Geneva Duker
American actress (1905–1976)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geneva M. Duker Schissel (March 5, 1905 – July 14, 1976) was an American dancer, actress, and diver. She appeared on the vaudeville stage, and in several Broadway productions, in the 1920s.
- Actress
- dancer
- showgirl
Geneva Duker | |
|---|---|
Geneva Duker, from a 1924 publication | |
| Born | March 5, 1905 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 14, 1976 (aged 71) Falmouth, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Other names | Geneva Schissel, Genevieve Schissel |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
Edmund Schissel (m. 1928) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education
Duker was born in Boston, the daughter of William John Duker and Ellen McMenamin Duker. She became a proficient swimmer and diver at the Boston Municipal Baths,[1] and graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Boston.[2]
Her older sisters Susan, Alice and Jessie had a vaudeville diving act known as the Duker Sisters,[3] which she sometimes joined for performances.[4][5] In 1921 she was a featured dancer in a children's pageant, Secrets of the Sun Dial, produced in Boston to raise money for the Near East Relief Fund.[6] She was also popular as an entertainer for recent World War I veterans.[7]
Career
Duke was a dancer who appeared on the vaudeville stage, and in several Broadway productions. She also worked as an artist's model, and performed in a high-diving stunt act with her sisters at the New York Hippodrome.[5] Her stage credits included roles in Better Times (1922),[8] Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1924,[9] Greenwich Village Follies (1924, with her sister Alice),[10][11][12] The Great Temptations (1926),[13] The Desert Song (1926–1928), Cross My Heart (1928), and Sammy's Sally (1928).[14] Her name and image appeared in advertisements for hosiery in 1924.[15]
Personal life
In 1928, Duker married salesman Edmund Schissel; they had two children, Edmund and Geneva.[16] She died in 1976, in Falmouth, Massachusetts, aged 71 years.[17]
