Wini Shaw

Wini Shaw (c. 1907 – May 2, 1982), sometimes credited as Winifred Shaw, was a 20th century American actress, dancer and singer.

For the tennis player, see Winnie Shaw.

Wini Shaw
Shaw on USO tour in 1943
Born
Winifred Lei Momi

(1907-02-25)February 25, 1907
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedMay 2, 1982(1982-05-02) (aged 75)
New York City, U.S.
Other namesWinifred Shaw; Wini O'Malley; Winifred O'Malley
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer, singer
Years active1934–1939
Spouse(s)Leo Cummins (divorced)
William O Malley
​
​
(m. 1955)​
Children3

Early life

She was born as Winifred Lei Momi in about 1907, in San Francisco, California, the youngest of thirteen children of Hawaiian descent.[1]

Some sources suggest she was born in 1910, while the Social Security Death Index under her married name Wini O'Malley suggests she was born in 1907.

Career

Shaw began her entertainment career as a child in her parents' vaudeville act and later appeared in a number of Warner Brothers musical films in the 1930s. She is best remembered for introducing the song "Lullaby of Broadway" in the musical film Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935).[2]

Shaw's only recording, (Decca 408) with Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra, was "Lullaby of Broadway" and "I'm Goin' Shoppin' with You". Both songs were from the film, and the recording was made on February 28, 1935.

She also sang "The Lady in Red" in the musical film In Caliente (1935) starring Dolores del Río; the song was later made famous when cartoon character Bugs Bunny (voiced by Mel Blanc) parodied it in drag.[2]

In 1937 she filmed a complicated duet live on the sound stage with a reciting and speaking Ross Alexander as she sang "Too Marvelous for Words" for the finale of Ready, Willing, and Able.

Shaw appeared in a brief revival of the musical-theatre production of Simple Simon (1931) on Broadway in New York City.[3]

During World War II she toured service camps and Red Cross clubs for the USO, sometimes as part of the Jack Benny or Larry Adler troupes.[4]

Filmography
Screenshot from the trailer for the film Smart Blonde (1937)

References
  1. "Wini Shaw". Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  2. "Wini Shaw". The New York Times. May 7, 1982. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  3. Database (undated). "Wini Shaw" profile at IBDb. Accessed January 26, 2010.
  4. Cotter, Margaret, “Red Cross Girl Overseas,” National Geographic Magazine, vol. 86, no. 6, December 1944, picture & caption, p.763.
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