Whether you love or hate the movie, Glinda is one of the most recognizable screen images of all time. Dressed in a sparkly pink organdy gown and a silver crown, she instructs Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road. The iconic role has stayed with audiences ever since.
Burke’s socialite image
Burke’s socialite image came from her work as a performer. In the early 1900s, she was part of the Barnum & Bailey Circus as a singer and clown. She later settled in London, and became a successful actress. She was cast in several films, including The School Girl and The Duchess of Dantzic. Her acting career continued after her marriage to Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld.
Burke’s early career was a light comedienne. She appeared in Merrily We Live (1938), which earned her an Oscar nomination. She later appeared in a number of other films, including Everybody Sing (1939), which featured Judy Garland.
Her character’s ditsy nature
Billie Burke was born in Washington, D.C. Her father was a circus clown, and she toured the country and Europe with the circus as a child. She later moved to London, where she saw plays at the West End. When she was 18 she made her stage debut in the comedy “The Duchess of Dantzic.”
Burke’s early films included a ditsy role as a dysfunctional wife, Clara Topper, in Topper (1916). She was also nominated for an Oscar for her role as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live. She later played Glinda in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and worked with Judy Garland in Everybody Sing.
Her career
Billie Burke is best known for playing the role of Glinda in the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. However, her career included many other roles as well. In addition to her role in the movie, Burke was also an Academy Award nominee and the wife of a famous Broadway producer, Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. She was born in Washington, D.C. and lived in London.
Billie Burke began her career on stage, and at age 54 she played the Good Witch of the North in the hit film. Although she was already a seasoned actress, Burke still considered herself an artist. After appearing in Gloria’s Romance, she married Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. in 1921. She retired from acting after her marriage, but returned later when the stock market crashed. Then, she continued to act in the 1940s, appearing in 25 films. Eventually, she died at age 85.
Her romantic relationship with Florenz Ziegfeld
Billie Burke was a stage actress, who was married to Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. between 1914 and 1932. Together, they had one daughter and four grandchildren. Burke was best known for her role as Glinda in the Wizard of Oz. She later went on to run her own theatre company, the Ziegfeld Club Inc., which continues to run the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award.
The couple had a burgeoning romantic relationship. Though Burke’s acting career was largely limited before marrying Ziegfeld, she made up for lost opportunities by landing roles in Hollywood movies. Her feature film debut was in Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford (1921), a movie based on a play from the 1910s. Her role in the play caught the attention of the camera, and she went on to star in At the Stage Door, which starred Katharine Hepburn as Margaret Burke. This film showcased her as a long-suffering and sympathetic character.
