Florence Ravenel

Born in Michigan,^[2] but raised primarily in Brooklyn, New York,^[7] Ravenel attended Hunter College and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.^[8]

Ravenel made her professional dramatic debut—billed as Florence Ravanel—in the fall of 1923 with the William Augustin Players in Gloucester, Massachusetts.^[7] Of her performance in Avery Hopwood's Fair and Warmer, Billboard reported, "Florence Ravanel made a hit as Laura Bartlett".^[9] Shortly thereafter, Ravenel found more lucrative employment with the Al Luttringer Players. Towards the end of a three-week engagement with that troupe at the Music Hall Theatre in Akron, Ohio (featuring The Cat and the Canary, Getting Gertie's Garter, Guy Bolton's Polly, Preferred, and My Irish Cinderella^[10][11][12]), The Beacon Journal singled out Ravenel's contribution, noting that the actress had tackled "hard roles and won praise from her audience."^[13]

Between 1925 and 1927, Ravenel appeared in stock company revivals of Lightnin' (portraying Mildred Buckley, "and doing it with a certain charm"),^[14] Parlor, Bedroom and Bath as Angelica Irving^[15] (a role previously played onscreen by Kathleen Kirkham,^[16] and subsequently by Dorothy Christy^[17]) and, as Madeleine, in the Goodman-Knoblock adaptation of Robert Keable's Simon Called Peter.^[18] Also in 1927, she appeared "to splendid advantage" alongside Jack Davis and William Rath as Keala Leilani in the premiere of Tropical Love, a South Seas-set melodrama staged at the Majestic Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois.^[19] At that same venue the following month, Ravenel was the main attraction in Anita Loos' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, "giv[ing] an absorbing performance of the part—i.e. Lorelei Lee—which was played by June Walker in New York"^[20]

As of February 1928, Ravenel appears to have taken up residence in Chicago, Illinois, where her membership in that city's Associate Players was advertised in the Southtown Economist.^[21] In March, the company's production of Avery Hopwood's The Alarm Clock featured Ravenel as Mrs. Dunsmore.^[22] That summer, Ravenel toured with Jeanne Eagels' company in a vaudeville recreation of scenes from Eagels' recent vehicle, The Cardboard Lover.^[23][24] The following year, she gave a well-received performance as Arlette in a revival of Seventh Heaven staged by the Guy and Eloda Beach stock company in La Crosse, Wisconsin.^[25]

In 1933, Ravenel was promoted from the ranks of KYW staffers to host the station's daily noontime dance program featuring Rex Maupin's orchestra.^[26] Beginning in the fall of 1937, Ravenel was heard, alongside Jack Brinkley, Elizabeth Reller, Dorothy Day, Henry Saxe, John Goldsworthy, Bob Middleton, and others in The Court of Missing Heirs.^[5][27] She was also featured as Mrs. Sniffer on Arnold Grimm's Daughter.^[28] On January 30, 1943, Ravenel was one of the few non-singing performers heard in Chicago Theater of the Air's production of Victor Herbert's Sweethearts.^[29] In 1948, Ravenel, Parley Baer, Jerry Farber and announcer Patrick McGeehan were among those featured on the Catholic program, The Hour of St. Francis.^[30] Beginning in 1951, she co-starred with Lamont Johnson, Raymond Burr and Ruth Swanson in The Pendleton Story, produced by the Armed Forces Radio Service, described as the service's "first family series for overseas release."^[31]

Between 1950 and 1952, Ravenel also appeared in at least two episodes each of Dr. Christian and NBC Theater,^{[32][33][34][35]} most notably in the latter's production of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, starring Virginia Christine and featuring Ravenel as Aunt Julie.^[32]

In the fall of 1951, Ravenel joined 12 fellow former radio actors in the cast of Arch Oboler's The Twonky.^[36]

Making a brief return to the stage in 1956, Ravenel appeared with Naomi Stevens and many others in what The Hollywood Reporter's Marvin Smith judged a much-improved revival of Sumner Locke Elliott's unsuccessful Broadway comedy, Buy Me Blue Ribbons, providing an ideal showcase for the show's star, a young Paul Smith.^[37]