, tell your friends", and sold over 2 million copies, despite the fact that they were not allowed to be displayed in the store, only under the counter. From then on, she released records on obscure labels and made millions of dollars. She released 11 "adult party albums," which were recorded live at her club gigs:

“If I Embarrass You Tell Your Friends" (recorded live Miami Beach 1960) “Hell’s Belle” (compilation of other album material) “Belle Barth’s Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild World!” (1965) “The Book of Knowledge” (recorded live Basin Street East New York City April 1966) “I Don’t Mean to be Vulgar, but it’s Profitable” (Roundtable 1962, Side Two is original Side 2 of 1st album) “In Person” (recorded at the Roundtable 1962) “My Next Story Is a Little Risque”-The Roundtable 1961 “For Adults Only” (recorded at the El Morocco, Montreal) “The Customer Comes First” “If I embarrassed you, forget it" (compilation LP of previous recordings) “Battle of the Mothers!” (with Pearl Williams, compiled of their record material on each of their respective side of the LP) “Party Snatches – the Best of . . .” (featured)

Once her first record hit, she hit it big, and was invited to perform in many places, one being at Carnegie Hall. She worked consistently at first at the Thunderbird in Las Vegas, then Caesar's Palace in Nero's lounge in the mid 60's, and went back to Miami Beach to play at Harry's American Showeroom at The Eden Roc, the Red Room at the Saxony, the Hotel Plaza in Joe's Lounge for Lovers, Sans Souci lounge, and other many hotels and nightclubs. She was usually accompanied by Margie Sherwin on piano. Also, in the early sixties she was asked to audition for Sid Caesar for a new musical, but did not end up playing it. She mentions being invited to the Johnny Carson show in the mid sixties, but this has never been able to be confirmed, due to the old Johnny Carson archives being inaccessible. All the albums are made up of new material and specific acts recorded throughout her performances, some being mere compilations of previous records.

MARRIAGES AND CHILDREN

Belle Barth's theme song was "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You", and followed that song to a T. She was married five times, including agent D. Thorne in 1954, and her last husband George B. Martin, whom she divorced in March 1966, and remarried him a month later. Belle never had any children, which affected her emotionally, but left behind many brothers, a sister, and nieces and nephews.

THE END

She worked at Caesar's Palace for many years, back and forth around the globe and the United States, until she became ill in Las Vegas in May 1970 in Las Vegas. March 1970, and the last time she performed in Miami Beach was in March of 1970 at Joe's lounge at the Hotel Plaza. She remained ill and continued working despite the pain. At 10pm on February 14, 1971, Belle Barth died at her Miami Beach home due to stomach cancer, which she didn't know she had.

LEGACY

Belle Barth opened doors and broke barriers, mainly because of her brassy mouth and great act. She looked like a jewish grandmother and talked like a dirty mouthed sailor. Her comedy was mentioned by Bette Midler in her act frequently, as she declared, "Shut your hole, mine's makin money!" In 2007, Barth was featured in the Off-Broadway production "The J.A.P. Show: Jewish American Princesses of Comedy", which included live standup routines by four female Jewish comics juxtaposed with the stories of legendary performers from the 1950s and 1960s, Jean Carroll, Pearl Williams and Betty Walker, Totie Fields, and Barth herself.In August 2008, a new play debuted entitled "If I Embarrass You, Tell Your Friends" and will play in Chicago through November.

References

* ¹Klein, Alvin. "Three Funny Women, Joking Through Pain.” "The New York Times", April 28, 1996.
* Epstein, Lawrence J. (2001). "The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America", PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group. ISBN 1-58648-162-2 (pbk)

External links

* [http://www.thejapshow.com Princesses of Comedy] official website