Old Gold features American Broadway star Marilyn Miller (1898-1936) in this advertisement in which the brand compares its quick rise in popularity to Miller’s. The ad presents her as going “from her grandmother’s cellar … to Ziegfeld’s Roof… in just the twinkle of a toe,” whereas in reality she starred in Shuberts and other Broadway shows before her star Ziegfeld Follies performance of 1918. In the later years of her life, Miller suffered from alcoholism and chronic sinus infections. She passed away at the age of 38 from reported complications due to nasal surgery. In the ad, she is shown dancing in her grandmother’s basement at the instruction of the furnaceman, as is explained in the color version of this ad. The political incorrectness of the scene is a reflection of the times, as is Miller’s dance style which demonstrates a move away from 1920s flapper toward the swing dancing of the 1930s. The dances of the 1930s were more and more influenced by the African American population.
Actress, adult, Dancer, Female, Health, Marilyn Miller, Modern, Singer, woman, young adult
